You best watch your step when visiting New Orleans. That’s werewolf town, specifically Cassian Steele’s. When the old werewolf boss puts out a hit on you, ain’t nobody gonna save you, except maybe a demon seeking redemption named Barnabus Black. Side with him and maybe you got a chance.
Kiss Me, Satan has a blast with its supernatural concept. All the classics are confirmed right away, and issue #1 does a fantastic job showing off not only the different supernatural sects at play in this story but what each of them is capable of. As a bit of a relief, Kiss Me, Satan isn’t looking to put its own stamp on any of these monster classics. When the book introduces a werewolf, we get exactly what you’d expect. That’s not to say that Kiss Me, Satan is a cookie-cutter setting. The political maneuverings at play and the mythology touched upon are engaging elements that are immediately relatable and no less gripping for it.
This book takes readers straight to the action as Cassian is backed into a corner and murder seems to be the only logical solution. While Barnabas is arguably the hero of this tale, Cassian is the character who grabbed my attention. He’s a criminal, a villain, and a murderer to be sure, but Kiss Me, Satan shows how unbelievably human the werewolf leader is. He’s a tragic, flawed, and fascinating character; I can’t help but root for the guy. Barnabas, by comparison, is a stoic thug trying to live up to a lofty ideal for reasons not yet revealed. As the narrator and the main character, I found Barnabas dull and easily the least interesting of the named characters, which is my one real gripe with this first issue, but there’s still time to add something more. Barnabas’ guide in his redemption, Jules, has the best character design. He’s a pint-sized mobster angel complete with cigar and fedora! Although, it’s worth noting that Juan Ferreyra outdid himself when it comes to all of the character designs. Kiss Me, Satan and everything in it looks great. The New Orleans buildings, the vehicles, even the guns all have a certain character to them.
Brace yourself, for every cute mobster angel there’s an exploding werewolf head. Kiss Me, Satan has a sort of goofy sense of humor that shares time with the book’s gory and violent gunplay and political drama. To the credit of both writer Victor Gischler and Ferreyra, the back-and-forth and crossover is nigh perfect between these different tones, which is ultimately what makes Kiss Me, Satan such a fun and worthwhile read.
Four and a Half Marks of Lycanthropy out of Five
