The dynamic duo of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are back again. If you pick up on the reference and don’t realize they brought us Batman together for a couple years, then you’re missing out on some amazing Batman stories, but to compare their newest offering (We Have Demons) to Batman would be like comparing Evil Dead 2 to A Simple Plan just because Sam Raimi directed them.

To be clear, We Have Demons is more Evil Dead 2 or the second half of From Dusk til Dawn in tone. This new collaboration toils in the world of religion, myth, and superhero fantasy. It is vulgar, violent, and, at times, funny enough to make me laugh out loud. I genuinely had no idea what I was getting myself into: Demons are real and there are demon hunters that fight them. Our focus centers on one specific family, and one specific member of that family: the daughter Lam and her journey to figuring out what exactly she is.

Here’s the thing: There’s a lot going on in this first issue. Snyder lays out all of the exposition and catches us up on pretty much everything. It’s like listening to Michael Peña (Antman) choosing to start from the very beginning; not a detail is missed. So, yes, this first issue is exposition heavy. How did this become that, where did all of that go, and how long has this been around? It’s the first ten pages that truly grabbed me. There is a swiftness and lightness, a quick-witted cleverness to the writing; it floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee… The stings being punchlines. And then things change; secret rooms are easily discovered, and Michael Peña finds his light. It isn’t that that exposition is bad, the fire of mystery is quickly extinguished, and we’re left with camp, horror, and gore. I’m okay with that.

The cliffhanger isn’t much of a cliffhanger, more of a “See, there’ll be more of this,” and I’m very much okay with that, because the final page is hilarious. This was a fun read with stellar, goopy, drippy artwork.

And a big shout-out to Kathleen Barnett who designed the hell out of this book. You are immediately invested in the tone of this world because of it. Everything about this book looks and feels amazing. Anything with editor Daniel Chabon’s name on it is going to be a pretty stellar product.

Creative Team: Scott Snyder (writer), Greg Capullo (pencils), Jonathan Glapion (inks), Dave McCaig (colors), Tom Napolitano (letters), Snyder and Capullo (creators), Daniel Chabon (editor), Chuck Howitt and Misha Gehr (assistant editors), Kathleen Barnett (designer), Josie Christensen (digital art technician)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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