#the devilers

Devilers #6 Review

Juvenile and confusing. Creative Staff: Story: Joshua Hale Fialkov Art: Matt Triano Color: Mark Roberts Letters: Simon Bowland What They Say: The team is in retreat, all hope is seemingly lost, and the traitor in their midst may have shown their hand. It’s up to Chun-Bai to see the true...

Devilers #6 Review

Juvenile and confusing. Creative Staff: Story: Joshua Hale Fialkov Art: Matt Triano Color: Mark Roberts Letters: Simon Bowland What They Say: The team is in retreat, all hope is seemingly lost, and the traitor in their midst may have shown their hand. It’s up to Chun-Bai to see the true...

The Devilers #5 Review

Satan’s real power in this story is choosing incompetent enemies. Creative Staff: Story: Joshua Hale Fialkov Art: Matt Triano Colors: Mark Roberts Letters: Simon Bowland What They Say: As the team regroups, Chun-Bai suspects her team is not what it seems, and her suspicions might just get them k...

Joshua Hale Fialkov (w) Matt Triano (a) Jock (c) FC • 32 pages • $2.99 • Teen+

As the team regroups, Chun-Bai suspects her team is not what it seems, and her suspicions might just get them killed. An unlikely force appears to save them, but will it damn them as well?

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The Devilers #4 Review

What does God need with a Deviler?

Creative Staff: Story: Joshua Hale Fialkov Art: Matt Triano Color: Mark Roberts Letters: Simon Bowland

What They Say: A Deviler DIES RIGHT HERE! As the true villain is revealed, and, the supposed King of Hell is deposed, the Devilers face their worst nightmare, a world too far gone to be saved.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers): Here’s my impression of me meeting God: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

The Devilers met God the last issue and not one of them freaked out. Maybe it’s just me, but if I met God, I would experience more than a mild sense of wonderment. The Devilers were as stoic as Minnesotans when it came to meeting the creator/caretaker of the entire Universe. God fills them in on what has been happening in Hell and why demons have invaded the Earth, and we also learn the history of Samir Vasmani, who has really been more of a background character than strong member of the team.

There are two specific, interrelated problems with this issue, and there is no way to discuss them without entering spoiler country, so consider yourself warned. The first problem is less specific to this work and more just a problem in general when writing God: he (in this case God is presented as a man) is never Godlike. Sure, God has power and presence, but he comes off as just a more powerful human. There is no majesty, no mystery, no awe. Jason Aaron does a far better job of making Odin Godlike in his run on Thor (“I am the will and the wrath and the wonder”). This may sound like a facile comparison, but God in this case reminds me of the Jedis in the Star Wars prequels: for years we heard about this amazing, mystical warrior sect, but once we finally meet them, they never lived up to the image we created in our mind.

It may be that this is what Fialkov intended, but if it is, then the purpose is unclear. This goes back to what I mentioned in my previous review: there is no discernable premise in this story (or theme, if you prefer). The story is entirely on the surface with no insight into human nature or existence at all (a little ironic considering the cosmic forces that the series plays with). The ideas being bandied about are fun, but they don’t come together to make anything. This is like eating chocolates all afternoon—fun at first, but after a while you’re going to need some real food.

The second problem is even more spoilerific, so consider yourself thricely warned. It turns out that Samir was killed before he even became a Deviler and is now the Anti-Christ in disguise, complete with the 666 birthmark. Rabbi Brenda sees this with her ability to “see patterns in evil” but only at the end of the issue. This is problematic because Samir/Damien stood in God’s presence and God either didn’t recognize him or chose to do nothing. It’s also problematic because it rewrites Brenda’s already vague power, making it work and fail when it’s most convenient to the story. To return to the Star Wars metaphor, if God is the Jedi and the Devil the Sith, then the Devil is far more competent, effective, and powerful. I’m surprised that the Devilers don’t just quit after they meet the big man.

Moving on to the art, there were a few places where Triano’s work looks awkward, almost as if he were adopting someone else’s style. In fact, I thought that the first page was drawn by a different artist, and I went back to the credits to see if that was the case. It smooths out for the most part, but it does make for an inconsistent experience.

In Summary: The Devilers have three more issues to turn this story around, and I’m not sure that it’s going to happen. While the writing and art are technically proficient, there’s no sense of premise or purpose, there is no sense of awe or mystery in a plot that should be replete with it, and it makes God look like a chump. If there were a reason for that, it would be fine, but there’s not one that I can see, making this feel rather arbitrary and unfulfilling. Not recommended.

Grade: C+

Age Rating: N/A, but definitely not for kids. Released By: Dynamite Release Date: 15 October 2014 MSRP: $2.99

The Devilers #3 Review

The Devilers Issue 3

A pretty package, but an empty box.

Creative Staff: Story: Joshua Hale Fialkov Art: Matt Triano Color: Mark Roberts Letters: Simon Bowland

What They Say: From Joshua Hale Fialkov, the writer of Ultimate FF, comes The Devilers! The City of the Damned attacks as the Devilers fight their way to Lucifer’s castle in the center of hell, but what, or rather, WHO they find there is not what they expected at all. Plus, the origin of the Deviler that might save them all.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers): In this issue the spotlight switches to the angriest and possibly most irritating Deviler: Raab Al-Fayed. As with the last issue, we learn a little bit about his past and his power, but also as with the last issue, his character remains pretty cardboard.

The issue moves at the breakneck pace of the first two, and the characters still bicker and fight with each other almost as much as they fight the rogue demons of Hell. We also learn more about who is behind this invasion by Hell into Earth, but it raises more questions than it answers. As this series goes on, I can’t help but compare this to Preacher. It’s not the style or the quality of the writing or art, but some of the important plot points are very similar, which is all I’m going to say in order to avoid spoilers.

The problem with this comparison is that it doesn’t work well in Devilers’ favor (although, to be fair, what comic can hold up in comparison to Preacher?), and the reason why is because this is a very surface-level comic. It’s enjoyable enough. It has an interesting premise, potentially interesting characters, and big action, but it doesn’t really do anything with those elements. The characters move through this like they were stars in an action movie and barely react to what they see and experience. If you were to pare down this story to its premise, I’m not sure that you could find one. It’s not making any statements about faith or community or who/what we choose to worship. It’s not really saying anything at all, making this a hollow reading experience.

The art remains the strong element of the series. While I do feel that Triano relies too much on heavy ink lines and occasionally draws awkward faces, the action and the background are drawn well and the mood and atmosphere are established by Roberts’ rich color palette. This may be a hollow story, but at least the packaging is nice.

In Summary: Three issues in and The Devilers doesn’t truly say anything. While the art, action, and pacing are solid, the characters are cardboard and there’s no clear premise. This is a very surface-level story that hasn’t captured my interest, and that’s too bad because this is an idea rife with story potential. Unfortunately, at this point I’m not sure if the series will be able to capitalize on it.

Grade: B-

Age Rating: N/A, but definitely not for kids. Released By: Dynamite Release Date: 17 September 2014 MSRP: $2.99

The Devilers #2 Review

Too cool for Hell.

Creative Staff: Story: Joshua Hale Fialkov Art: Matt Triano Color: Mark Roberts Letters: Simon Bowland

What They Say: From the critically acclaimed creator of THE BUNKER comes a daring new series that follows a team of the world’s best Exorcists as they battle the army of Satan himself. Picking up where the last issue left off, our heroes must venture through hellfire and demons in order to face the devil himself. But, the secrets they all hold may be their undoing. With breathtaking art from breakout artist Matt Triano and covers by Jock, Joshua Hale Fialkov pilots the boldest new series in years.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers): Seven of the world’s greatest exorcists (I think of them as the holy A-Team) descend into Hell to stop an incursion of demons into our world. However, their pasts, their cultures, and their personalities may make them unable to complete the task and they may well end up killing each other instead of the Devil.

This issue shifts focus from Malcolm O’Rourke—the former Catholic priest—to Rabbi Brenda Davide. We learn a bit about her life and her super power and through her we discover the reason why Malcolm is so important to the mission. It adds some much-needed depth to her character, but honesty, not as much as I had hoped. I had to look at the previous issue to find her name, and I would have to do the same with any of the other characters except Malcolm.

Even with this backstory, the Rabbi doesn’t really have a personality. There is a general feeling of unhappiness with her life and the world, but that’s about it, and beyond moments where she provides information to the rest of the group, the only meaningful interaction she has is a back-and-forth with Raab Al-Fayed (also had to look up his name) about the Jewish state and the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Raab’s personality is basically “angry Palestinian” and anger is about the only emotion displayed by any member of the team. Chun-bai mixes it with a sense of irritating superiority, but that just changes the flavor slightly.

Triano’s art is still solid, although there are still issues with heavy ink lines and shadows. And Roberts’ colors do well conveying atmosphere and mood. The color palette shifts from blacks and blues to reds and blacks, creating a visual transition from the real world to the world of Hell, and it works. Together Triano and Roberts make Hell look as terrible and frightening and disgusting as it should be.

Oddly enough, the Devilers barely react to Hell. They stride in as if they were going to someplace moderately unpleasant, not the dimension of eternal pain and anguish. Even the atheist, George, who just tagged along for the ride, seems detached from everything. The members act as a battle-hardened group who have faced similar situations before, comporting themselves like the Justice League or the Avengers, and that brings me out of the story a little bit. Hell, for me, should be a big deal. It should be the last place anyone would ever want to go. It should be frightening and disgusting and terrible, as I mentioned before, but the characters’ reactions take away from the impact of the art.

In Summary: Issue 2 of The Devilers is pretty much second verse, same as the first. While the story moves along at a good clip and the art is solid, the characters are almost cardboard—even the character whose life we learn about in this issue. They display no real emotion other than anger or bemusement, and their reactions take away from the impact of the setting and plot. I compared the group to the A-Team earlier, but now I think that they are more like The X-Men: they are individuals from different nationalities and with different powers who do not always get along, but put those differences aside for the greater good. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that, it does create a sense of jadedness that hasn’t been earned. With any luck, the story will come together at the end and these issues I’m experiencing now will be taken care of, but for the moment, this just isn’t connecting with me. Not recommended.

Grade: B-

Age Rating: N/A but I wouldn’t let kids read it. Released By: Dynamite Release Date: 14 June 2014 MSRP: $2.99