satan’s flock
Screenplay: Steve Niles
Illustrator: Piotr Kowalski
Colorist: Laverne Kinjeski
Author: Nate Pekos
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Remember when you were a kid and went to the video store with your parents? If you were like me, you’d sprint to the horror section the moment you walked in. There I watched my favorite movies, movies I’ve already seen 100 times, and movies I’ll see 100 more times. But then I’ll stop. I saw a forbidden movie out of the corner of my eye. It was the kind of thing my parents wouldn’t let me borrow because it was too gory, taboo, or (worse) unappreciated. Please choose. Zombie 2, Cannibal Holocaust, Face of Death, House by the Graveyard, Cannibal Ferox, Gates of Hell, or in very specific cases Necromantic. Still, you will find a way to see them. Maybe your mom or dad will sneak you into the cash register when it’s too late to fight with you. Then, as soon as you get home, you head to your VCR and watch some of the most gruesome events ever filmed.
Satan’s Swarm by Steve Niles and Piotr Kowalski falls squarely into the horror category, a stand-alone short graphic novel filled with disgusting, creepy crawlies filled with blood, gore, and a hunger for human flesh. Traditional parents would be outraged. The film is very similar to the European Mondo horror films of the 1970s and 1980s. In this film, the violence is depicted in a documentary-like manner, with the death scenes looking very creepy and snuff-like. “Satan’s Swarm” doesn’t quite go that far, but there are stylistic choices that give it a similar feel to that horror.
Satan’s Swarm is built around a diverse group of people, from influencers to entomologists to reporters. They receive an invitation from a doctor named Philip Morgan to visit his coastal research facility. Very little time is wasted between the first intro of the characters and the bloodshed. It soon becomes clear that Dr. Morgan is conducting experiments using small insects, specifically ants. Ants devour everything in their path in a pulse. The group tries to survive, but it doesn’t work out.
The story doesn’t get any more complicated than that, which is a good thing. Niles seems keenly aware that the reason most of the films I mentioned above are so popular is their over-the-top violence and death scenes. So that’s what he gives us, a group of people lining up to be devoured up close and personal for our viewing pleasure. However, there are important reasons why this happens. I would have been even happier if there was a little more story behind it. Dr. Morgan is a fascinating character who gets more screen time before the madness starts. But what we have here will get the job done.
The simplicity of the story gives Kowalski the freedom to enjoy the carnage as much as possible. This is where Mondo’s influence comes into play. Kowalski tends to draw in a very naturalistic and realistic manner, a trait that has also caused his previous horror work to take a big hit when it comes to violence (Hellraiser, Bloodborne, and his recent Where See works by) Monsters Lie). In Satan’s Swarm, he seems to be having the time of his life.
The characters are chewed to the bone and there isn’t a scene where they don’t look miserable. In some cases, the bait will be pulled through multiple panels, allowing you to experience the frenzy of the attack. The details of the insect swarms recall images of Biblical plagues and war zones, and are so well put together compositionally that you want to see more. It’s a treat and a great showcase of Kowalski’s abilities.
This is easy. Satan’s Swarm is a nostalgic gorehound’s dream and a wonderful ode to the controversial European horror films of the ’70s and ’80s. Niles provides a lean script that gives Kowalski a chance to run wild. This kind of free collaboration always brings about a great time. That’s exactly what they’re accomplishing here.
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