When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee #1, written by Gus Moreno with art by Jakub Leberka, follows two priests (or both) battling demonic forces and demon-possessed worlds. This is the debut issue of a mini-series focusing on people (who may be crazy). glove.
The main focus of this issue is Father Merrick Stigian. He’s a veteran of demon battles, and if this miniseries were ever made into a movie, Samuel L. Jackson would play him. To say he is intense is like saying the sun is hot. Yes, he’s enthusiastic and not very good at small talk, but he’s accumulated a lot of knowledge over the years, and it’s best learned from experience, not from poring over dusty old books. In this issue, we see him in action when he shows up at the home of a possessed young girl.
When the girl’s caretaker opens the front door, he is greeted by Stygian’s tall, lanky frame and dark gaze, and Father Merrin, played by Max von Sydow, arrives to have a final battle with the demon Pazuzu. It reminded me of a similar scene in The Exorcist. There’s a nice spookiness to the proceedings, and screenwriter Gus Moreno throws in a few twists along the way.
Stygian is a man of action. This is not the kind of guy who will drop a few drops of holy water and recite Bible verses. He is a demon slayer who carries around a case full of demon-killing tools and is never afraid to engage in physical combat if necessary. In many ways, he is very similar to Peter Cushing’s Doctor Van Helsing from the Hammer Dracula movie, where he punches, dives, and grapples to defeat hordes of demons.
boom! studio
Jakub Rebelka’s unconventional art feels hazy at times, as if viewing the panels in a feverish haze. It adds a ton of atmosphere to the book, giving the feeling that this world is shrouded in darkness and demons may attack from all angles at any time.
To its credit, this book focuses more on the human characters than the many demons that haunt this world. There’s also some great backstory about Father Stygian, so you’ll know a lot about him by the end of this issue. Father Manuel Barrera, the other main character in the story, is more undisciplined and impulsive than Stigian. Barrera is introduced at the beginning of this issue as doing something incredibly shocking. Throughout the rest of the miniseries we’ll find out why he did what he did, but what’s clear about him is that he rebels against everything, including religious dogma, and the rest of the world. It means you don’t care at all what people think of him.
When he and Stygian first meet, there’s a lot of animosity between these two, and you wonder how they’ll ever be able to work together. They both have dark secrets that they hide from the world, but will they ever reveal them to each other? I look forward to finding out as the miniseries progresses.
“When I Lay My Vengeance Upon Thee” #1 Review
When I take revenge on you #1
This book is full of atmosphere and features two wonderfully complex protagonists who may be scarier than the demons they fight.
Jakub Rebelka’s art adds to the eeriness of this book, making you feel like you’re in a fever dream.
Both Father Merrick Stigian and Father Manuel Barrera have memorable introductions.
The chilling atmosphere of this book feels similar to “The Exorcist.”
