[COMIC REVIEW] Pestilence : A Story of Satan #1 unleashes hell on Earth
Aftershock comics’ Pestilence Vol 2 brings us a new supernatural horror take in a medieval Europe.
Pestilence : A Story of Satan #1 welcomes us to 14th century France where the bubonic Black Plague lurks around every corner. The setting is a world where religion controls daily life juxtaposed by the ever prevalent threat of a plague infected zombie horde.
The initial scene features a seemingly holy man curing “the infected” only to be betrayed by the Fiat Lux brotherhood. This scene is important. It precedes the alcoholics annonymous style meeting Sir Richard is conducting in a church with Black Plague survivors. Exploring the stress and the trauma of the victims in remembering feasting on human flesh and the death caused.
Sir Richard starts to feel ill at the sight of his reflection in a cooking pot and escapes the gathering. What follows is the most jaw dropping possession scene ever depicted on page or on screen.
Thanks to Oleg Okunev and Rob Schwager, Satan is perfectedly depicted as a grotesque and beautifully misshapen figure. His sinister chatterings put together by the writing team leaves a foreboding impression on the reader. The eventual possession leads you to eventually join the dots on this issue. Revealing a mere slither of his plan, Satan takes control of his grotesque swarm of the undead.
Protagonist, Sir Roderick, has his solitude interrupted by two knights from his past. Warning him of the oncoming evil in part, they are then ambushed in the bar by the hordes of Satan. This bubonic infected zombie horde is upon the small party before bringing the issue to an end.
Longtime fans of the Aftershock Comics publishing house won’t be surprised with the art present in Pestilence: A Story of Satan #1. It’s the juxtaposition in the colouring of the evil hordes versus the lighter tones in the knights’ party is what should be celebrated. Ken Schwager hit it out of the park.
MVP for this issue is the crowned Prince of Darkness himself. Both for his appropriate use of foul language and for setting this series on a maniacally dark entertaining path.
Hit up Aftershock Comics for your copy.
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