Clare’s Comics Catalogue – The Devil in Disguise
Regular readers of this column will know I’m a big fan of Matt Garvey and his genre-hopping output. I’ve been a bit slack on his more recent offerings for one reason or another, but I have FINALLY caught up with #1 and 2 of The Devil In Disguise.
In The Ether, Garvey gave us a subversive take on vigilante heroes, and in The Devil in Disguise he’s done it again.
What’s it all about?
A sinister cult dedicated to bringing the devil to earth get a shock when their vessel makes a run for it. Apparently the devil doesn’t want to be beholden to earth-bound crazies. He’s also on a bit of a mission. See, he wants to prove to God that he’s a decent dude, and get back on good terms with Him Upstairs. How? By punishing sinners while they are still earth-bound. Yes, you read that right, the Devil-as-Superhero.
I love the idea, and the execution is really well done. There’s a great exchange in #2 between Nate our (uh, kinda) protagonist and his demonic mental passenger that had me giggling. I think anyone else handling this story would have the devil trying to get back to heaven, since it’s a fairly well worn trope. Not Matt. Nope. Lou just wants to not fight with the big man any more.
New Artist Collaboration
After a couple of outings with the brilliant Dizevez (The Ether, white NOIR), Matt has found a new artist for this series. I’m increasingly guilty of blitzing through a comic and not taking the time to appreciate the art. Which is frankly ridiculous given that the whole point of a comic book is that it is sequential art. It’s not a novel. The art is what brings the words to life.
Robert Ahmad‘s style makes the reader slow down and really see what’s going on in each panel. Not to mention that colour palette. Can you still call it a palette if it’s black, white and orange? Orange. It’s a bold choice, but somehow it works. I’m not sure I can explain why, you’re just going to have to pick up a copy and see for yourself.
Where to find it.
If you happen to be at MCM Comic Con in London today (Sunday May 27th) then you can find Matt in the Comics Village at table 142 and grab a copy. You’ll also get a bonus The Ether print. If you’re not there, you can purchase copies from his website.
