#Review: Of Evil and Darkness Issue #1
#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @KryptoDies
I obviously didn’t learn anything from reading “Impaler” the other night. Why? Because for today’s review, I decided to pick up something worse. “Of Evil and Darkness #1” written/illustrated/inked by Jay Carvajal. Worse how? Vampires…it’s easy to tell myself that they’re not real while squeezing my eyes shut. It’s not easy to tell myself that CHILDREN don’t exist. Way to go, Ashleigh. Honestly…what did you EXPECT with a title like “Of Evil and Darkness”??
The thing that really interests me about this story is that it starts out with a history- a very thorough history; the beginning of the actual story is in the final pages of the comic. A television show is heading to an island to film their finale. What kind of comic would it be if the island weren’t really freaking haunted? So, on to the hellish past of the island, the year is 1924 and the island is DESPERATE for a doctor. Many come and help, but none stay. Finally, a doctor arrives (Jerome Tansa), bringing his wife (Lilith) and son (Samael) along. At first, things are fine. The family has an odd air about them, no doubt, but the island finally has a doctor.
Soon, the inhabitants start to feel uncomfortable (isn’t this the part where you should RUN??) to the point of not visiting the doctor when needed. The next thing they know, the people of the island are missing pets who are found mutilated in the woods (Seriously…RUN!). One night the villagers find Tansa and his wife in the forest performing a satanic ritual (I’m not even gonna say it…if you wanna walk towards someone very obviously involved in something freaky, you deserve to die. Confrontation isn’t the route I would take, but whatever! It’s only living right?). Tansa attacks the men, but is knocked out in the process. While the men are distracted, his wife takes her chance and kills one man but is killed by his companion. Tansa is taken to a rickety jail cell where he chews open his wrists and draws a pentagram on the floor. Somehow, he rips open his own chest (drama queen…) and dies. One of the villagers, angry, takes his frustrations out on Samael Tansa (son), breaking his neck.
To add to the bloodshed, one man is found with his guts streaming everywhere (yum…) and the man who killed Samael is shot while in the process of breaking the child’s neck. If there wasn’t already, there’s now a curse on the island. The comic goes on to talk about a mental institution that was set up on the island as a place for the rich to dispose of their “embarrassments” (mentally ill family members). They live a happy life forever and nothing bad happens ever again. The end.
Not.
The patients keep hearing “voices” that tell them to slit their wrists, peel off their own skin, etc. I don’t know about you, but someone told me to off myself, I’d say “B*%$@! Who do you think you are?!” But apparently the voices pretty convincing.
I’m not going to rate this one like I do the others. I just don’t want to think about it anymore. *cries* The art, I think, is what gets me the most.
Art: 5/5 Very detailed, unique style, high contrast black and white. Lots of solid shapes make up detailed panels.
Story: 4/5 I love how the history was told as a set-up. It feels like someone is reminiscing….like my Grandpa (if I had a really really old, scary-as-hell Grandpa). Overall: 4/5 It just is. Haha. I think Mr. Jay accomplished what he wanted from it. It’s suspenseful, the art is great, the mystery/plot are thick, and it’s very entertaining (even IF you’re not an axe murderer).