REVIEW: ‘We Have Demons,’ Issue #1

We Have Demons #1 is written by Scott Snyder, penciled by Greg Capullo, inked by Jonathan Glapion, colored by Dave McCaig, and lettered by Tom Napolitano. It is a ComiXology Original series published under Snyder’s Best Jackett Press imprint. Lamassu “Lau” Cullen had a deep bond with her father Cashel; he looked out for her and even inspired her with his sermons as a preacher. Yet Lam falls out with her father over the years, and it isn’t until his death that she learns the truth: he was a demon hunter. And she intends to follow in his footsteps.

This marks the first creator-owned comic for Snyder and Capullo; the two are best known for their work on the ongoing Batman series and related series such as Batman: Last Knight on Earth and Dark Nights: Death Metal. Snyder’s script delves deep into Lam’s history, which he separates into three different chapters: “The Nyeclops,” “Passage,” and “The Devil’s Finger.” Each chapter visits Lam at a different part of her life and slowly reveals the mythology behind this comic; in lieu of the usual conflict between Heaven and Hell, the demons and the means to their destruction are born of scientific means. Lam even reveals that the weapons her father and his fellow demon hunters use are powered by faith-not just in God but in the goodness of humankind. Readers of Snyder’s other horror-themed comic Nocterra may notice a few similarities between its protagonist Val Riggs and Lam, from their appearance to their battles against unholy forces. Some readers will probably also draw comparisons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which isn’t a bad thing if you ask me.

Capullo and Glapion also tackled a similar battle between demonic forces and warriors of light in Mark Millar’s Reborn, yet this series has even gnarlier creature designs. The demons look like twisted trees, and their intestines unfurl to reveal a seemingly endless row of mouths and teeth. They also happen to deliver a stream of non-stop (and rather inventive) profanity while advancing on their victims. McCaig’s colors help create striking imagery such as the blinding blue brilliance of the Big Bang, the horrifying images of stone-skinned demons ripping through human flesh, and said demons’ orange blood splattering everywhere when the faith powered weapons cleave through them. Adding the cherry on top of the horror story is Napolitano’s lettering for the demons; much like their bodies, their word balloons have a twisted appearance and jagged letters. Most of the captions are presented as white letters against a solid black background—another thing this book shares in common with Nocterra.

We Have Demons #1 is a darkly delightful addition to the action/horror genre that reunites Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo for their first creator-owned comic. Though the comic bears some similarities to previous works, it is a strong beginning for Snyder’s exclusive deal with ComiXology. Fans of films like Underworld or Army of Darkness, along with those who followed Snyder & Capullo’s Batman saga, will want to give it a read.

We Have Demons #1 is available now to read via Comixology Unlimited.