REVIEW: ‘The Devil That Wears My Face,’ Issue #3

The Devil Wears My Face #3 is a horror comic published by Mad Cave Studios, written by David Pepose, with art and colors by Alex Cormack and letters by Justin Birch. Father Vieri has returned to the Vatican, where a demon has been wearing his face and slaughtering those within Rome, as both are sent to an extravagant party.

The religious horror comic has had a great structure so far, which continues within this issue. Pepose has been brilliantly setting up the storylines of the characters as they are in separate countries, occupying each other’s bodies. While the demon has been causing carnage among the Catholics, Vieri has been breaking out of his bondage and trying to make his way home. But now those plotlines are intersecting. They’re in the same place. As a set piece is introduced, and the duo is in the same building, there is the feeling of a final battle about to be unleashed, such is the intensity of the situation.

There is a sense of constant unease around the demon. Any time someone does wrong by him or is left along with him, instantly, their mortality is under question. The violence can happen in a heartbeat, suddenly flipping the plot’s direction and sending shockwaves through the building. This demon has had phenomenal power, and it has been difficult to think how the priest will stop him. But Pepose has made sure that Vieri has power, too, through his faith and belief. It creates a showdown of biblical proportions. Having an enormous, brutal death at the end of each issue has become a recurring idea, and The Devil That Wears My Face #3 is no different. Each murder is more than just shocking and gratuitous. It bears weight on the story and removes an obstacle.

The characters and the dialogue are superb. The demon is deliciously evil, delighting in causing harm and misery. The ease with which he causes explosive amounts of blood makes him terrifying. Nothing is done to make the being redeemable or sympathetic. He is just a creature from hell. It’s funny to see how useless he is at pretending to be a priest, filled with too much venom and bile to try and be decent. As for Vieri, now inhabiting a rich man, he has changed also. He has suffered huge amounts of torture and is after vengeance quickly. In his return, he is growing cocky. While that is exciting to see, it is also dangerous. There are other characters involved in the plot, and they are fantastically written, but they seem like bags of flesh about to burst when placed near such a powerful villain.

The art is terrific. Cormack is given the license to expand and explore. The first issue had phenomenal art, but the level of detail was not as obvious or impressive. When given a ballroom filled with extravagant guests, Cormack presents a positive, warm scene rarely found anywhere else in the comic series. Dresses have an incredible pattern added to the fabric. And yet, the characters can’t often be described as beautiful. They are enigmatic and striking, but they are under masquerade masks that are twisted and creepy. Cormack also has the ability to make figures look demented and haunted when they face the demon. The locations are stunning, as characters walk through halls featuring very pretty designs. And the brutality and the viscera on display is always horrifying. It’s often presented like a master painter would his canvas, and the results are enough to make you retch.

This is the most colorful chapter of the series so far. The part scene is a gorgeous mixture of warm, light, and friendly tones. Even when the setting changes so there are only two characters, the woman in the panel has a captivating green dress illuminated by a golden light. When blood is spilled, it looks like an enormous explosion that is unmatched in its vibrancy. The lettering for the demon’s dialogue may be intricate to read for some readers, but the rest of the text is absolutely fine.

The Devil That Wears My Face #3 is a fantastically brutal and biblical battle of wits and belief. The comic is constantly evolving. Even if it is set within the exact location, more is being explored and exposed. The added color makes the book more visually interesting, but the tone is patch black as ever. The violence is gloriously over the top, and the characters are intensely dramatic. It may have seemed like a final battle, but that only means the series will get more extreme.

The Devil that Wears My Face #3 is available now wherever comics are sold.