DEVIL’S DOMINION #5 – Review

DEVIL’S DOMINION #5, available from Blackbox Comics on September 22nd, 2021, places Devlynn on a collision course with the Grim Reaper to save the woman she loves.

The Details

• Written By: Brian Hawkins
• Art By: Raffeale Forte, Sara Ianniello
• Colors By: Carolina Pontes
• Letters By: Justin Birch
• Cover Art By: Raffaele Forte
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: September 22, 2021

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Was It Good?

Well, that escalated quickly.

We’ve had quite a long pause between issues #4 and #5. The last issue came out in May 2021, so we’ve had four months to think about Devlynn’s predicament and the trouble that could come from returning to her hometown and the woman she loves. True to form, things don’t go as badly as Devlynn thinks. They get much, much worse.

The issue breaks down into two extended scenes and an epilogue, so a great deal of emphasis is placed on how well those scenes play out and what the story gains from their respective outcomes.

The first scene is centered around Devlynn’s escape from the local jail. The scene plays out well, and you get a bigger view of just how many people struggle with their own demonic inhabitants. Through Devlynn’s sight, we see half the force is like her, carrying a dark presence inside them driving them to act out of malice. It’s a good glimpse into how badly this world, not just Devlynn, is already in the midst of a battle against the Devil. It makes the scope of the conflict feel dire.

The second, longer scene is Devlynn’s confrontation against Thanatos aka the Grim Reaper. The fight is a good one, although there are some art problems I’ll get to further down, but the highlight is the outcome. It sets Haley and Devlynn on a new path; both in terms of story and their relationship. The emotional stakes have changed and gained a new layer of complication that keeps the story unpredictable.

The epilogue is where things really start to heat up for this issue and the series as a whole. No spoilers on this point since it’s too big and worth discovering on your own. However, it’s refreshing to see a smaller conflict tie into something much bigger to escalate the scope and the stakes of the story. The saying “Go big or go home” is taken to heart in this issue, and Hawkins is swinging for the rafters with the final reveal.

On the art, it’s good and suits the material very well, but there is a trouble spot with this issue that’s more to do with the nature of the medium than with the art team. A fair bit of the story relies on switching between the seen and the unseen as we look at the action from different characters’ points of view. Particularly during the fight with Thanatos, the perspective switching is clunky and doesn’t convey a sense of confusion. If this was a scene on film where you can see Devlynn taking a swing at thin air, it might come off a little better, but it doesn’t work here. Admittedly, the flaw may simply be due to the static nature of comics.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

It’s been a while, so re-familiarize yourself with what’s going on by reading our DEVIL’S DOMINION #4 review.

We start with Devlynn waking up in a Richmond, VA jail cell. The demonic voice whispering in her head makes it clear that Devlynn’s refusal to cooperate means stronger persuasion is necessary. The dark forces are going to send Thanatos aka the Grim Reaper after Haley.

Desperate to keep Haley safe, Devlynn uses her demonic strength to break out of prison. During her escape, her sight shows her several of the police are infested with demons. She has visions showing her how the infested are coerced into abusive circumstances.

Later, Theresa and Haley argue over Devlynn’s return to Haley’s life. Theresa is convinced Develynn is dangerous, but Haley is convinced otherwise. As Haley steps outside to go find Devlynn, Thanatos and Devlynn arrive at the same time. An extended fight begins where Devlynn struggles to get Haley and Theresa away from the scene when they can’t see anything but Devlynn acting erratically.

We conclude the issue with Theresa and Haley both learning the truth but paying very different consequences, Devlynn holding her own in a fight against the Grim Reaper but ultimately being forced to use diplomacy, and the Devil revealing his big plan.

Final Thoughts

DEVIL’S DOMINION #5 takes a demonic and emotional conflict centered around the main character and increases the scale exponentially. The dialog, pacing, and plot movement all push a growing sense that something epic is coming. That said, the art is good but it struggles to live up to the demands of the action scenes.

Score: 7.5/10