PURGATORI MUST DIE #4, from Dynamite Comics on 4/19/23, turns the Gods’ fear over Purgatori’s growing power into a self-fulfilling prophecy, and Heaven help anyone who gets in her way.
The Details
- Written by: Ray Fawkes
- Art by: Alvaro Sarraseca
- Colors by: Salvatore Aiala
- Letters by: Tom Napolitano
- Cover art by: Collette Turner (Cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: April 19, 2023
Is It Good?
Blasphemer! Ray Fawkes is a blasphemer, and it’s somewhat amusing in PURGATORI MUST DIE #4. The beauty of this series is Fawkes’ irreverent take on the spiritual realm, its history, and how it fits into Dynamite’s CHAOS! universe, and this issue brings that beauty out in a weird, wild, witty story.
When last we left Purgatori and Darwish, Vampirella breached the gates of Eden to find the garden in rough shape, Darwish on his last legs, and Purgatori passed out after eating the dark entity corrupting the garden. Now, we learn about the dark entity, the consequences of Purgatori’s snack time, and an escalation of the gods’ efforts to stop Purgatori permanently.
Again, the highlight of the issue is Ray Fawkes’s irreverent take on spirituality and Biblical history when viewed through a CHAOS! lens. Purgatori is a villain you should not like, but her easy charm and enthusiastic disposition make it hard not to buy into the fun she’s having. When we learn the nature of the dark entity Purgatori consumes, her cheery wit unflappably goes along for the ride as she ascends to something much greater. Fawkes has crafted a mesmerizing reverse hero’s journey, and the spirit of fun is inescapable.
Sarraseca’s art is okay. Whether you like it or not, artwork from digital illustrators is usually accompanied by a stiff flatness. In fairness, Sarraseca is better than most with clean lines and consistent figure composition, but the rigidness that looks like posed figures is still there. It’s okay art, but not great art.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our PURGATORI MUST DIE #3 review to find out how a trip to Eden turned out so wrong.
We begin with Darwish defending Purgatori’s lifeless body as Vampirella approaches to finish her off. Fortunately, Vampirella owes Purgatori a favor, so Darwish’s feeble attempts at defense prove unnecessary.
Elsewhere, Purgatori’s spirit communes with the dark entity she consumed. Without saying it outright, Purgatori’s questions about the entity’s identity are answered when it takes on a snake-like form. Like her, the entity has consumed souls over millennia, and now all its memories and powers are transferred to Purgatori.
We conclude the issue with mother/daughter bickering, resurrection, and a godly visit.
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Final Thoughts
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PURGATORI MUST DIE #4 brings Purgatori’s conflict with the gods to a head when her encounter in the Garden of Eden results in an unexpected development. Ray Fawkes’s wit is razor-sharp, the unique twists on Biblical legend are intriguing, and the setup builds tons of anticipation for what comes next.
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