USHER OF THE DEAD: THE EVIL MEN DO, from Blood Moon Comics on January 18th, 2023, follows the Angel of Death, Sariel, as he haunts a serial killer to ensure the evil men do have consequences.
The Details
- Written by: Keith Rommel
- Art by: Jonnuel Ortega
- Colors by: Jonnuel Ortega
- Letters by: Keith Rommel
- Cover art by: Jonnuel Ortega
- Comic Rating: MA
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: January 18, 2023
Is It Good?
Okay, this is going to be a quick review because this is a quick comic.
USHER OF THE DEAD: THE EVIL MEN DO is a one-shot from Keith Rommel, spotlighting Sariel’s lamentations over his commitment to not interfere with the affairs of men, even when one of those men is a disturbed serial killer. Narrated from Sariel’s point of view, this comic is a unique fable about the evil of twisted men and how supernatural forces constantly grapple with allowing free will to play out versus obeying an ideal moral code to see justice done.
While this is a quick read, the layers of thought-provoking ideas are deceptively rich and complex. To be clear, that doesn’t mean the story is complicated. In fact, it’s quite simple and moves at a brisk pace, but the ideas give you plenty of possibilities to noodle over. What is humanity’s responsibility for its own free will? If God created free will, what is the supernatural realm’s responsibility for the damage free will causes? These are weighty ideas you wouldn’t expect to find in a lightning-quick horror comic, so on that count, this issue earns bonus points for the surprise.
As for Ortega’s art, it’s fine. Not the greatest art in the world (see the preview images below), and it’s not the best. Ortega gets the job done, so in a comic that surprises you with philosophical ideas this weighty, the art’s good enough.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a young waitress leaving her shift at a diner in the dead of the night. On the drive home, the waitress’s car is bumped by another vehicle. When she pulls over to assess the damage, the other driver kidnaps her.
Sariel, the Angel of Death, watches the events unfold as they have several times before with the kidnapper, a disturbed serial killer. Sariel laments how his need to see justice done is curtailed by his orders to let humanity act as it will. When the serial killer kills the waitress, Sariel pays her soul a visit to make a special promise.
We conclude the issue with nightmares, hauntings, and a fitting end.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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USHER OF THE DEAD: THE EVIL MEN DO tells a lightning-quick story about the Angel of Death watching over a serial killer’s exploits. The ideas in this issue are surprisingly weighty and philosophically intriguing, and the art is serviceable.
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