The Hits Keep On Coming: Infidel #4 Review

Let me tell you, Infidel gets to the root of you and yanks something loose. There are some moments in the series that are the literary equivalent to “Yeet.” Right when you think some level of normalcy is in vogue, boom! Pichetshote goes the other way: adds a new rule, kills off an anchored supporting character. It’s quite stunning actually.

Infidel is a wonderful mystery: a horror story with political commentary wrapped in a comic. Having a Western, horror-specific comic book with a Muslim protagonist does so much to muddle the nature of the supernatural things that happen in the book. In most media, there’s only a Judeo-Christian pantheon of spirits, angels, demons and such. Infidel kicks that door down with a ‘four-four’ in hand. Aisha and Kris are hospitalized after a spill down the steps, and Tom’s mom is dead. In a move rare to horror, the close friends of Aisha are experiencing the supernatural presence as well. Instant game changer, and only 4 issues deep! One of the many great points of issue 4 is Aisha’s best friend Medina.

Medina is the grounded homie that sees the world for what it is. Pichetshote uses that to their advantage, having Medina go back to the haunted home with another friend. Leading up to the other friend getting ‘red shirted,’ Medina is calling the prototype horror clichés out as they happen. We get this great hyper self-awareness that turns Infidel #5 into the moments we love about the Scream movies or Get Out.

Pichetshote cleverly juxtaposes tha…