Sons of the Devil #8 Review

Writer: Brian Buccellato / Artist: Toni Infante / Image Comics In our bifurcated timeline we find ourselves teetering again between 1989 and present day, building the history of Travis’ family tree alongside its after effects that ripple decades into the future. Travis is figuring it all out – about his origin, about the cult his father led, about how it relates to deaths and disappearances around him – slowly, yet he is so committed to finding the truth that it will undoubtedly come at a price; this level of prying cannot go unpunished. Only, like someone who’s had too much to drink, the consequences won’t be limited to the one with the bottle.

In issue #8 you may notice the cast of characters has grown larger than you realized, seeing many familiar faces while feeling uncomfortable with who they are and the role they might play. Where the larger story is easy to follow the character details are tricky – an inherent difficulty of reading mystery comics separated by months at a time – so I find myself pausing mid-page, looking at a reintroduced character and trying to remind myself why they’re important. What was my theory again? Were they to be trusted? And with the constant time-hop it can be a lot to keep track of. To its credit, Sons of the Devil manages to balance its details through a slow, thoughtful pace; even when you’re behind, you’re not too far behind. In that way the slow reveal of the bigger picture keeps the story focused and grounded, always bringing you back…