Writer: Brian Buccellato / Artist: Toni Infante / Image Comics
When the voice of reason paints something as life-or-death, you really need to listen. Sons of the Devil #9 brings us closer to another member of Travis’ estranged family, one of his cult brothers, another one who got away. This dude looks tough, like the type who would never run from a fight, which is exactly what Travis says to him as he tries to goad him into staying to face the mystery of their father’s resurfacing. And to that, Travis’ tough-guy brother basically says “What the hell is wrong with you? I’m getting on this Megabus right here, if you was smart you’d do the same. *mumbles to self* Asking me to deal with our murderous-ass father, fuck is wrong with this guy…” And you know what? He’s right, and this is the part of the story where your patience begins to stretch thin with our protagonist. It’s one thing to miss the signs, but when someone’s giving you perfectly good advice to turn the other way, and tells you you’re involved in a deal with the devil? You put the Ouija board away.
This is why Black people yell at the movie screen. It’s cool though Travis, get your investigation on, just stay angry and cynical and –
Welp. Travis and Mel have the most loving scene of their relationship to date, having a healthy conversation about Mel learning she’s pregnant and their future together. And then they hug. On the beach. So, nice knowing you, Mel. It almost reminds me of one of my favorite scenes from Daredevil season 2 where Elektra and Matt began planning their happy future right before a sword fight with a thousand ninjas. Just pen the eulogy right there.
After a long time of building tension Sons of the Devil is heating up, which is both exciting and entirely necessary. It’s been a slow burn so far, albeit a good one, and hopefully worthwhile with the payoffs beginning soon. As seen from the beach, Infante’s art has the opportunity to flex beyond the regular dark, ominous scenes typical of this book. The neutral scenes in the well-lit public places offer a good balance to the danger of the flashbacks and dungeons of the present.
Overall, issue #9 is much of what we’d expect from Sons of the Devil, and that’s a good thing if the real horror is coming soon. It’s been said that if you talk about death enough, death comes. Well, Travis’ father is being mentioned more and more, and soon the devil will be here. From this point on though, the score has to drop half a point for each issue without a significant plot advancement. Clock is on.
Reading Sons of the Devil? You can catch up on previous reviews here.
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