Indie Comice Review: LUCKY DEVIL #2
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Fran Galan
Colours: Fran Galan
Letters: El Torres
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Reviewed By: Derek McNeil
Summary
Lucky Devil #2: After an exorcism gone wrong, down-on-his-luck schlub Stanley finds he’s retained all of the demon’s supernatural abilities and begins to use his new powers to build a cult. Meanwhile, he finds himself hunted down by the legions of Hell and demons wanting to reclaim Stanley’s newfound powers.
Positives
Last issue, I noticed that there were some similarities between this this title and The Mask (the original comic, not the movie). However, with Lucky Devil #2, this series is clearly going in a very different direction. The foremost is that the tone is a bit darker and more serious than earlier Dark Horse title.
The Mask’s powers, while violent, were a goofy sort of cartoon violence. This series’ Stanley’s powers are flat out horrific. For example, he uses his demonic abilities to tear all the skin off someone just to prove a point. At least he undoes the damage after making his point, though.
Also, the protagonist of Lucky Devil seems more of an extrovert than Stanley Ipkiss. Where that Stanley only sought personal revenge with his newfound power, this Stanley wants to share his good fortune with his fellow downtrodden.
Positives Cont.
Stanley comes up with an interesting use for his powers. He decides to start his own religious movement. This gains the attention of an actual group of devil worshippers, The International Church of Lucifer, who offer a merger with Stanley’s church. It will be interesting to see how Stanley reacts to this offer and whether or not they will become allies or enemies.
Zedirex’s the Tormentor reappears to give Stanley a warning. He tells Stanley that he’s going to need the demon’s help to survive what’s coming. When Stanley asks about what is coming, Zedirex tells him: “Come now, Stan. You know I’m not the only demon in Hell”. The issue concludes with the arrival on Earth of a trio of demons, who describe their mission: “To find this pretender– this Stanley. Find him… and slaughter him”.
This is setting up a major battle, as presumably each of the demons is as powerful as Stanley. Also, Stanley is still new to his powers. And it seems likely that Zedirex would side with his fellow demons than with Stanley. I strongly suspect that the demon is planning a betrayal.
I am loving Fran Galan’s artwork in this series. There is a slight cartoonish feel to his style, but somehow it enhances the horrific content of the story rather than undermining it. Galan’s artwork has a feel that is very reminiscent of the old EC horror comics. And that fits this story beautifully.
Negatives
I am relieved that Cullen Bunn’s story is veering away from the first issue’s similarities to The Mask. It would have been disappointing if Bunn’s story was to be derivative of that earlier work. But happily, the similarities are only surface. Bunn’s telling his own story here.
Verdict
I’ll admit that I didn’t know what to expect of this title at first. After the first issue, I still wasn’t sure what to make of it but I still loved it. Now, with Lucky Devil #2, the story has taken shape and I still love it.
