Deliver Us From Evil #4 - Blood Moon Comics

DELIVER US FROM EVIL No. 4, September 2024

Described by its Pennsylvania-based publisher as a “climactic finale” in which its “readers are plunged into an epic showdown spanning centuries”, this twenty-page periodical’s plot certainly had a lot to live up. And fortunately, Peter Breau’s time-travelling narrative seemingly does just that, depicting a nail-biting confrontation on the streets of ancient Judea between this comic’s eclectic central characters and their fanatical foes. Indeed, despite the subsequent skirmish involving all manner of magical spells and the odd bladed hand-weapon, some bibliophiles may find its fast-paced ferociousness strangely reminiscent of the savage gunfight at the O.K. Corral; “They dare trespass here? I’ve witnessed empires crumble, felt the weight of ancient thrones.”

In addition to this book’s pulse-pounding biblical battle however, Issue Four of “Deliver Us From Evil” should also grab its audience’s attention with the (return) appearance of the highly intellectual sasquatch Solomon Bishop, and the utterly bizarre Admiral Tentara. Between them, this pair of unlikely figures rather enjoyably progress one of this title’s secondary threads which results in the Agents of D.R.E.D.D. successfully storming the cultists’ covert headquarters and reclaiming the slightly disconcerting Jesus Battery. These sense-shattering sequences are debatably made all the more intriguingly surreal by the presence of the heavily-armed assault squad’s leader, who despite utilising an unmistakably female robotic form, is actually just an octopus squirming its way inside a water-filled dome-for-a-head.

Prodigiously pencilling all these surprising shenanigans in black and white, is Mattia Doghini. The artist does an excellent job in making even the more sedentary, dialogue driven panels remarkably bewitching by rather cleverly ‘shooting each shot’ from a different ‘camera’ angle. This technique genuinely imbues all the cast with some convincing dynamism – even when they’re the aforementioned walking yeti and an aquatic, eight-limbed mollusc riding around in a large goldfish bowl. Furthermore, the Italian illustrator absolutely nails the tense stand-off between the Obsidian Veritatis Dominion and the Abyssal Covenant of the Shrouded Traitor, with his thunderous sketch of Silent Violent soundly defeating the “insidious cult bent on rewriting history” proving to be a picture well worth perusing for some time before moving on to the deadly after-effects of the facially disfigured nun’s war cry.

The regular cover art to "DELIVER US FROM EVIL" #4 by Stefano Cardoselli

Deliver Us From Evil #3 - Blood Moon Comics

DELIVER US FROM EVIL No. 3, July 2024

Absolutely crammed full of mind-blowing changes to the planet’s time continuum, and a genuinely palpable sense of the supernatural, Peter Breau’s script for Issue Three of “Deliver Us From Evil” is also one twenty-page periodical which is most definitely worth multiple reads in order to get the best out of its narrative. However, rather than this ‘requirement’ be perceived by comic book critics as a complaint, in this particular publication’s case the condition is entirely complimentary, with the “distinguished” writer’s storyline proving increasingly dark and disconcertingly disturbing the more familiar a bibliophile becomes with it; “Time is like the secret Fourth Dimension!”

Foremost of these shadowy evils has to be the sinister hooded cult which seem to stalk antiquity like unseen assassins, and protect some of the most notorious historical figures in recorded history – such as one of the original Twelve Apostles, Judas Iscariot. Their presence throughout this perturbing tome simply can’t be overstated, as their actions appear to malignantly transform the modern day for the poorer, even when there’s no physical sign of the robed radicals themselves.

In addition, the mystery surrounding central protagonists Lazar and Silent Violet is only heightened by the appearance of two agent of the Obsidian Veritatis Dominion. Largely penned as simple observers to all this comic’s unholy manifestations and utterly alarming chronological retcons, the two politely spoken Inquisitors make it crystal clear to the audience that all is doom and gloom for Mankind unless the heroes somehow manage to thwart whatever head-spinning machinations are taking place. But cleverly, it is yet to be revealed just how the smart-mouthed Brother Lazar and his Nun friend are going to even achieve this, and therein lies this book’s biggest hook.

Of course, little of this rather complicated plot would probably make all that much sense without some absolutely stellar pencilling by Mattia Doghini. The illustrator’s decision to depict events in plain black and white really helps focus the eyes upon each exquisitely sketched panel or wonderfully imaginative splash page, and makes adrenalin-fuelled action sequences like Captain Barnhill’s hideously-doomed assault upon a mountain fortress in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War, well worth this title’s cover price alone.

Writer: Peter Breau, Artist: Mattia Doghini, and Letterer: Christopher Bousquet

Deliver Us From Evil #2 - Blood Moon Comics

DELIVER US FROM EVIL No. 2, June 2024

For those biblophiles who are able to withstand this comic’s relentless assault upon their senses, including as many expletives as one can probably muster within a “mature readers” only magazine, its conclusion certainly seems to be well worth the effort. In fact, once the Portal of the Pretender God is finally revealed in all its grotesque, ghoulish glory, along with the antagonist’s sacrilegious mission to “replace Jesus the lamb of God, for a wolf”, this book’s numerous plot-points all impressively click straight into place.

Beforehand however, Peter Breau’s penmanship hooks the audience with a series of mysterious scenes which hint at a truly dark journey being taken through time by an evil, heavily-cloaked coven. Just what the Illuminous One’s purpose is in either physically mutilating the corpse of “one of the most influential scientists” ever born, or just generally traumatising mankind with a plague of red-coloured frogs, harvest-eating locusts, and ferociously feral dogs isn't initially clear. But just as this 'disconnect' is about to become a tad frustrating, all becomes terrifyingly clear with Albert Einstein’s brain having been incorporated into the villain's aforementioned mechanical monstrosity, and the sheer scale of the immortal being’s machinations plainly there for all to see; “Only in the future could we change the past. Destiny awaits.”

Equally as engrossing though is the author’s handling of “the enigmatic Silent Violette”, whose origin story should genuinely create a sizeable amount of sympathy for the tragic-looking character. Furthermore, the writer cleverly casts doubt in the reader’s mind as to whether the facially-disfigured Nun actually even exists by having Constantine Lazar question whether his brief encounter with her in his hallway wasn’t just a figment of an alcohol-fuelled imagination. 

Undeniably helping to add to the palpable darkness of this comic’s storyline are the black and white layouts of Mattia Doghini. The illustrator appears particularly good at imbuing a certain level of seedy sleaziness to poor V’s past, as well as the threat of a chilling death to those panels featuring the hooded man behind all of this book’s bleaker moments. In addition, the artist’s marvellous splash page showing the scoundrel recovering Judas’ discarded silver coins and the Nazarene’s crown of thorns is wonderfully sketched, with the woven headpiece’s spikes simultaneously wrapping themselves around various historical personalities which the wicked wrongdoer has either compelled or ensnared to become his willing instruments.

 The regular cover art to "DELIVER US FROM EVIL" #2 by Stefano Cardoselli 

Deliver Us From Evil #1 - Blood Moon Comics

DELIVER US FROM EVIL No. 1, November 2022

Repeatedly interspersed with disconcerting glimpses into the historical depravity of mankind whenever steered by the whispered word of the Devil, Peter Breau’s plot for Issue One of “Deliver Us From Evil” is probably best perused with the lights on and a stiff drink to hand. Indeed, it’s difficult to imagine a reader experiencing a more disturbing twenty-two-page periodical as they’re brutally thrown into the chaos-filled world of the mysterious Mister Lazar and the seemingly diabolical doings of D.R.E.D.D.

Foremost of these perturbances is probably the way in which this comic’s author pens its lead protagonist effortlessly wandering through life without so much as a single care, no matter what horrifying situation it causes him to witness. Some within this book’s audience may well think that being arrested by the Police for multiple warrants and a subsequent thirteen-year prison sentence is grim going, especially when the writer does such a splendid job in describing the savage nature of the penitentiary’s hierarchy; “The Yard. A perverse adult version of Elementary School. It’s primal… Wolves and Sheep. But butchers don’t concern themselves with the opinions of wolves or sheep.”

However, such a violent environment pales into insignificance once Lazar has been transported to Montauk via a black operation’s helicopter and given a sight-seeing tour of the enigmatic facility’s numerous underground levels. This sequence is truly haunting and is simply packed full of glimpses into exotic extra-terrestrial worlds, prehistoric subsistence, nefarious governmental cover-ups, anthropomorphized felines and age-old science fiction tropes – all of which are both unnervingly familiar and freakishly flabbergasting.

Just as discombobulating as this publication’s pleasing plot are Mattia Doghini’s engrossing layouts, which add an incredible amount of atmosphere to the storytelling, courtesy of the artist’s heavily shadowed sketching style and the decision to boldly print the comic in just black and white. The illustrator’s double splash-page of Montauk’s interior is well worth the cost of this comic alone as it should take any perusing bibliophile an eternity to fully assimilate all the different dimensions it depicts. Whilst the sudden appearance of an amiable, talking sasquatch and ghoulish nun later in the narrative are prodigiously pencilled, with both characters being imbued with plenty of personality despite their extremely limited ‘screen-time’.

Writer: Peter Breau and Art: Mattia Doghini