Broken Frontier

I’ve never seen a vampire glow before (save Twilight, but that was more an embarrassing sparkle), but I like it. All of the blood-gorging undead in Devil light up like a Tesla experiment gone awry and they take no prisoners as they wreak havoc across Japan. Therein is the fun of this new series created by writer/artist Torajiro Kishi in conjunction with Madhouse Studios and Dark Horse Comics.

There’s a disease that’s spreading throughout Tokyo known as SCBS, which turns its victims into bloody-thirsty beasts referred to as “Devils.” But they don’t last long, and usually expire within a few days—until a new strain of the disease manifests, granting its victims all the supernatural abilities of the original disease, but now with renewed longevity.

To battle the creatures, a hardened investigator named Takimoto steps forward. He destroys the monsters without thinking twice, having no pity for the creatures or the humans they once were. To balance his harsh attitude, a scientist from the Devil Investigation Section named Migiwa joins forces with Takimoto to track down a significant Devil who doesn’t kill his victims, but rather commits horrors against them far worse.

Being a lifelong fan of The X-Files television series, I’m a bit weak-kneed for cyber-punk sci-fi stories involving a duo of investigators hunting down dark and murky truths. On that front, Devil successfully engaged me. The dynamic between the two investigators is a bit boiler-plate—there’s always someone who is a hardened detective, and then a softer and more naive professional who lightens the mood. But it works here, so I can’t fault Kishi for obeying a successful formula.

Kishi’s illustrations for the book fit the bleak motif well; they even subtly reminded me of Becky Cloonan’s work in Demo with Brian Wood. But it is his colors that I was most impressed with. Many panels are heavily shaded with morose colors, lending an atmosphere that speaks to the mood that Kishi has established for the book. There’s one page towards the end in particular that looks simply lovely; the sun is rising, and the scientist Migiwa is standing against a beautiful horizon of purples and pinks.

As I finished the first issue of Devil, I was left with a feeling of enjoyment reminiscent of my love for the aforementioned The X-Files, as well as the anime series, Witch Hunter Robin, which I have a soft spot for. I like where Devil is going. It’s a fun book, and while it won’t be probing readers with deep allegories and metaphors, its action is true and its loyalty to science fiction is a hearty treat.