Exorcists Never Die from Mad Cave is Die Hard meets Dante’s Inferno. This title’s album comes to comic stores on November 22 with the final orders due on October 23.
Exorcists Never Die Hard
From the official promotional material:
Syd Miller and Ellen Blair are the world’s two premier combat exorcists. The only problem? After a nuclear breakup years ago, they can’t stand each other. But when the biggest soul auction in history kicks off beneath Los Angeles, Syd and Ellen have no choice but to come together to raid the Hellscraper, an infernal tower going straight down into the Earth. With thousands of souls on the line, Syd and Ellen must fight their way to the bottom or die trying.
Like An Action Movie
Steve Orlando writes Exorcists Never Die much like some of the best martial arts action films. Rather than make this another exorcism horror about faith and its representatives, this is a character focused epic about two priests trying to overcome their past troubles. It makes the priests feel more human with their struggles being more personal, like they have lives outside of the clergy. Best of all, that’s not a bad thing, it helps establish the challenges they face and each player’s strengths and weaknesses.
From the first few pages, there’s a dynamic between Syd and Ellen where things feel uneasy. While they can take down possessed minions pretty easily, it’s their company that sets them off. Syd tries to reconnect with Ellen while she either breaks off or try to take the lead. Something that the Seven Deadly Sins are more than eager to exploit.
The Divine/Demonic Magic System
Between the exorcists and demons they face, there are complementary magic systems with a seesaw effect. There are distinct advantages one has over the other depending on the user. Demons use a sneaky every present influence that infects everything in the area. Unlike how direct channeling angels can be, with some of them being polar opposites to what gives demons power. Like how Baal Hadad counteracts Envy’s invulnerability.
Seeing that in action with people who broke up, readers feel the emotions at play. The battles against embodiments of the Seven Deadly Sins work as ways to confront these feelings. The way these beings who can sense and induce emotions into people to their advantage speaks volumes of their power. Especially since one of them conjured the rest, strategically setting up a confrontation to fight the priests at their weakest. All the while giving the other sins intel for security to set up their next crime.
Yet by applying a martial arts formula to drive Syd and Ellen’s discipline and self-confidence to their limit, readers can’t help but be mesmerized. Every trial, revelation, and sacrifice is a big victory. And when finally confronting the conjurer, everything’s up to the reader’s imagination on how it goes down.
Exorcists Never Die With This Art
Sebastian Piriz plays a critical role with his visual storytelling in Exorcists Never Die. He effortlessly displays the stakes between the exorcists and seriousness of their situation. One look at an angled building going downwards already peaks reader’s interest. But the “Hellscraper” floors each come with an atmosphere showing off the domains of the seven deadly sins. For example, Sloth’s floor is decorated with grotesques so that his minions can hide in plain sight. Not that they do much thanks to the priest’s headlights.
As for the action scenes, they range from fast but impactful with wild panels or big swings in splashes. The latter especially focuses on big dramatic moments between the exorcists and demons. Whether that’s summoning the power of angels or demonstrating the threats demons have. Like when Sloth towers in a slouched posture over Syd and Ellen standing straight as the page blanks out.
Reserve Your Floor Now!
Exorcists Never Die looks like a solid action mini with a great magic system, character arcs, a setting embodying the challenge and more. It’s definitely going to be a series worth a couple of rereads. For now this series gets 8.5/10.