I've never seen The Exorcist. Exorcist III, yes, but not the original. I know, I know... American classic, must-see film, I know. Fortunately, the Linda Blair/Max von Sydow flick has grown into a pop-culture icon of horror, so I'm well aware of the story and plenty of imagery from the movie as well, so I had no problem picking up on the writers' point here. They take the concept of The Exorcist and update it with a cynical, action-movie edge. The premise is a solid one, and though there's only a cursory look at them here, the characters boast plenty of potential, enough that I'm intrigued as to the more personal subplots that may lay ahead.
It's 2003, and even in the 21st century, Catholic priests are being called upon to perform exorcisms. Demons still possess and distort the bodies of children, but it's happening more and more often. As a result, a new response to the age-old problem has been created: the Possessed, a specialized team made up of former victims of possessions themselves. They are dedicated to not only saving the victims of demons that have made their way into our world, but to the eradication of the creatures once they released their mortal vessels. However, another challenge for these spiritual warriors seems to be the emotional damage that still lingers from childhood.
Sharp's artwork is dark, textured and richly detailed. He captures the look of The Exorcist clearly here, even offering up a strong likeness of a "possessed" Linda Blair. His work reminds me of Steve (Superman Vs. the Terminator, Generation X) Pugh's gritty style. The character designs are simple but striking. One gets a sense of their strength and their scars, visible or otherwise. David Baron's colors are appropriately thick, dark and moody.
What Johns and Grimminger have crafted here is Ghostbusters, had the cast of comedians been replaced by Sly Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Demi Moore and Angelina Jolie. The concept isn't all that inventive -- bullets versus Beelzebub -- but it works. The most interesting thing about it is that faith is of differing import to the protagonists, and therein lies some of the more interesting potential of the premise.
What I'm most interested in, though, is how past experiences have warped these people and driven them to this horrific calling in life. It makes one wonder if rescuing a child form possession is almost as bad a curse as the paranormal parasitic invasion. I love the notion that the leader is in a relationship with one of his colleagues, but that it really doesn't mean as much to him as it does to her. And the father/daughter dynamic between Walt and Holly is fascinating as well.
