This title sets aside its Buffy-esque roots this month in favor of a horror story that reminds me of the kind of thing one might expect from the twisted minds of Garth Ennis and Warren Ellis. Two demons take the spotlight in this issue, but hellfire and hooves have nothing to do with the horror at the heart of this story. It's about cruelty and perserverance, about limits and breaking them. John McCrea's twisted and gritty style is a significant change of pace in terms of the book's visual style, but his dark, exaggerated style suits the subject matter of this episode quite well.
The demoness named Byleth is sent to recruit a new infernal power to help in the hunt for Cassie Starkweather, and she and another demon arrange to meet at an out-of-the-way place in the Gossamer Desert. The other demon -- an enigmatic and charismatic character named Tanner -- no longer lives in that hellish domain, and he plays by his own rules. But a chance encounter with a couple of humans sparks an unusual and ugly game of chance, and unbeknownst to Cassie -- who's on the lam with Cisco elsewhere -- her fate depends on the outcome of the wager.
Freelancer John McCrea's participation as a guest artist on this issue will likely spark comments from many about the recent controversy and speculation over the state the publisher's finances, which is too bad, as the artist turns in some chilling artwork, the likes of which one doesn't usually see in a CrossGen book. The company is known for slicker, polished visuals, and McCrea's work boasts a raw quality that serves as a nice change of pace. He brings the excruciating task of a fearful father to life frighteningly well, and his exaggerated approach really reinforces the extreme nature of what he's forced to do.
The one problem with this issue, oddly enough, is its brief sideline to check in with the main character, Cassie. Bedard tells us nothing of this new direction in her life, only hinting at it instead. It's a jarring tangent in the middle of an engrossing horror story that's more intense than most -- if not all -- the plotlines that have come before in this title. If not for that diversion, this would have been an extraordinary standalone issue.
Though it's the demons who have most of the dialogue, the focus is on a neglectful, redneck father. I love how Bedard shifts his role in the story from villain to victim, from someone who cares nothing for his vulnerable son's safety to someone who does what some might call the impossible in order to save him. Bedard brings the torture of the task to life by exploring the effects such a stunt would have on the human body, but what's more chilling is the effect the demonic tormentors have on the man's soul.
