The newest chapter in Guy Davis's return to his period horror piece The Marquis concludes in this issue, and I found it to have much the same strengths and weaknesses as I've found in the rest of the stories. This is a complete tale, but also a small part of a much larger story, and despite my misgivings about elements of the series, I find myself wanting to know what the next chapter will bring. Davis's artwork is enchanting, and well-suited to this ostentatious but gothic period, but the flowery dialogue that also helps establish the mood sort of keeps me at a distance from the book, and the Marquis's self-flagellation over what he is has become a bit melodramatic for my tastes.
I have to admit, I'm no big fan of the dramatic speech that is often found in these types of period pieces. It's a big part of the reason I didn't like some of Gaiman's work on the Faerie aspects of Sandman, and a big part of why I don't consider myself a fan of William Shakespeare. The words are undoubtedly effective in setting a certain tone, and in revealing the emphasis on complex codes of etiquette and religious fervor that were the order of the day, but they often make the characters hard to understand and more alien.
Of course, that alien feeling is well-suited to parts of this book, as it is the story of Hell's denizens escaping into a place that is hellish enough through human machinations. Davis does an excellent job of conveying the brutal and illogical methods of the Inquisitors and the grimy and unpleasant settings of the city that the populace lives in. The devils that the Marquis face seem horrible in the face of these things regardless, but they almost fit into the dark and unpleasant world that Davis has created.
In order for the Marquis to really have impact, the escaped devils from Hell have to be truly horrifying and unusual. Davis is ideally suited to these types of designs, and the flowing, grotesque forms of the devils in this issue are amazing in their detail and their physically-palpable evil. I'm reminded of horror manga Uzumaki, or of the vivid finale of the movie Akira, in the notion that what is most grotesque is flesh, organs and other recognizably human matter shaped into horrid and expansive inhuman shapes.
There's a certain familiarity of story to be found here, as the Marquis loudly bemoans his circumstances and does his duty, and the other devils bemoan their circumstances as well, all while the establishment seeks out these creatures, firmly convinced of their own moral superiority. It's an example of several mindsets that I can't really empathize with, which makes it hard for me to really connect with the book. However, while I may be at a bit of a distance from the book, there's no denying that The Marquis is an example of beautifully crafted horror comics.
