Devil Dealers Graphic Novel
AAM/Markosia Enterprises
Written by: Ross May
Art by: Brett Wood
Inks by: Victor Moya
Inking Assists by: Ayela Moya
Colours by: Kirsty Swan
Reviewer: Ross Rivers
Summary: Greg Gagné is the world's greatest card shark. If he wins this next hand of poker he will have all the money his heart desires. If he loses, the Devil owns his soul forever.
Review: I’m not gonna lie, I spent a lot of time thinking about what classic Satan based song to reference in this introduction. Originally, I was going to go with “Please allow me to introduce myself,” But that sounds a bit cheesy. Then, I spent some times trying to think about how I can link something to disguises. Tried playing with some Iron Maiden lyrics, too, but that went nowhere.
The point is, Satan is very popular in pop culture and has been for a very long time. A lot of movies, songs, comics, etc. are based on him (Or her, on occasion). And we all know that man’s fascination with the subject goes back a long, long time.
So, anything involving deals with the devil is familiar and could easily feel like a repeat of everything we’ve seen in the past.
Our protagonist, Greg Gagne, is the best gambler in the world. He regularly wins millions and immediately blows it on hookers and other such fun stuff, before returning to the table to do the same again. Not a bad life, if you ask me.
He’s eventually invited to a very high stake poker game, where his luck doesn’t seem to be the best. He loses a lot of money before, as a “joke,” the beautiful host, Mieh Pots, suggests he use his soul for the bet. You know where this is going.
Gagne wagers his soul, but he says he’ll only do it for all the money in the world. Pots brings him down to HALF the money in the world, which is still a fair bit.
Gagne wins, making him incredibly rich, just before three strangers break in and chase Pots out of the building, before losing her when she turns into a bat.
The three new comers, Edmund Knight, Fastus, and Joey, had all made a deal with the devil in the past, each one winning. They are now trying to take Satan down and save their souls, as well as the soul of an old friend.
It’s an interesting plot. A group of winners trying to take down Satan feels like a fairly fresh idea and it’s pretty well executed.
It could easily have turned out to be a cliché ridden pile of Satanic poop, though; thankfully, Ross May (Who has excellent taste in first names) avoids any devilish clichés and keeps things interesting. Most importantly, he keeps it fun. He doesn’t fill it with mopey, miserable grumps looking for redemption in the grittiest way possible. Instead, the characters are varied and fun, with interesting personalities.
Unfortunately, the book sometimes feels a bit rushed. The story occasionally seems to jump, missing out on some key character development. This occasionally makes things seem awkward between characters, most notably Gagne and Fastus. This doesn’t stop most of the interactions from being a joy to read, though.
Brett Wood’s art is a bit of a weird thing, though; sometimes it’s fantastically vibrant and well done. At its best, it’s reminiscent of Mike Wolfer’s best work, but at its worst, it’s a mess that looks like it was drawn by a mentally handicapped five year old.
These messy parts are relatively rare, but when they do show but they can take you out of the experience a bit. Kirsty Swan’s colouring, however, is consistently great; it’s colourful, vibrant and helps everything pop, especially when Wood is at his best.
Overall, it’s a fantastic book with some rough edges. It takes an old, familiar premise and gives it a fresh feel. Plus, it has references to the likes of Robert Johnson, and that fella from Georgia. It’s a book well worth picking up, if you can get past occasionally ropey art and slightly inconsistent pacing.
Editor's Note: To find out how you can get this in front of your eyes, head here!
AAM/Markosia Enterprises
Written by: Ross May
Art by: Brett Wood
Inks by: Victor Moya
Inking Assists by: Ayela Moya
Colours by: Kirsty Swan
Reviewer: Ross Rivers
Summary: Greg Gagné is the world's greatest card shark. If he wins this next hand of poker he will have all the money his heart desires. If he loses, the Devil owns his soul forever.
Review: I’m not gonna lie, I spent a lot of time thinking about what classic Satan based song to reference in this introduction. Originally, I was going to go with “Please allow me to introduce myself,” But that sounds a bit cheesy. Then, I spent some times trying to think about how I can link something to disguises. Tried playing with some Iron Maiden lyrics, too, but that went nowhere.
The point is, Satan is very popular in pop culture and has been for a very long time. A lot of movies, songs, comics, etc. are based on him (Or her, on occasion). And we all know that man’s fascination with the subject goes back a long, long time.
So, anything involving deals with the devil is familiar and could easily feel like a repeat of everything we’ve seen in the past.
Our protagonist, Greg Gagne, is the best gambler in the world. He regularly wins millions and immediately blows it on hookers and other such fun stuff, before returning to the table to do the same again. Not a bad life, if you ask me.
He’s eventually invited to a very high stake poker game, where his luck doesn’t seem to be the best. He loses a lot of money before, as a “joke,” the beautiful host, Mieh Pots, suggests he use his soul for the bet. You know where this is going.
Gagne wagers his soul, but he says he’ll only do it for all the money in the world. Pots brings him down to HALF the money in the world, which is still a fair bit.
Gagne wins, making him incredibly rich, just before three strangers break in and chase Pots out of the building, before losing her when she turns into a bat.
The three new comers, Edmund Knight, Fastus, and Joey, had all made a deal with the devil in the past, each one winning. They are now trying to take Satan down and save their souls, as well as the soul of an old friend.
It’s an interesting plot. A group of winners trying to take down Satan feels like a fairly fresh idea and it’s pretty well executed.
It could easily have turned out to be a cliché ridden pile of Satanic poop, though; thankfully, Ross May (Who has excellent taste in first names) avoids any devilish clichés and keeps things interesting. Most importantly, he keeps it fun. He doesn’t fill it with mopey, miserable grumps looking for redemption in the grittiest way possible. Instead, the characters are varied and fun, with interesting personalities.
Unfortunately, the book sometimes feels a bit rushed. The story occasionally seems to jump, missing out on some key character development. This occasionally makes things seem awkward between characters, most notably Gagne and Fastus. This doesn’t stop most of the interactions from being a joy to read, though.
Brett Wood’s art is a bit of a weird thing, though; sometimes it’s fantastically vibrant and well done. At its best, it’s reminiscent of Mike Wolfer’s best work, but at its worst, it’s a mess that looks like it was drawn by a mentally handicapped five year old.
These messy parts are relatively rare, but when they do show but they can take you out of the experience a bit. Kirsty Swan’s colouring, however, is consistently great; it’s colourful, vibrant and helps everything pop, especially when Wood is at his best.
Overall, it’s a fantastic book with some rough edges. It takes an old, familiar premise and gives it a fresh feel. Plus, it has references to the likes of Robert Johnson, and that fella from Georgia. It’s a book well worth picking up, if you can get past occasionally ropey art and slightly inconsistent pacing.
Editor's Note: To find out how you can get this in front of your eyes, head here!