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Graphic Novel Review: Belzebubs by J.P. Ahonen

Belzebubs by J.P. Ahonen

Top Shelf Productions, 2019

ISBN: 9781603094429

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, comiXology edition, special editions with full album and band merch

The life of a metal band can be challenging, especially trying to balance time with family and religious obligations to fulfill. Called a “trve kvlt mockumentary”, Belzebubs, which started out as a webcomic,  gives us a glimpse of the life and times of a black metal band, complete with home life, raising a family, young love, and a healthy dose of the occult. The band is struggling with staying afloat after a lengthy hiatus. With their new line up– Sløth on vocals and guitars, Hubbath on vocals and bass, Obesyx on lead guitar, and new member Samaël on drums– they are ready to take on the world… and the underworld. Oh, and everyone wears corpse paint, even Grandma.

Since there is a lot of content relating to Sløth’s family life, it would be terrible of me not to include the female characters in this review. Lucyfer, Lilith, and Grandma are all compelling characters. Lucyfer, Sløth’s wife, is a stay-at-home mother, and her interaction with their children is loving and hilarious. Lucyfer finally gets the baby to sleep, but when she turns her back, baby is floating in the air and muttering incantations. Lucyfer and Sløth are a devoted couple, and will do anything to protect their kids from harm. When Leviathan wakes his parents up to complain that God is watching him, Sløth wastes no time in chasing an old man with a long white beard, and wearing a robe, out of their yard. Their daughter, Lilith, is a particularly compelling character. She’s a teenager with hormones everywhere, falling in love with a nerdy boy in class who compliments her on her choice of headphones, and doing everything she can to give him the hint. Her methods are unconventional, but relatable at some level. Then there’s Grandma. She’s a fairly recent widow, but will not let Grandpa go… literally.

There is also plenty of Lovecraftian and demonic activity going on in this series: Grandma makes the kids’ favorite meal, Soup Niggurath; Leviathan accidentally leaves a portal to another dimension open and demons get in the house; and Sløth and Lucyfer even take a relaxing vacation to Hell to get away from it all.

I highly recommend Belzebubs to fans of black metal and Lovecraft. It’s funny, irreverent, and, in its own weird way, heartwarming. The fact that the band has a website with their album, band merch, and music videos makes it all the more interesting for me.  Highly recommended.

Music video link for Cathedrals of Mourning: https://youtu.be/SkdkZN1rduo

Music video link for Blackened Call: https://youtu.be/sxzb00dqNg4

Contains: a little bit of nudity

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on June 23, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: Demons Among Us by W.E. Zazo-Phillips

Demons Among Us By W.E. Zazo-Phillips

K Studio,  2010

ISBN: 978-0984194520

Available: New

 

Demons Among Us is the first book in a trilogy. The story follows Elizabeth Townsend, a Coast Guard officer serving on the cutter Surveyor when the end of the world occurs.  What appears to be a virus has attacked a boy in Albany.  When a priest is called in by his mother, who fears it’s actually a demon possession, the demons infecting the boy discover they can move from person to person through blood.  They spread like wildfire and civilization is brought to the brink of extinction, with the infected running in packs like wild animals, killing everyone it their path.  Elizabeth and her crewmates are brought to a secure facility so they can contact any surviving family members and make preparations to be taken to the West.

 

Five years after the infection, Elizabeth is living in a commune in the desert.  Run by what’s left of the U.S. Military, the commune is one of many scattered throughout the Western United States. The communes are segregated according to gender, with the main job of the women being reproduction.  We discover that Elizabeth is a sensor—someone who can detect an infected person.  Unfortunately for her, there are people in the remaining government who wish to exploit that ability.  While at a major conference, Elizabeth discovers this plot to use her, and decides to go on the run.  Unknown to most of the people living in the communes, there are scattered communities of uninfected people living beyond the reach of the military.  What will Elizabeth find?

 

This is a brilliant story—demon possession that spreads like a virus.  It’s not overtly religious, but there are references to Christianity, with the communes being named after books of the Bible, and the Biblical quote “I am Legion…we are many”.  There are also people who can make holy water, which rids the demons from the body without killing the possessed.  The characters are well-developed and the story itself is well-written.  I also enjoyed the fact that our “hero” is a strong female.  There are a few mysteries left to be played out, which really holds my interest.  There are two other novellas to come, and I am looking forward to reading them.  Demons Among Us is quite the page-turner. Highly recommended.

Contains: adult language, cannibalism and sexual themes

Reviewed by Colleen Wanglund

Posted on September 21, 2018 by , Reply

Book Review: The Fear by Rae Louise


The Fear by Rae Louise

Black Rose Writing, 2017

ISBN: 9781612968186

Available: print, ebook

After an accidental fire caused by her mother engulfs Mia’s home. Mia inherits her recently deceased uncle’s house. Mia’s mother is struggling with the frustrations and limitations of early onset Alzheimer’s, while Mia is still dealing with her divorce, taking care of her daughter, Louise, and semi-raising her younger, troubled, sister Jamie. Their dog starts acting up shortly after they move in, and Louise begins to exhibit disturbing behavior, and talks about the shadow man. Mia’s nightmares are just beginning; she just doesn’t know it yet.

The Fear is a fast-paced read. It grabs the reader quickly and forcefully, much like the demonic entity that is taking hold of Mia and her family. Nearly everyone who steps over the threshold of the property experiences loss, pain, death, or worse. The entity feeds on the fears of its victims, starting slowly, using dreams and visions until the characters experience sheer terror. That fear gives it the strength to grow stronger and manifest physically. The weaker the mental state of the character, the stronger the demon grows. This is especially true of the characters that are confronting their personal traumas and, as a result, are in a weakened state psychologically and emotionally. I’m loath to go into too much detail here, as it would result in massive spoilers.

That being said, I do feel I have to mention a few things that I found to be uncomfortable about the content. I have a hard time reading stories where sexual assault and rape are used as a means of driving story conflict. Such a thing happens to Jamie, the minor in this novel, when she is attacked by the demonic force in the house. Second, there is language referring to a character with exceptionalities that some readers may find offensive. Finally, the family dog meets an extremely violent demise at the hands of a character that is experiencing a demonic attack. Recommended, but with extreme reservations for more sensitive readers.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Contains: gore, rape, violence against animals

 

 

Posted on July 10, 2017 by , Reply
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