Connect with us
'Book of Evil' #1 is as scary as it is relevant
Comixology

31 Days of Halloween

‘Book of Evil’ #1 is as scary as it is relevant

‘Book of Evil’ #1 is a compelling new commentary on society that’s darkly haunting.

Welcome to another installment of 31 Days of Halloween! This is our chance to set the mood for the spookiest and scariest month of the year as we focus our attention on horror and Halloween fun. For the month of October we’ll be sharing various pieces of underappreciated scary books, comics, movies, and television to help keep you terrified and entertained all the way up to Halloween.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!

There’s something quite cold about Scott Snyder and Jock’s Book of Evil, a new series from Comixology. A mix of prose and art by Jock, the story features a terrible future where most of the humans as we know them today are psychopaths. How would a world where the majority of us were lacking empathy, making decisions and shaping how society works? It’s a frightening thought, which the first issue realizes well through the point of view of a teenager not yet at the age where he’s turned into a psychopath. For his sake, you’ll hope he turns soon.

The concept of this story suits the prose format since it puts you right inside the mind of the main character, Homer. He has that name because his friends discovered a book about poets, not because a loving parent gave him that name. In this strange future, people wait for their switch from “animal” to “human” when the psychopath element kicks in. The dehumanizing starts early, it seems. That’s a theme that runs throughout, but we understand the concepts from a child indoctrinated in a system that separates psychopaths–the ideal–from the animals–humans who are more like most of us today.

This future is frightening but doesn’t put the scary at the forefront. You have to discover it in between the time’s social norms or between the main character’s interpretation. This creates a story that can be even scarier than gory tales as it creeps up on you and requires you to use your empathy to understand the disturbing nature of it all. It’s in the same vein of Brave New World, as an outsider protagonist uncovers a world of injustices justified by the majority.

Comixology First Look: Book of Evil #1

Art helps humanize these characters.
Credit: Comixology

Make no mistake, though, this is a frightening read. Empathizing with the main character, a child, is a disturbingly horrific experience. He understands the world around him as normal but has some semblance of what it was like in the old days to be able to reflect and see things aren’t as good as they could be. Through some frightening interactions, we gather he’s unsafe, and thus the horror can happen at any moment. Like any good sci-fi, though, we begin to understand how bad it can be by letting our imagination take ideas and our somewhat naive narrator’s thoughts a bit further. They either don’t know how bad it is or are pretending not to know, which makes things even scarier.

Jock adds layers to the prose throughout the book, largely through the visage of those who seem insane or the kids we meet that are deeply human, even if society calls them “Embies” who are not yet old enough to be animals or actual humans (who we’d call psychopaths). Jock uses yellow in an exciting way, particularly in the opening scenes, with the lines of the road reminding us some people belong on one side or another. Yellow is used to highlight keywords throughout the prose, too, which helps create a sense of alarm.

The art is nontraditional for a comic, with a good mix of panels made up of photos or blending into the prose background. One page may have a comic strip as if laid on the prose page, while in another, it’s drawn into the margins around the writing. One thing is obvious, though: a story like this is more about ideas and thinking. Thus, it suits the prose format.

Regarding the title, it’s too much of a spoiler to explain, but let’s say it’s not what you think. It’s a clever title for the book since our main characters live in a world where they are not yet deemed “good” or “bad.” A book of evil may serve either side.

Given Jock’s fame and incredible abilities, it does seem like the inclusion of his art can be random and underused. There are scenes where you might wish you could see more, like the infirmary, but the prose is all you get. It reads like Jock read the prose and created some art to pair rather than a more thorough collaboration. Still, what we do get from Jock is always impactful.

It’s unclear who is doing the letters, it might be Jock or the book designer Emma Price, but it’s well done. There’s a lot to take in from font size, placement, and how it is broken up over the page. The voice of the character is played out well across the page.

Stories like the Book of Evil are more crucial than ever in a world where people seem more and more disconnected from their fellow man. A thought-provoking horror that’s as scary as it is relevant.

'Book of Evil' #1 is as scary as it is relevant
‘Book of Evil’ #1 is as scary as it is relevant
Book of Evil #1
Stories like the Book of Evil are more crucial than ever in a world where people seem more and more disconnected from their fellow man. A thought-provoking horror that's as scary as it is relevant.
Reader Rating0 Votes
0
Blends prose and art that is unnerving and effective
Incredibly relevant in a world lacking empathy
It's up there with social commentary like Brave New World
Great lettering choices to amp up the prose
The art is powerful, but can seem randomly placed
9
Great

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

  • ❌ Remove all ads on the website
  • 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
  • 📗 Access to our monthly book club
  • 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
  • 💥 And more!
Sign up today
Comments

In Case You Missed It

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024 WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024 AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024 AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt' Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt'

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in ‘Blood Hunt’

Comic Books

Connect
Newsletter Signup