John Carpenter’s ASYLUM #12
Created by: John Carpenter, Thomas Ian Griffith & Sandy King
Written by: Sandy King & Trent Olsen
Art by: Leonardo Manco
Colors by: Mariana Sanzone
Letter Artist: Janice Chiang
Cover by: Nick Percival
Publisher: Storm King Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
“” (22 pages) [no ads!]
Old King has returned! He is needed to aid in the fight against Lilith and her minions. He will be accompanied by a semi-undead bird. He has been blinded but the truth sees all.
As he adjusts to his surroundings, he notices that Father Daniel is playing his part. There is a shift in reality. There’s a short passage from Isaiah 50:3 that indicates the impending battle.
Jack Duran and Daniel Beckett do their best to fend off a small demonic horde. Traditional firearms don’t cut it. The creepy child abductor/preacher from last issue takes down Jack in a split second. The abandoned grotesquerie stops dead in his tracks upon spotting the moustached man. Beckett blasts him with his holy powers. The man becomes Lucifer(?) He spews rage at Beckett and tells him it’s a losing situation. The under-dwellers vanish.
The hunt is on for the deformed boy. Re-examining the sepia photos, dots are connected – a woman is present in all of them. They must discover her identity. Daniel can’t put his finger on it but he knows that answers are around the corner.
The preacher man takes the disfigured boy into the most ominous looking house. Shortly after, fire engulfs the place. It is unclear who set it off but the boy makes it outside only to be faced by Lilith, Queen of the Damned.
Old King reunites with the demon-chasing duo. He jokingly acknowledges his cryptic nature. Before he provides info, he wants nourishment – waffles.
Lilith chastises the perverted preacher. She is disappointed at the fact that his son is not the weapon required. He asks her for guidance as well as a second chance. Despite his allegiance to her, he is uncomfortable in sacrificing the innocent. He will continue to search for her son but he needs a major assist.
Old King begins his spiel. Daniel determines that he was in the Barrens – the place in-between the living and the dead. Boys are being kidnapped to be soldiers in an army. The endeavour has not proven fruitful. A ‘pure’ is crucial to the plans: the most innocent child who will transform into the Anti-Christ. The texts have been misinterpreted. The birth of this child is not physical, but spiritual. Corruption has to occur at the deepest level. Old King gives them another tidbit: the half-dead bird is not only named after Father Leone, it is his soul within that he managed to retrieve.
The trio head to an abandoned orphanage. The preacher has a name: Skrim!! Old King warns how angry the demon-worshipper is at Daniel. Jack undergoes voluntary possession – an exorcism in reverse – to draw out the dark man. After reciting the necessary words, Daniel believes he failed. Nope!!
Old King is transported to the Barrens and faces what appear to be giant tree-like beings. (I Am Groot?) He is swatted by Lilith. Jack/Skrim lunges at Daniel strangling him. The end is not nigh because Beckett goes into full-on angel mode!! Come at him!
In general, I’m not very vested in the horror genre. It has nothing to do with the fear factor. Quite the opposite!! I’m not scared enough! I prefer the psychological suspense over the creature features, the gore fests, and the slasher films. That being said, I do my best to put my head into the plot to obtain a vicarious experience. Religion will always be a touchy subject. The thought of evil among us dates back to prehistoric times. Nevertheless, it’s fascinating and reassuring to know that the counter-balance exists.
Since reviewing #11 back in July, I have established contact with Ms. Sandy King. Recently, I did a daily countdown on all comic book publishers dealing with Diamond. Storm King Productions is but one of hundreds. Ms. King was kind enough to send me an advance copy of this current issue. Sadly, due to my real/full-time job, I could not pre-view it the week before. Either way, I’m glad that the lines of communication are open between us 🙂
I’ve enjoyed this issue more than the previous one. I still haven’t found a way to peruse the first ten but the solution is at hand and will occur in the near future. I want clarification to the characters: the preacher man’s son – is he meant to be Lilith’s? What happened to Lilith’s own spawn? What about the misshapen child roaming about? Have Daniel and Jack been a team from the get-go? What exactly is Old King’s deal?
Jack is very open to the supernatural world. I’m in disbelief that he volunteered to be the vessel to bring forth Skrim. I had an epiphany: Old King is most likely a nod to John Carpenter but with Sandy’s last name!! Am I right? 😉 He reminds me of Dr. Strange but far more approachable and down-to-earth.
Leonardo Manco’s art is rich, textured, and all-around astounding!! Every panel is enthralling. The full pages are gorgeous. The men he draws are hot!!! Pun intended!! My eyes can never get enough of Daniel’s angelic appearance. As twisted as this sounds, the Anti-Christ got my heart racing ;-P Don’t stop!! Draw more of Daniel as he truly is meant to be. I’m sure it’s no coincidence that Daniel resembles one of Mr. Manco’s long-established ‘friends’: John Constantine.
Mariana Sanzone is the perfect painter. The colours leap out at me. The entire spectrum reflects all aspects of the story. The eyes are insanely intense!!
Janice Chiang beautifully transcribed the Biblical passage. The sound effects stretch to eerie effect. They are an essential element to the storytelling. Lilith’s speech pattern is Runic in nature. She is ageless.
I am in this for the long haul. I promised Ms. King that I would continue to examine all upcoming issues. This is the conclusion to the current arc. That matters little since the canvas is far and wide.
I’m mentally prepared to check in to the loony bin from here on in. I wish someone would cosplay as Daniel Beckett. Yum!! I give this book 8.5 out of 10.
Endless appreciation to my local comic shop for carrying this title ^_^
