Devil's Highway #3 Review
Writer: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Brent Schoonover
Colours: Nick Filardi
Letters: Sal Cipriano
It feels like the first two issues of Devil’s Highway have just been setting the story up, it’s not until this third issue that the reader gets into the real meat of the story, and it’s gripping. Benjamin Percy has set up an interesting premise for a story, but it feels like he’s just tip-toed around the story till this part. We’ve got snakes, conspiracy theories, and an opportunity to see Sharon kick some ass. If you’ve been on the fence about this series, it’s this issue which will really make you sit up and take notice of it.
Percy has, in Sharon, created a compelling protagonist who readers are going to really root for. Everything about her is so capable and bad ass, a scene where she’s in a motel room really demonstrates this. There are plenty of mysteries still to be unravelled, and each answer we get leads to more and more sinister connections. The snake connection which has been teased from the beginning really begins to expand in this issue and gives the serial killer edge a twist on the average serial killer story. Throw in the fact that there’s also a wider ranging conspiracy going on and it’s an intriguing story to be explored.
Another one of Percy’s strengths is the way he keeps flipping the story around, introducing twists and turns which constantly keep the reader guessing. At first glance Sharon’s dad was killed because of wrong place, wrong time, and this would be a standard revenge story. Except every time it feels like the reader has a good grasp on what’s going on Percy flips the story around and puts a different spin on everything, like the best murder mystery stories do. This is one of those rare instances of a story which is so well written it’ll appeal to non-comic readers.
Brent Schoonover’s art has been great throughout the series, but this issue gives him a real opportunity to show some action scenes and it’s here that his art really shines. The previously mentioned motel scene is a real highlight of the issue. It relies almost solely on Scoonover’s art to tell the story and he excels at it. We get to see Sharon going through several emotions before really getting to unleash her full potential and it makes for an excellent scene. A tense scene near the beginning of the issue, which picks up from last issues cliff-hanger ending, becomes more and more tense as it progresses, due in large part to the way that Schoonover handles the art. Nick Filardi’s colours are the last part of the puzzle and really bring Schoonovers art to life. The choice of colours in a certain scene at the start of the issue really build the tension up for the reader.
Schoonover and Percy make an excellent pairing, working together to tell a perfectly crafted tale of serial killers, snakes, conspiracy theories, and a revenge story following one of the most badass protagonists to appear in a comic for a long time. If you haven’t been following along with this series you need to pick up the first couple of issues then this one, you won’t regret it. AWA continue to show the reader that they may be a small publisher but the quality of the stories they keep putting out there makes them one to be watched.
Artist: Brent Schoonover
Colours: Nick Filardi
Letters: Sal Cipriano
It feels like the first two issues of Devil’s Highway have just been setting the story up, it’s not until this third issue that the reader gets into the real meat of the story, and it’s gripping. Benjamin Percy has set up an interesting premise for a story, but it feels like he’s just tip-toed around the story till this part. We’ve got snakes, conspiracy theories, and an opportunity to see Sharon kick some ass. If you’ve been on the fence about this series, it’s this issue which will really make you sit up and take notice of it.
Percy has, in Sharon, created a compelling protagonist who readers are going to really root for. Everything about her is so capable and bad ass, a scene where she’s in a motel room really demonstrates this. There are plenty of mysteries still to be unravelled, and each answer we get leads to more and more sinister connections. The snake connection which has been teased from the beginning really begins to expand in this issue and gives the serial killer edge a twist on the average serial killer story. Throw in the fact that there’s also a wider ranging conspiracy going on and it’s an intriguing story to be explored.
Another one of Percy’s strengths is the way he keeps flipping the story around, introducing twists and turns which constantly keep the reader guessing. At first glance Sharon’s dad was killed because of wrong place, wrong time, and this would be a standard revenge story. Except every time it feels like the reader has a good grasp on what’s going on Percy flips the story around and puts a different spin on everything, like the best murder mystery stories do. This is one of those rare instances of a story which is so well written it’ll appeal to non-comic readers.
Brent Schoonover’s art has been great throughout the series, but this issue gives him a real opportunity to show some action scenes and it’s here that his art really shines. The previously mentioned motel scene is a real highlight of the issue. It relies almost solely on Scoonover’s art to tell the story and he excels at it. We get to see Sharon going through several emotions before really getting to unleash her full potential and it makes for an excellent scene. A tense scene near the beginning of the issue, which picks up from last issues cliff-hanger ending, becomes more and more tense as it progresses, due in large part to the way that Schoonover handles the art. Nick Filardi’s colours are the last part of the puzzle and really bring Schoonovers art to life. The choice of colours in a certain scene at the start of the issue really build the tension up for the reader.
Schoonover and Percy make an excellent pairing, working together to tell a perfectly crafted tale of serial killers, snakes, conspiracy theories, and a revenge story following one of the most badass protagonists to appear in a comic for a long time. If you haven’t been following along with this series you need to pick up the first couple of issues then this one, you won’t regret it. AWA continue to show the reader that they may be a small publisher but the quality of the stories they keep putting out there makes them one to be watched.
A Look Inside
