THE DEVILERS #1 will be released on July 16, 2014.

The Good

Dynamite has braved into new territory by putting out the first, of hopefully many, creator driven series. DEVILERS, which is about a group of people with some extraordinary talents and abilities fighting off an invasion from the forces of Hell, is written by Joshua Fialkov and features art from Matt Triano.

Issue #1 of DEVILERS is extremely fast paced and puts the reader right into the action, breaking a bit a way from the traditional way to set up a new book in a new world. While this is part of the problem for the issue, the fact it's set up this way makes it that much more intriguing. As a writer, this is where Fialkov shines. He works well within chaotic stories by putting the reader into the action, and he has a way of making the reader feel at ease with jumping back and forth between the action and these characters meeting each other, all while the world is falling apart.

While the story can be summed up in one simple sentence, it's so much more complex than that and very engaging. Hell coming to Earth is something fans have seen plenty of times, but with DEVILERS, there's an underlying menacing feeling to it. Fialkov definitely hits the horror tone in this first issue while leaving the reader in quite a bit of suspense.

Triano does some solid art work within this first issue, but where he really shines is the beasts and monsters he creates throughout the issue. He also nails the horror element with these demons and his inking and shading throughout the issue. Without giving anything away, he really sets the whole tone for the book on pages two and three with a fantastic looking two page spread which screams "Hell on Earth."

The Bad

The first issue is a bit too chaotic. There's a lot of introductions to members of this team and the world they live in and the issue moves very fast. There's lots of concepts to grasp onto quickly and while that does add a bit to the feeling that something needs to be done quickly, it can get a little confusing, but upon a second reading, that all fades pretty quickly. While this may be in the "bad" section, it's also part of the charm of the book.

There's a few small problems with Triano's art in a couple of panels featuring close-ups of characters. There's a bit of distortion, but aside from that, not much else to critique.

The Verdict

DEVILERS surprised me. Normally, religious-based books don't interest me, but DEVILERS has a way of grabbing you and keeping you reading until the final page. This is a great start not only for this book but for Dynamite's creator driven series. Fialkov and Triano provide an entertaining and thrilling first issue which promises to be one Hell of a series, pun intended. This isn't just a book you'll want to pick up, it's one you'll want on your pull list. While there were some small problems with the issue, here and there, you'll want to make sure to pick this one up when it comes out.

Again, THE DEVILERS #1 will be released on July 16, 2014.

This book has been a longtime coming. Im really looking forward to this.

I will give this a shot. Dynamite has some great talent working on their Gold Key Universe stuff, and having Fialkov do a creator owned is a huge nab to. I really liked his I, Vampire series up until the rushed last couple issues but overall heproved in my mind he can really do a horror book. I will admit that between this, (potentially) and Outcast from Image this summer should be interesting when it comes to horror comics.

I'll check it out if it has angels fighting demons, I'm for it. If it's just normal people fighting demons, will pass.

Chaotic is a good word for this. The group is diverse and I'm interested in their stories but if there's an early gripe, it's the young Asian being depicted as having prepared for this fight all their life compared to the others who seem like deers in headlights. It comes off a bit stereotypical.

I do like the representation in terms of diversity (as I've mentioned) so I might be too harsh. Other than that, some pretty cool and grotesque artwork to be had in this issue. I'm giving it a shot.