Gail Simone's Death-Defying Devil is "Lost"

In Gail Simone's debut issue of Dynamite Comics' DEATH-DEFYING DEVIL, we thought the almight Devil had been depowered, brought down to earth, and made into a street-level hero of the people. The Devil had come to the defense of a motley crew of residents of a ramshackle house who had been beset by street thugs and corrupt cops, and he had gotten his ass handed to him handily.

With the second issue, we get a little more of the curtain pulled back. The Devil is still in the house--drinking tea and eating coffee cake with the elderly former actress turned crazy cat lady. When he learns that she doesn't go to the market any longer for fear of the street gang members always waiting to pounce, he very gallantly offers her escort. And when the inevitable attack comes, he defends.

And that's when things get weird.

Suddenly the world shifts around him, and the Devil finds his situation is unaltered -- only now he's in an old western.

If you can stick with things this far, keep it up. Because it gets more disorienting from here before things start to clear up. The Devil is getting the short end of the stick again as the (now) desperadoes prepare to kill the masked hero unless he relinquishes his protection of the house. (Already this should put up a red flag, since killing him would, it would seem, immediately negate his protection of anything.) The house is special -- but not because it sits on land that could be developed.

And that's when you realize this miniseries is taking place squarely in Damon Lindelof-land. If that reference is "lost" on you, then there's a good chance you'll have greater enjoyment of this story than those who got it.

While it takes some getting used to the Devil's taciturn speech patterns, he begins to open up more as the story progresses. Walter Geovani's artwork remains a delight, and the characters are still a unique bunch of misfits with distinct looks to each of them -- and, no doubt, a story all their own that will be revealed as the issues go by.