Gay Comic Review: Deimos #1
I know, I said no more gay-comic reviews…but that was before I realized that ‘gay comics and bara’ weren’t overshadowing my posts on my own work. Once I got hold of the statistical data, I felt less threatened. On that note, no—there’s no explicit scans here, feel free to hit your back-browser arrow. (^_^)
REVIEW: HAS SPOILERS, OF COURSE.
A more shelf-friendly cover, on the back.
So tell me Deimos fans, what was all that fuss about? I remember when Patrick Fillion announced that his new Deimos series would be illustrated by French gay-ero artist Logan, and there was a faction of fans who decided that, based on some sample illustrations, they didn’t like Logan’s version of Deimos. Logan’s hardcore manly style—wasn’t the same as Fillion’s erotic manly style—both are explicit as always, but a Fillion fan is a Fillion fan, and so bringing in Logan to illustrate Patrick Fillion’s stories, didn’t sit well with a portion of Class Comics collectors. If you’re still crying, you’re crazy–because Logan exceeded my expectations.
Well, I got a copy of Deimos #1 – and the first thing I noticed about it [and the second issue of Rainbow Country] is that Class Comics now uses the two-cover/single issue format. One cover is safe-sexy, and can be shown face out on any given comic shop wall display or gay bookstore behind the counter shelf—while the other cover is business as usual, large cock and all. I think this a good move on the part of Class Comics, and it shows that they’re more than willing to do business in places that aren’t exclusively ‘porn’ shops.
The second thing I noticed? I like Logan illustrating Fillion stories more than I like Logan illustrating Logan stories. There’s something about Logan’s stories that put me off, which in turn never made me appreciate his artwork…but I’ve always enjoyed Fillion’s writing.
I just want to say up front, I loved this book. If I didn’t I wouldn’t be reviewing it.
We have the same Deimos, a fallen angel trying to redeem himself whilst the war between heaven and hell is still going on [it’s now more like a Cold War, with various violent skirmishes here and there—interrupted by hot sex scenes and erotic drama.] I adore Deimos, though I don’t think he’s much to look at. For me, it’s his cynical personality; it reminds me of a 40’s pulp gumshoe–he’s got the best lines and the worst assignments.
As Deimos opens, we get a little history on the war between heaven and hell, then we see the Prince of Darkness being informed by his trusty Azagoth, that there’s a traitor in Heaven—but whoever it is, is rogue, and not loyal to any side. Cut to earth—Deimos has located the kidnapped angel Cardinal, and of course, it’s a cult residing in a Church that’s behind it all:
Shockingly, it’s a cult dedicated to worshiping Deimos, and they’re unhappy that their master is trying to walk the path of righteousness. An orgy-like intervention ensues as their leader Kelso puts some form of casting spell smack-down on Deimos, and the followers fall on him—desperate to show Deimos the error or his ways via their oral skills. Deimos, under the spell, then turns his angry erotic attentions to the chained up Cardinal, who’s as self-righteous as always… I CAN’T BE SODOMIZED! [Greatest panel! --between this, and the Marvy Marvel using Green Lantern as a melee club in Countdown, it was a good week for sequential-chuckles!] Deimos pops his angelic cherry - no really, see SFX, and when Kelso hands him a dagger to kill Cardinal, Deimos plants it in Kelso’s chest instead. Just then Angel Billy shows up [I don’t like this character—sorry.] and helps Deimos fight his way out of the onslaught of Kelso’s followers. Soon Billy transports all three of them back to Billy’s place…
Deimos attempts to thank Billy for breaking the spell and stopping him from killing Cardinal—but Billy claims he had nothing to do with it, Deimos broke the spell on his own [I wonder when though—before or after he raped Cardinal! LOL!] I think this occurs to Cardinal as well, he is not pleased:
The ending is open; the traitor is still out there, and Azagoth has enlisted Sethan to find him. [She has great taste in minions.] I’ll definitely pick up Deimos #2, just to see if Cardinal comes to terms with the fact that he enjoyed being taken by Deimos a little too much…hey, what can I say—it’s angsty and complicated, I live for that stuff.
One small gripe?
Logan cannot illustrate a twink to save his life. LOL! Sorry, but I never got the impression from prior Deimos stories that Cardinal, the black-winged angel, was ever meant to be a muscle-bottom, or handsome from a muscle-daddy’s perspective. …there’s a huge difference between Cardinal from Deimos 0 and Cardinal from Deimos 1. Everyone else is pretty much on the mark—even Sethan, who makes an appearance at the end of this issue… but please, Logan: a prettier Cardinal—perhaps from a womanly aesthetic of what’s pretty instead of manly one? Please…I’ll send you a box of twinkies with angel-cream inside, for research.
