John Carpenter’s Asylum issue #1 Review

John Carpenter’s Asylum written by Bruce Jones and illustrated by Leonardo Manco

The plot follows LT. Daniel Beckett, an Iraqi war veteran turned priest and suspect in a failed exorcism that resulted in a child’s death; teaming with Detective Jack Duran to hunt down the possessed who are committing ritual murders. 

It sounds cool doesn’t it, but it’s not.  While the artwork by Leonardo Manco is a gorgeous mix of comic sensibilities and painting it doesn’t mask the story’s poor pacing thinly drawn characters, bland dialogue, or uninspired plot progression.  Jack Duran is a thinly drawn tough cop cliché and Beckett is boring from his introduction in a morning after sequence with a woman who he leaves without talking to, even as she tries to engage him, and walks to a church and is revealed to be a priest.  This sequence sums up the book nicely, failed attempts to shock the audience and nothing else.  Much of this revolves around nude women, who are often so for NO apparent reason. (Really she takes her shirt off to make a phone call?) 

With the beautiful artwork and involvement from John Carpenter this book is a serious let down.