90s comics are mostly remembered for their excess. It was a time of rippling muscles, overblown angst, and purple prose. It was the perfect era for the gothic melodrama of heroes like Ghost Rider or Spawn. Put a man in a war between Heaven and Hell, and of course he’ll speak every line with solemn self-importance. 90s creators were great at selling a kind of teenage malaise, gesturing towards the forces that run the universe in frustration and confusion. What does life really mean? Why are we here? And why do the forces that be keep telling me what to do? It’s that spookier, religious-themed brand of super-heroics which writer/colorist/letterer Brian Level and artist Matt Sparks pays homage to in Cherubim #1. Expect lots of monologues, graveyards and stained glass.
About Cherubim #1:
Cherubim #1 is split into two smaller stories, both established as taking place in a world nearing the Biblical end of days. The first, “Open Graves,” focuses on a villain named the Corpse-taker. He wastes no time living up to his name, paying some flunkies to help him in a little grave-robbing. But the mysterious Cherubim isn’t about to let him desecrate the dead. The second story, “Demon’s Nest,” involves a winged foe named Cardinal who’s cornered some children in a church with the help of some strange avian demons.
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Writing
There’s a lot going on in the world of Cherubim. A biblical apocalypse, ancient cults, legions of demons trying to pick off the living… But aside from a single introductory paragraph, Level and Sparks immediately throw readers into the deep end. The face behind Cherubim’s golden helmet isn’t even shown outside an exclusive trading card readers can procure. It’s a book that prefers to jump immediately into superhero action, letting readers piece together the lore on their own.
And make no mistakes: this is a superhero comic through-and-through. Much more a tribute to the mainstream spooky superheroes such as Night Force or 90’s Ghost Rider than the gore-soaked comics underground like Faust. Thing a dark and moody PG-13 with colorful weekly villains. It’s fun above all else, which is a pretty damn good reason for a comic to exist.
Though the issue’s multi-story action-first approach does come with a few sacrifices — the biggest being that the two tales on offer are both billed as “part 1.” So instead of one complete story, you get two half-stories. Both do a good job of showing off the main hero in action, but end rather abruptly with the promise of more. And the dynamic in play with Cherubim himself, a former photographer named Craig Angelo who communicates with the voice of God through his helmet, doesn’t get much focus. Certainly Cherubim’s voice changes based on who’s speaking through the mask, bouncing between sounding like a gruff average joe and talking in flowery biblical prose. It’s how Craig feels about having a holy voice inside his head that’s only hinted at. An average man joining a holy order and dealing with the literal voice of God in his head is a great setup for friction and drama, so I couldn’t help wanting a bit more. But still, this is only the first issue. A better feel for how the book will handle these characters should come with time.
Art
Matt Sparks handles art duties on the issue, and the immediate standout is the character designs. Again, there’s that strong superhero influence — colorful, theatrical designs that show what a character is about at a glance. From Cherubim’s golden armor dotted with false eyes and a stern glower, to the Cardinal’s steel talons and feathered hair. They also look damn cool, to boot.
But for all the comic’s 90s influences, the paneling is decidedly more old-school. Expect lots of rectangles arranged on a grid, with some splash pages and breakaways to keep things feeling exciting. The action is also handled with a methodical step-by-step approach emphasizing clarity. Dedicated closeups show the impact of each punch or kick, attention always given to when a character readies a weapon or prepares a trap.
Coloring
Brain Level approaches Cherubim’s coloring with lots of flat, bright colors. This might be a world teetering towards the apocalypse, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for dominant reds, blues, and greens. Red is the color most associated with Cherubim himself, his incense burner often drenching the panel in it, while the supernatural foes and even Cherubim’s magic are associated with an unearthly neon green. It’s that classic use of heroic primary colors vs more unsettling, villainous secondary colors — which isn’t necessarily a hard and fast rule. You can’t have a villain named Cardinal without a whole lot of red. But it’s yet another connective tissue to superhero comics of old that keeps up the clear, brash storytelling.
Lettering
The lettering keeps the superhero theme going, done in rounded all-caps with a heavy use of bold to emphasize certain words. But the Voice of God gets its own style, speaking in a bright red serif font. It gives the voice a feeling of authority and tradition. Which goes even further with the occasional quoted bible verses, the only parts of the comic proper which eschew the all-caps comic stylings.
VERDICT
Cherubim #1 is a promising start to an ongoing series of spooky derring-do. There’s certainly some room for the comic to find its footing, but the simple thrills it offers can’t be denied. I’m looking forward to seeing where the comic goes next, and it’s definitely worth picking up. It can be found on Matthew Spark’s Gumroad page.
