Dark Ride Volume 3: The Devil’s Due
Joshua Williamson, writer; Andrei Bressan, artist; Adriano Lucas, colorist
Image Comics, 2024

The conclusion of the big series is mainly about Sam and his father’s expectation that he will take over Devil Land (the family’s amusement park). His sister, Halloween, is expected to help him see his duty, but she has her own agenda. When she sees Sam, she shares her big revelation: their father did not sell his soul to the devil. He sold their souls to the devil. Sam takes a ride on the park’s signature Devil’s Due ride. His protector, Hayter, got cut up by the ride, but he found his daughter Autumn. They reunited, and both exited the ride unharmed. The big climax came as Arthur revealed the park’s new attraction: a huge devil in a lake of fire. The devil told the entire Dante family that they had two options: make a sacrifice or become the sacrifice. Halloween steps up to offer Arthur, becoming the Queen of Devil Land in the process. There is no telling what the choice will cost her, but she began the process by redecorating the park and introducing a new ride called Princess Land (“it would really piss off my dad”).

The Bone Orchard Mythos: Tenement
Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino; Dave Stewart, colorist
Image Comics, 2024

Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s The Bone Orchard Mythos has had a slow launch so far. Last year’s Ten Thousand Black Feathers (which collected a five-issue miniseries) was only the second full-length entry into the universe. Tenement compiles a ten-issue miniseries, making it the most substantial installment to date. The story follows seven residents of the titular tenement building. When their neighbor Felix died suddenly they found themselves drawn together. Felix left his young neighbor Isaac the key to his apartment. After the group saw a surreal landscape through a window, he used it to open the door, discovering a staircase that lead downward into the dark. They descend, floor by floor, each containing dangers like mysterious masked creatures (some of whom impersonate group members), fire traps and flocks of birds. A flashback shows Felix as a private investigator, following a potential cheating spouse to the tenement, where he discovered a book titled The Bone Orchard Mythos–which referred to earlier events in the series, and explained why Felix took up residence. They make their way to Us’Uuul, some sort of demigod who manifests as a huge fly. Then they see Cain before exiting to the street, free. So while the story explains a lot about the Bone Orchard, it is still stronger on atmosphere than narrative. Sorrentino’s art is absolutely gorgeous, as always (with a big assist from Stewart’s moody colors).