Is It Good?
Okay, this is going to be a quick review because this is a quick comic.
USHER OF THE DEAD: THE EVIL MEN DO is a one-shot from Keith Rommel, spotlighting Sariel’s lamentations over his commitment to not interfere with the affairs of men, even when one of those men is a disturbed serial killer. Narrated from Sariel’s point of view, this comic is a unique fable about the evil of twisted men and how supernatural forces constantly grapple with allowing free will to play out versus obeying an ideal moral code to see justice done.
While this is a quick read, the layers of thought-provoking ideas are deceptively rich and complex. To be clear, that doesn’t mean the story is complicated. In fact, it’s quite simple and moves at a brisk pace, but the ideas give you plenty of possibilities to noodle over. What is humanity’s responsibility for its own free will? If God created free will, what is the supernatural realm’s responsibility for the damage free will causes? These are weighty ideas you wouldn’t expect to find in a lightning-quick horror comic, so on that count, this issue earns bonus points for the surprise.
As for Ortega’s art, it’s fine. Not the greatest art in the world (see the preview images below), and it’s not the best. Ortega gets the job done, so in a comic that surprises you with philosophical ideas this weighty, the art’s good enough.