New Orleans, the town normally associated with sexy vampires has been bum-rushed by werewolves…and fallen angels…and demonic hit-men…and ancient witches…and midget cherubs. Holy shit, there’s a lot going on in issue #1 of Kiss Me Satan. And the most remarkable thing about this new series might be how well it sets the stage in just one issue.

Here’s the official word from Darkhorse:

Cassian Steele is the boss of the werewolf mafia in the Big Easy, and he’s got a problem. The old witch Verona knows his secret and has gone into hiding. Cassian wants her dead. So he sends out the word: An open contract. The first monster to dust Verona gets a big payday. What no one realizes is that Barnabus Black, a demon desperately trying to regain his halo, is her protection.

If you like dark fantasy that provides a cast of multiple fantastical creatures at once, then Kiss Me Satan might have been written just for you. Set in a city already saturated with voodoo and other paranormal flavor, writer Victor Gischler pens a solid mash-up where old-school monsters and religious figures all roam the streets together. Initially, issue #1 seems to offer two parallel stories as a way to kick off this series: the first is of a fallen angel trying to regain access to heaven; and the second is of a werewolf mob-king trying desperately to hold onto his earthly kingdom. These stories orbit each other nicely, and then suddenly collide in a way that’s both effective, and engaging. While such a busy premise might not appeal to everyone, Gischler’s ability establish this complicated world so quickly, and so effectively, is quite impressive.

Juan Ferreyra’s art is bit uneven. He offers moments of incredible fluidity and passion (his depictions of the werewolves are expressive; his witches are elegant and creepy). But his rendering of lead character Barnabus Black feels a bit generic, like a stock character from a video game. My hope is that Ferreyra is just clearing his throat here, and that his art in subsequent issues leans stronger.

Overall, Kiss Me Satan is a promising series, especially for those of us with a high tolerance for fantastical creatures and supernatural stories.

4/5