Action, Revelations And Plot Twists: Scott Synder And Greg Capullo’s ‘We Have Demons’ #3 Reviewed

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s We Have Demons #3 concludes the first book of this fascinating and energetic new take on the battle between the eternal forces of good and evil. It’s another oversized issue that starts with a dramatic, blistering action-packed opening and ends with… well, a dramatic, blistering action-packed finale too. With more than the odd revelation along the way that you may kick yourself for not at least considering along the way. But then, that can be the magic of Snyder’s writing. Like any good magician he makes you look one way only to surprise you with a revelation that was right under your nose all along. 

Lam is confronted by a demon claiming to be her father, but she’s not the only one confronted by her past brought back in demon form in this issue. As Lam and Gus, and the rest of the Glories desperately try to save the Earth not is all as it would seem and along with some startling revelations surrounding individual characters’ true identities there is also an Earth-shattering revelation about the yin and yang of Horn and Halo in this concluding chapter that changes the dynamics of the very operation Lam has found herself surrounded by. 

Having had Lam narrate her own story in the debut issue and Gus narrate the second issue, I love it that in this third and final issue Snyder brings the two voices together to share narration duties here. It’s a great structural device Snyder has clearly planned for and as well as offering two often distinct voices, also symbolises Lam and Gus’s bonding as both colleagues and friends. Faith is a huge theme that’s run through this series both explicitly and implicitly and Lam certainly shows a leap of faith in Gus, who also bets on himself. And, in a sense, it’s faith that eventually wins out at the end. Not so much the faith of a higher order, but a secular faith, a faith from within.

Amongst the feel-good factor this book delivers, there’s also the sinewy, sinister horror of the demon cohort, who come in all shapes and sizes thanks to Capullo’s and John Glapion’s artwork. And, I have to admit, while Capullo did learn at the knee of Todd McFarlane, I find Capullo the better artist for my tastes as he doesn’t lean too heavily into exaggerated figures and poses. As a result, his horror is more relatable. And he certainly does a mean line in demon folk too, as you’ll see from this issue. It’s a comic book infested with the nasty buggers. Bit then, this is a grand finale, and what better way to close out a history-spanning, globe-trotting horror story than with a big blowout? Good versus Evil, the Glories versus the Demons.

What we are left with is, when the dust settles, is a brave new world ripe for a re-visit. A world with a 100,000 year history (well, billions, if we’re being perdantic) that could be explored in far more depth down the line. While this is a story set on the present, there is no reason why we wouldn’t be able to travel through time and look into previous Glories and their battles with the demons of yore. Now that’s something I’d be keen to check out. And, done as an anthology, maybe, not only would it not detract from Gus and Lam’s developing story, but also act as a springboard for new and emerging talent too. 

Amongst the three Best Jackett/comiXology titles Snyder has debuted thus far, We Have Demons is most certainly the most elaborate, high-concept, blockbuster title of them all. A large scale, far-reaching saga that’s any just begun. But one with so much potential too.

 We Have Demons #3 is out now on comiXology Originals