Steeple vol. 3: That’s the Spirit!
Vol. 1 was delightful. Vol. 2 was as well, just less so than the first one. Vol. 3 is closer to vol. 1 mainly because there’s more of it to go around this time (for the same cover price). Things start off with curate-turned-priestess in the Church of Satan, Billie, and her priestess in the Church of Satan-turned-curate Maggie dealing with massive hangovers as they head over to Mrs. Clovis’ house to celebrate Christmas. Unfortunately for them, the two girls have picked up a Sesh Gremlin along the way who threatens to turn the gathering into a decidedly seedy affair. This is followed up by a surprising crossover with some of the characters from creator John Alllison’s other comics “Scary go Round” and “Bad Machinery.” It’s still enjoyable if you’re like me and know nothing about either series as Charlotte and Shelly feel like they’ve been part of Tredregyn all along. The actual story, involving Charlotte Teaming up with Reverend Penrose to find a kidnapped Shelly, is enjoyably silly as it finds a capital-”W” Weird way to put a new spin on fans who mis-interpret their favorite writer’s works.
While these stories are enjoyable enough, the real meat of this volume is in its third and longest story. It involves a TV series coming to Tredregyn (that may have been summoned by a desperate Billie’s prayer to Baphomet) and all the intrigue it brings with it. Acting as an extra not only allows the girl to pay her Satanic Rent, but also brings a potential boyfriend as well. Maggie also gets in on this, even as she gets an invite to her Mainstream Satanic worshiping dad’s 60th birthday celebration. If that wasn’t enough, Reverend Penrose also has to deal with a monster who has laid eggs underneath the local pier and the visions he’s been having of his monster-hunting predecessor around town.
This may feel like a lot, but Allison has the room in the volume’s back half to spread it around and present it all in a way that’s easily digestible. All of this also indicates that the creator has longer-term plans for the series than the episodic tales we’ve received in the previous two volumes. My hope here is that this means “Steeple’s” format change has allowed it to enjoy enough success for Allison to start being more ambitious in his storytelling with it. It’s something I welcome, because that means a fourth volume is assured at this point. Right Dark Horse?