Outcast by Kirkman & Azaceta vol. 2: A Vast and Unending Ruin

It’s interesting.  My main concern with the first volume was that the intimate, character-driven horror story was going to clash with the biblical, potentially “end of the world” plot that Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta were setting up.  With this second volume, it’s clear that the main plot is on a slow burn and is going to be built up over what appears to be quite some time.  I feel better about it now, but this comes at the pace of this story.  The efforts of Kyle Barnes and Reverend Anderson to find out more about the former’s abilities, how many demons are out there, and just what an Outcast is proceed at a snail’s pace here.  That’s not to say nothing happens here.  We see the fallout from Sidney’s encounter with the Reverend, Kyle and his partner visit other suspected cases of demonic possession and track down a missing girl in the process, and Kyle deals with family matters both mundane and otherworldly.

Despite all this, it feels like very little progress was made by the end of the volume.  Kyle and the Reverend are still very much in the dark about how to properly exorcise these demons and what the consequences of these acts may be.  Fortunately “A Vast and Unending Ruin” has other virtues that lead me to believe that sticking around will be worth it in the end.  Azaceta’s art continues to be extremely effective at delivering a creepy mood just perfect for the story and allowing the characters to express themselves in ways that draw you in.  Main plot aside, Kirkman has set up some compelling story threads with his characters here.  Reverend Anderson’s crisis of faith is haunting to watch unfold, as he tries to push Kyle to use his powers for good even as he’s coming undone after his encounter with who he believes to be the devil himself.  Kyle is slowly starting to warm up to his responsibility, but he also has a lot of family drama to work.  This drama is rendered in heartbreaking fashion as Kyle visits his ex-wife and daughter and things slingshot between good and bad times.  That’s the kind of thing that’s drawing me in right now.  Maybe next time I’ll have a good reason to be enthused about what role Kyle’s abilities will play in this story.