Comic Review: Infidel #3

Infidel #3

Image Comics

Writing: Pornsak Pichetshote

Artist: Aaron Campbell

It would appear that there is a lot more to Infidel than a modern haunted house story. This series originally felt like a horror story that also occasionally touched upon issues such as racism and other American struggles, but it has become clear that the creative team has planned on making this a commentary that can be hard to face.

Pornsak Pichetshote is quickly establishing himself as a writer to look out for. His debut series is only three issues in but it already feels like one of the best recent horror series. Infidel #3 focuses on the rest of the residents of the apartment building following Aisha’s accident during the last issue. This makes for a refreshing issue that takes a step back from the horror and closely analyzes the way American’s view prejudice. It’s a thought-provoking issue that manages to challenge the reader without being too preachy, and most readers will find themselves realizing that they have had shared experiences with these characters.

Of course, this is still a horror series, and there is still plenty of tension throughout the issue. The opening sequence appears to be drawn by a child, which makes the horror that plagues the panels much more unnerving. The rest of the cast is beginning to be affected by the evil surrounding the apartment, which is humanizing the majority of them. Infidel #3 has the strongest dialogue yet for the series, with Aisha’s neighbors discussing the recent tragedy. Each character is coping differently, and it allows for the reader to gain a deep understanding of not only the characters but a way of thinking that is now deeply ingrained in our society.

Aaron Campbell’s work is a home run, with a gritty style that intrigues and terrifies. The line-work makes even the most average conversation feel full of tension. Every new page could contain something grotesque to haunt both the characters and the reader.

While Infidel #3 has the least amount of scares, it still manages to be the most haunting issue in the series so far. Like a Stephen King novel, the evil that surrounds this apartment isn’t just the monsters, but some of the tenants of the home as well. Any fan of horror should be reading Infidel, because when it finishes it might be one of the all-time great horror stories.