Comic Review: The Goddammed: The Virgin Brides #4

The Goddammed: The Virgin Brides #4

Image Comics

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artists: R.M. Guera & Giulia Brusco

The ending of the third issue in Jason Aaron’s biblical horror was a shocker. After all their efforts to escape, Jael and Sharri were back at the same mountain they’d fled from. It was one hell of a punch to the gut after the horrors these girls had been through. That ending left me curious though. Not only about what might happen to the pair but about the mountain itself. We’d seen the hunters and the nunnery but what else is there in this place. In this issue, Aaron seems to be trying to give us more insight into this place. Let’s get into the book and see if it’s any good.

The story starts on a tragic note. Jael and Sharri are caught by the prioress, head of the hunters pursuing them, and an interesting character herself. The prioress takes a liking to the girls and, after Sharri offers to repent, their lives are spared. The prioress appears throughout the issue as Sharri is taken to the top of the mountain to be wed. Jael meanwhile is forced to fight monsters in a cave. It’s through this prioress that we get some insight into the mentality of the fanatics. They don’t just escort these girls to their deaths or kill men out of religious belief. It’s sadism. These people enjoy hurting others and religion is just an excuse. By the end of the story, we get a nice little twist regarding Sharri. She’d been somewhat bland at times in past issues. The ending will change your mind on that though.

The art continues to be astounding. Part of this is the variety of scenery. The clifftop where the girls are caught, the cave, the mountaintop, and the nunnery all offer unique artistic opportunities. The cave in which Jael is forced to fight seems terrifying thanks to the use of shadows on the monsters. The monsters themselves aren’t that scary but the shadows covering portions of their body leave a lot to your imagination. I feel like that adds more terror than drawing an overly-complicated monster that looks like it should be fighting Godzilla. At the same time, the action in the caves beautifully contrasts with what’s happening to Sharri. She’s being prepped for her wedding. It’s all bright colours and flowers yet we know this is something terrifying. Sharri isn’t being married, she’s being readied for sacrifice to the mysterious Nephilim.

The use of mysterious supernatural beings really does a lot to build the horror in this series. A great technique that I feel both Aaron and his art team deserves credit on. The lettering is handled well throughout this issue too. There are the standard bold letters emphasizing dialogue and some good use of sound effects. There are changes in the font at certain points that do a lot to convey the emotions of the characters speaking. This issue isn’t quite a masterpiece in comic book lettering but it’s very good and doesn’t distract from the story.

Overall, this issue was a great read. I’ve been left excited about the final issue after seeing the final panels of this one. I won’t spoil it but it’s left me curious about how Jael and Sharri’s relationship might change. I’m expecting an action-packed issue next time but even if that’s not what I get I’m sure it’ll be good. Based on this issue and the three prior I now trust Jason Aaron to deliver a great story. I highly recommend getting into this series if you haven’t already. If you’re one of the people enjoying it already then you’ll likely agree, this series rocks. I’m sure the existing fans will absolutely love this issue. Hopefully, it’ll leave you as hyped for the final issue as I am.

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