Image Comics reviews 10/23/24 – Void Rivals #13, Rook: Exodus #6

Horizon Experiment: The Sacred Damned #1

The second installment of a fascinating approach to developing new titles arrives with the latest Horizon Experiment title — The Sacred Damned. Like the previous series preview, The Manchurian, this title will only move forward if enough readers are intrigued enough to support future installments. It’s not a Kickstarter so much as a legit way to gauge reader interest in this kind of story. At first read, The Sacred Damned certainly feels like a title that would fare just fine as a fan favorite Image title.

Dr. Inayah Jibril is an expert on all things occult. She’s had experience with them long before she became a doctor or an occult expert. Writer Sabir Pirzada (Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight) has an episodic approach to this issue leaving sizable breadcrumbs to pique reader’s curiosity for where the series could head. Some plot threads involve Jibril’s backstory and own long history with the occult.

Billed as a “Muslim John Constantine,” The Sacred Damned probably doesn’t need to box itself in to any particular book or series. It’s a fun mix of a little Constantine with a healthy dash of The X-Files. Jibril definitely doesn’t come off like a generic edgy occult expert, but is hardly a pushover for the demons and djinns she faces. Artist Michael Walsh, who also pairs with Toni Marie Griffin on the colors, has a striking visual style that works well for the creepier, haunting series’ tone. Becca Carey’s lettering and design work also makes for a stunning statement.

The Sacred Damned clearly has plenty of potential. This is another case where it’d be a shame to just get a taste of what this creative team could do given a longer runway to tell stories of this universe.

Rating: 8 out of 10