Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
What could possibly go wrong on ‘Exorcism Island’ – a place crawling with possessed individuals and exhausted priests trying their best to chase the devil out of the tormented bodies of the poor souls they are in charge of? Obviously A LOT.
The first few panels of this five part comic book series by Jordan Thomas reminded me of Netflix horror series ‘Midnight Mass’, which also centers on terrifying events unfolding on an isolated island after the arrival of a charismatic priest. But in Jordan Thomas’ comic, the twist comes early: two priests fly to a remote island already overrun by the possessed. Hence, the literal title – Exorcism Island.
No time’s wasted in setting up the basic premise of this horror comic book series. Colorful panels introduce a priest aboard a flight, a memory of a young woman clearly possessed by something Satanic, a flashback of him reporting his experience at the Vatican, and a present panel showing a small plane headed to an ‘evil place’ somewhere in the Caribbean. Of course, the reader is meant to assume it’s the Exorcism Island.
The artwork in Exorcism Island is colorful, animated, and easy on the eyes. I really liked how the comic uses distinct color palettes for different timelines and locations, which makes the story easier to follow. The island scenes are drenched in fiery orange tones, while the Vatican timeline appears in shades of purple, ensuring readers never lose track of where the story is taking place. Although some readers may not necessarily enjoy the bold dominant orange color that dominates the issues.
One of the central characters is Father Amato, a young priest who is skeptical about the supernatural, yet still sent by the Vatican to a remote island where a tired group of exorcists struggle to contain dozens of possessed individuals. Amato initially dismisses the idea of demons, but his older colleagues quickly force him to confront a grim reality: evil does exist.
The story pits this small band of weary priests against a chaotic horde of demons that can even possess animals. While the comic occasionally leans on familiar tropes, like foul-mouthed demons taunting priests with vulgar insults, it also throws in a few entertaining twists. When not tormenting the men of cloth verbally, the demons often resort to brutal physical violence.
As if the priests weren’t already overwhelmed, things get worse in issue 2 when a group of archaeologists accidentally release an ancient demonic entity known as the “Dancing Prince.” The creature immediately heads toward the island, drawn to its infestation of evil spirits and confident that the exhausted priests will be easy prey, especially since it considers them ‘morally weak’.
Quick flashbacks show why the entity believes the island priests will be easy to defeat. Ironically, that very miscalculation becomes its downfall. These aren’t mild-mannered priests clutching rosaries in fear, they’re hardened men who won’t hesitate to pick up arms when demons come knocking.
While reading the tense exchanges between the characters, I kept thinking how easily Exorcism Island could work as a moody live-action horror series. The Vatican timeline is brief and cryptic for most of the story, with issue 5 finally revealing how the events in Rome and on the island connect.
In the end, Exorcism Island delivers exactly what the title promises, priests battling demons in a remote hellscape. It’s violent, gory, occasionally creepy, and builds toward a satisfying showdown between the Church and forces of evil. If you enjoy exorcism stories packed with chaos, bloodshed, and a touch of dark humor, this horror mini-series is well worth picking up.
And the climax also throws in a wicked twist which gives plenty scope for the creators to come back with a volume 2 for the series.
Rating: 4.5 on 5 stars. Exorcism Island is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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