The Devil's Footprints

The formula for success is ripe with the Devil's Footprints: an original story that can be truly incredible, great artwork, and engaging characters are all prominent here; but sadly the overall story feels rushed out the door and is ultimately too short. Despite all that negative press I just gave, the Devil's Footprints isn't all bad. The story revolves around young man Brandon Waite, who uses witchcraft to protect his family. He does this because his late father William made a demonic deal that has damned his soul for all eternity, and Brandon is haunted and tormented that he himself will suffer the same fate. No matter what he does, Brandon finds himself isolated even further from his loved ones and home, leading up to a hellish climax. What sets apart the Devil's Footprints from other comic spook fests are Scott Allie's characterizations and surprisingly human story, but what ultimately stops Devil's Footprints from being something really special is that the book as a whole is way too short, and the final battle and climax feels more rushed and tacked on than anything else. The art by Paul Lee, Brian Horton, and veteran but dependable colorist Dave Stewart is spectacular, and there's a good amount of side stories and extras thrown in as well. It's not bad one bit, and it's a good graphic novel to pick up, but one can only wonder how just plain awesome this could have been.