“A monk lived in solitude beside a temple on the side of a mountain.
It was a small temple and the monk was a young man, and the mountain was not the most beautiful or impressive mountain in Japan.”
― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman: The Dream Hunters
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Amazing Adventures #32 (McGregor/Russell, Sept 1975). The rebels take refuge in another remnant of our fallen civilization. But this time, it’s an attraction from the 1990s — after this issue was published, and before these freedom fighters remember. It’s a surreal sci-fi odyssey.
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AMAZING ADVENTURES v.1 #27
1974, Marvel Comics
Don McGregor writer, Craig Russell art, Jack Abel inks, Petra Goldberg colors, John Costanza letters
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The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell
Czechoslovakia, 1935: Viktor Kosrek, a newly trained psychiatrist who studied under Carl Jung, arrives at the infamous Hrad Orlu Asylum for the Criminally Insane. The facility is located in a medieval mountaintop castle surrounded by forests, on a site that is well known for concealing dark secrets going back many centuries. The asylum houses six inmates--the country's most treacherous killers--known to the terrified public as the Devil's Six.
Viktor intends to use a new medical technique to prove that these patients share a common archetype of evil, a phenomenon he calls The Devil Aspect. Yet as he begins to learn the stunning secrets of these patients, he must face the unnerving possibility that these six may share a darker truth.
Meanwhile, in Prague, fear grips the city as a phantom serial killer emerges in the dark alleys. Police investigator Lukas Smolak, desperate to locate the culprit (a copycat of Jack the Ripper), turns to Viktor and the doctors at Hrad Orlu for their expertise with the psychotic criminal mind. And Viktor finds himself wrapped up in a case more terrifying than he could have ever imagined.
The Devil Aspect is a book that's hard to put into words how to feel about it. There are so many layers to its Gothic atmosphere and the lingering malevolence you feel after turning that final page. It talks about the human capacity for violence and evil, the rise of facism in the 1930s, the effect of superstition and mythology on our perception and rationalization of certain events, all while delivering a compelling and thrilling mystery. It's one of those mysteries where, if you play close attention, all the clues are there right before you, with a red herring or two thrown in for good measure. While I wasn't able to predict the exact outcome, once everything was revealed, I was able to say "Oh yeah, that makes sense." It's a puzzle you piece together without knowing the final image, only to nod in satisfaction when you're finally able to complete it.
I will admit, I'm not a fan of stories set in the World War II era, or even the years leading up to it, as I find them to be particularly one note and depressing. You're not going to find much levity or hope in this book, but Craig Russell did a great job of keeping the time frame as a sort of secondary setting rather than one that dominates the story. It feeds into the concept of evil being naturally drawn to the asylum housing the most sadistic and dangerous criminals, as well as giving context to the characters' opinions and values. It also leaves the reader with a sense of defeat towards the end, that, even though the story is over and evil has been exposed, there are still horrendous things ahead. It's a dark place to leave the story, but it's definitely appropriate.
If you are a fan of dark thrillers and mysteries, you'll probably have a great time with this one. Just be aware that there is a lot of disturbing content, such as cannibalism, murder including children, discussion of pedophilia and rape, demonic goings on, discussions of eugenics, etc.
(3.5/5)
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i did not expect to read about jack the ripper remixes in my stories but here we are. according to craig russell, he was possessed by an ancient evil, whereas c.e. ward thinks he’s a dwarf vampire ghost.
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The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell
Today I'm sharing my thoughts on The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell, a book that has sat on my TBR pile for far too long.
@TheCraigRussell
@LittleBrownUK
#books #thedevilaspect #crimefiction #bookreview
Today I am sharing my thoughts on The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell, a book I’ve had on my to be read shelf for far too long. I’ve wanted to read it, having thoroughly enjoyed the author’s two recent novels, The Devil’s Playground and Hyde, and having seen so many fab reviews of the book when it was released, I knew it was going to be something I would enjoy. I was not disappointed. Here’s what…
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