Outcast By Kirkman & Azaceta Vol. 4: Under Devil's Wing

By Robert Kirkman, Paul Azaceta and Elizabeth Breitweiser

Answers are given and secrets are revealed as Kyle Barnes and Sidney have a conversation that will change EVERYTHING. Kyle has never been in more danger. THE WALKING DEAD creator ROBERT KIRKMAN’s latest horror hit is now a Cinemax TV show, available on iTunes and Steam now. Collects OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN and AZACETA #19-24.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Image Comics, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781534303027

Robert Kirkman

Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer. His first creation was Battle Pope, which he co-wrote with Tony Moore, and in 2003 they began the comic book series The Walking Dead, set in a George A. Romero zombie movie-inspired world.

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Reviews for Outcast By Kirkman & Azaceta Vol. 4

[macdad-236140 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A few months ago I was having lunch with an old friend. We were talking about pop culture (a perennial subject of ours) and comic book movie franchises in particular when he said to me, "Normally I don't enjoy comics, but lately I've been reading one that I really like. Have you heard of Outcast? When I replied that I hadn't, he shared with me a link to its page on Libby, and I decided to give it a try.After having read the first six issues, I still don't know how I feel about it. As much as I usually enjoy Robert Kirkman's writing, this one feels almost frustratingly slow in it's development. The reason for this, at least for me, is in the lack of context: Kirkman starts his readers off in the middle, with Kyle trying to cope with undefined traumas. While many of them are revealed over the next several issues, there's still so many questions that remain unanswered. Paul Azaceta's art contributes to this in a way, being as spare in its form as Kirkman is with the details of what is going on. Yet for all this it's still oddly absorbing, enough so to keep me moving on to the next collection.

[tobinelliott · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

To me, this didn't land with the same thunderous boom as the first Walking Dead story, but then again my memory may also be building the quality of that original experience.

Though I see the possibilities inherent in Kirkman's story, right now, it's a much smaller scale than a world-wide zombie apocalypse. Kirkman's strength as a writer is in the relationships he builds between interesting characters, and the fact that he's not scared to hurt, maim, or kill them off.

In this first volume, the story is interesting, if a touch confusing. The art is similar in tone to that of the Walking Dead. Personally, I usually prefer a cleaner style, but I can handle this one. Paul Azaceta is a good artist, until it comes to facial expressions, then he shows his true genius.

So, this first one opens enough mysteries to keep me coming back, but I can't say it necessarily wowed me.

Let's see what else this team has in store...

[kurt.rocourt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the man behind The hit show on AMC,The Walking Dead comes a new horror series. This time Outcast is pure supernatural horror unlike The Walking Dead. Outcast is a very scary book. It's a reminder that Robert Kirkman can write horror in a manner unlike anyone else. If your a fan of horror I recommend this book. Unlike The Walkind Dead this book is more of an individual story. The group dynamic hasn't played into this story. It should be interesting to see where this story goes.

I read this book thanks to NetGalley. I thank them for this book. #NetGalley

[roxiet-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love the plot, though I was never a big fan of exorcist type storylines. Some reviewers commented on the artwork, but I think it fits with the primitive tone of the storyline.

[kmajort · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kirkland will no longer be TWD-guy. Outcast has a smaller cast, deeper story. Quite unsettling, showing the dark side of humanity good ol' demon possession. Will read more.

[thelibraryladies · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I guess I’m kind of on a Kirkman kick this week, huh? First we had “Rise of the Governor’ and now we’re going back to his comics roots with “Outcast (Vol.1): A Darkness Surrounds Him”. Perhaps you’ve heard that this comic series, which focuses on demonic possession as opposed to zombies, now has a television show as well. While I haven’t checked that one out, I did decide it was high time to check out the source material. Demonic possession stories are not as high on my list as zombies are when it comes to themes in horror stories. While I think there is a lot you can do with the zombie trope and while I think you have lots of room to experiment with it, demonic possession tends to be pretty rooted in religious mythology, almost always Judeo-Christian mythology at that. But I have faith in Kirkman, and so I went in with an open mind.The story concerns Kyle, a down on his luck and severely depressed man who has seemingly lost everything. His mother is in a perpetual state of catatonia, his wife left him and took their daughter with her after she accused him of beating the girl up, and he spends most of his days cut off from the world except when his sister Megan visits. But soon he’s approached by a local clergyman named Anderson, who wants his help dealing with a possessed boy. After all, Kyle is no stranger to possession. Unlike “The Walking Dead”, a comic without many mysteries, “Outcast” takes it’ sweet time unveiling the pieces of the puzzle that make it up. Going in we know very little about Kyle, and Kirkman is more interested in showing rather than telling this time around. Kyle is a character that even after Volume 1 I feel like I don’t know much about him, but he’s being drawn out in such a meticulous way that I’m not in any hurry to know everything. Especially since there is clearly so much tragedy in his life that many of these revelations are going to be no doubt painful. But as of right now, we know that Kyle has seen people he loves taken over by demons, which ultimately results in him losing them one way or another. Kyle is a tragic character who wants the world to leave him be, but happenstance always yanks him back to demons one way or another.My favorite character as of right now, though, is Megan, Kyle’s sister whom he met in foster care before he was permanently taken in by her family. Megan is loyal and stubborn, and she has a family of her own now that Kyle is too afraid to get close to (not to mention her husband Mark believes that Kyle is a monster because of what happened to Kyle’s daughter). She is no nonsense and has not, as of yet, willingly played the part of a madonna in need of protecting (like Kyle’s ex wife Allison), which I am always afraid of in stories like this. Kirkman has written some very strong ladies in his day, and I’m happy to say that as of now Megan is one of those ladies. The other women in the book are not as well focused, as Allison is a spectral figure who Kyle is watching over and pining for, and a mysterious woman named Mildred who has been exorcised once before, and can’t stand to be near Kyle for probably pretty obvious reasons if you really think about it.So is “Outcast” scary? For me, not really. I’m never really scared by stories like this, but at this point the plot is very much in set up mode. We see a few demons, and we see what becomes of them after Kyle and Anderson are able to get rid of them. But for now all we know is that Kyle has a strange power that makes him a huge threat to them. We know little about their actual origins, if they are religious as Anderson thinks they are, or not. I think that once all of the foundation is in place for this series, the scares will be able to come out in fuller force. Until then, we are very much talking about a character study, from broken Kyle to zealous Anderson to empathetic Megan, and even volatile Mark. However, there is one character who is giving me some serious creeps, and that is Sidney, a strange old man who has been lurking around Kyle and Anderson. He is clearly much much more than he appears to be given the last we saw of him (no spoilers here), and I definitely want to see more of this weirdo. He’s a far more interesting villain than the random demons as of now, and lord knows they gotta be connected somehow. Plus, I guess Brent Spiner plays him on the television show, so now THAT association is going to be fixed in my mind as I go forward as I continuously ask myself ‘what would a possessed Data look like?’I would be a dope if I didn’t talk about the artwork in this book. Again, a wonderful illustrator has been chosen to give this comic it’s own tone and feel through design, and the colors (by colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser) add to the overall effect. The characters are all rather grim in their appearance, but they all have distinct looks and traits that separate them from each other. Lots of shadows are used to set a scene, from the darker images and saturations of Kyle’s home to the brighter but dull scenes of Anderson’s church. But the exception is the color red. Red always jumps off the page no matter what. Vibrant colors and bold hues are seen throughout the pages, and I loved how different it all was from other Kirkman comics. The scenes are works of art.“Outcast (Vol.1): A Darkness Surrounds Him” has some serious potential to be a great comic. It’s going slowly as it sets everything up, but I feel as though I’m willing to try and be patient just so I can see how it’s all going to play out. This is a different kind of horror comic from Robert Kirkman, and.I am ready to dive in.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't sure what to expect since I had only ever read The Walking Dead series, but this was pretty awesome. It hooked me enough that I definitely want to continue reading it. It's very dark and deals with demonic possession. Kyle Barnes has had to put up with demonic possession his whole life and he's sick of it. It has taken everything good away from him. Determined to get some answers he teams up with a local priest, but little do they know the damage their meddling could do. Apparently it's also going to be a tv show. Color me intrigued!

[ssimon2000-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

Here's the blurb: "Kyle Barnes has been plagued by demonic possession all his life and now he needs answers. Unfortunately, what he uncovers along the way could bring about the end of life on Earth as we know it."

This first volume was a good introduction, but I'm left with a whole lot more questions than answers, and there wasn't anything revealed that seemed to threaten the end of life on Earth.

The artwork was good, appropriate for the story's creepiness. If I see the next volume, I'll probably pick it up.

[poetontheone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This first trade is an enticing look into a world of spiritual and psychological turmoil that is set to a slow burn. You can tell from these first six issues that this series is going to unfold slowly, and at this point we can expect a mounting and agonizing suspense from issue to issue. On the other hand, the series might drag, but let's hope not. The writing here is solid with a potentially great story. The pencils and color are even better. I've never read anything by Kirkman before, having only seen a couple episodes of The Walking Dead, so I'm coming into this excitedly with few expectations. I hope to be surprised and enticed by future issues. This might turn out to be a phenomenal horror comic.