What I Bought 9/18/2019 - Part 2

Fall is this typically slow time at work, at least in the office. Which is good motivation to get out in the field and do inspections. Plus, if it actually decides to act like fall, the weather is delightful. I love fall so much more than summer or winter.

Anyway, we were bored enough Monday to read through an appeal filed on a decision our director made and there's a paragraph where they discuss "hoe-ramming" as a method of dropping pillars holding up the ceiling of an old underground mine. In the next paragraph they spelled it "ho-ramming" and we've been making jokes about that all week.

Steeple #1, by John Allison (writer/artist), Sarah Stern (colorist), Jim Campbell (letterer) - Can hardly blame her for not picking up two hitchhikers on her motorcycle, especially when one is a giant man with a cow skull for a head. And his cloak would certainly get caught in her wheels.

Billie (the brunette on the cover) is a trainee priest sent to assist Reverend Penrose in the town of Tredregyn, which has reputation for being a land of horrors and boogedies. Her car bursts into flames as she reaches town limits, but the other lady on the cover, Maggie does give her a ride into town. Maggie also works at a local pub, and according to Billie's new boss, is a servant of the devil. Which, considering the reverend spends every evening fighting supernatural horrors is more literal than is typical. Unless that eyeball creature he was trying to cast into the sea was just some dude in a spooky mask. In which case the Reverend and Billie may be murderers. That's probably not the case, though.

'Stop ambushing the bereaved! That's not the Church of England way!' cracked me up. I wonder at how accurate that is, though.

So this could go a lot of ways. Penrose looks like he's running on fumes, but doesn't believe Billie is cut out for this work, her handy use of vacuums as a weapon aside. But I'm unclear how much of what I'd consider more typical church work Penrose does, which is what Billie seems eager to do. Meet the community, help them with the love of God or whatever. So does Billie prove she's more able to fight than the reverend suspects? Or does she befriend Maggie and bring down the devil worshipers from within? Or maybe she rallies the community to the reverend's aid and they help him fend off eldritch horrors? Or does Maggie convince Billie Penrose is off his nut and turns her around? It's the first issue, possibilities abound.

It's interesting that everyone except Billie and Maggie are drawn with shadows under their eyes. Granting Billie is younger than everyone else, and I'm unclear on whether Maggie is an older woman, has gone grey early, or dyes her hair, but most of the locals are frazzled, or worn, or just aged. Not exactly an easy life up in North Cornwall I guess. Penrose reminds me a little of Old Man Bruce Wayne from Batman Beyond. Probably the scowling and black clothing that does, but especially in the scene where he first meets Billie he has that tired, slumped shoulder look. He's trying to stand straight up, but the energy isn't there anymore. Also, I'm curious to see Allison draw more strange beasties, just to see what designs he comes up with.