I decided to give Veil a shot because my life seemed as if it could do with some more of Greg Rucka’s writing outside of Lazarus. Little did I know how foolish it’d be for me to step into this story on the fifth issue. Regardless of my ignorance though, it was easy to appreciate the story-in-progress and take in the gorgeous color work by Aljosa Tomic with Toni Fejzula. While I was able to follow the action, it’s obvious from my brief research that I missed out on some big reveals that probably made up a large part of why this book has been well received so far. At the start of this issue, the titular Vey’el is in full succubus demon form, something that had not become apparent until issue two of the series. Additionally, Vey’el has abandoned the use of rhyming nonsensical couplets to deliver dialogue, a device that many reviewers had commented on a trait that helped define her personality. This issue was pretty heavy on the violence with Vey’el enslaved by a man in possession of a chain that controls her, and her friend Dante coming in for the save, leading to some visceral images of opened abdomens and exposed organs, and of course, there are the demon rats.

Rucka’s work often explores how society objectifies women, and Veil provides a great venue for him to continue this exploration. When her captor states that she has to give him anything he desires, she responds by saying that he only has the power to take what he wants from her. In this instance, Vey’el seems to not only be addressing her captor, but also men who think women who submit to their whims are doing so autonomously and not due to enforced coercion. Vey’el ensures that her captor recognizes that she does not submit willingly to his desires, and further exposes him as the horrific one between them despite her demonic nature. Of course this being a comic about a succubus, Vey’el’s captor eventually gets his just desserts in the form of a physically ripped out heart, a page that really resonated with me for the power Vey’el displays even before touching him.

Although I don’t think I’ll be continuing with Veil for now, I’ll definitely be sure to check out the trade when it drops. This is a well-written and beautifully rendered comic that I know I’ll be lending to friends once it’s added to my shelf.

Score: 4/5

Writer: Greg Rucka Artist: Toni Fejzula Colorist: Aljosa Tomic and Toni Fejzula Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 10/15/14 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital