Rating: 2/5 – Atheists who use guns fueled by doubt/anger does not work for me.
This comic is a great example of anticipation and high expectations working against me. I instantly felt drawn to the description of this book when I saw the first press release about it months ago. The hook sounded cool “Secular Humanist Occult Obliteration Taskforce—defending humanity from angels, demons, and a bunch of other crap S.H.O.O.T. doesn’t believe in.”
I don’t know specifically what I was expecting, but what I got fell short of the comic that was in my head, and that’s a recipe for personally not liking the title, though someone else could pick this up and love it to pieces.
I’ll start with the art by Nicolas Daniel Selma. It’s perfectly competent, but in the completely subjective area of how art is appreciated by each individual, they style was not working for me on this book. This lines were too simple/clean and the design of the Djinn as not suited to it’s fiery nature or threat level, it looked like something you could make a plush toy out of. I’d personally have enjoyed a little harder-edged & darker art style to go with the tone/action of this book.
Moving to the story, for an “atheist” group, the description of the weapons powered on a mix of “doubt & anger” seemed really suspect. I was more anticipating a harder “big gun, big projectile” model that had zero basis in any kind of touchy-feely psychic power from a group like this. Again, personal preference, I can’t say Justin Aclin is wrong with this choice, just that it completely does not work for me. The icing on the cake was the reveal of an obvious supernatural creature that “defected” and has been known to S.H.O.O.T. for 25 years! Seems like just seeing this guy would render a gun that is fueled on ‘doubt’ incapable of working. This falls into the category of “having your cake and eating it too” for me.
I’d have much preferred a book with hard-edged atheists bringing down some really traditional firepower against seemingly supernatural threats that ended up not being able to stand up to 50 caliber ammunition after all. But that is the mismatch between what I wanted and what I got that caused me to rate this book as I did. I won’t be back for the rest of the mini.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall – bob@comicspectrum.com
https://comicspectrum.com/ Covering the full spectrum of comics culture
Follow ComicSpectrum:
ComicSpectrum Comic Reviews 
I felt the exact same way about this book and even read two more issues of it. Since then it has gotten worse and the focus of the book seems to change with each issue for me. It is the first new comic I have given a 2/5 in a long time.
I still have one more issue to go that I pre-ordered and it might be the first book that I just file away because I don’t want to read the fourth issue. I am sure this will appeal to others but for me it probably the first comic in 2013 that I don’t want to read anymore of but already pre-ordered it.