My Kind Of Weird: 'Pestilence: A Story Of Satan' #1 - Aftershock Comics

My Kind Of Weird: 'Pestilence: A Story Of Satan' #1 - Aftershock Comics

'Pestilence: A Story of Satan' #1 – The Black Plague, Blasphemy, and One Hell of a Possession Scene

If The Walking Dead drank mead, did penance, and worshipped Satan in a 14th-century cathedral — Pestilence: A Story of Satan #1 would be its unholy spawn. Welcome to France, circa “Don’t breathe too hard or you’ll get the plague,” where rotting corpses outnumber church bells, and salvation has taken a sharp left turn straight into Hell.

Aftershock Comics hurls us into a world where the bubonic plague isn’t just ravaging bodies — it’s reanimating them. The Catholic Church holds a frail grip on a terrified populace, but something far darker is festering beneath the surface. Enter the Fiat Lux brotherhood, Sir Richard, and an Alcoholics Anonymous-style sermon for the soul-sick who’ve snacked on their neighbors and are now wrestling with the aftertaste of damnation.

Pestilence: A Story of Satan #1 - Front Cover by Oleg Okunev

But salvation takes a nosedive when Sir Richard sees his warped reflection in a cooking pot and starts unraveling — literally. What follows? Hands down one of the most pants-wetting, face-melting possession scenes to ever grace a comic book panel. Kudos to Oleg Okunev’s fever-dream artwork and Rob Schwager’s color palette from Hell; they conjure Satan not as some smooth-talking tempter but a crooked, bile-dripping Lovecraftian nightmare that snarls as much as he schemes.

Pestilence: A Story of Satan #1 - Page 1. The Vatican, 1351. Our protagonist talks of the pope going to meet his followers via an eerie message. A message surrounded in corpses and blood.

Satan slithers into the narrative with whispered obscenities and a grin that promises centuries of torment. We only get a taste of his grand plan here, but that’s all we need — just a morsel to whet your apocalyptic appetite. The undead swarm is his instrument, and humanity? Just kindling.

Meanwhile, grizzled knight Sir Roderick is doing his best to stay forgotten until two ghosts from his past clank into his life with dire warnings. Unfortunately, there’s no time to reminisce, because the Prince of Darkness crashes the tavern party with his diseased minions in tow — ending the issue on a cliffhanger soaked in blood, bile, and beautifully grotesque art.

Pestilence: A Story of Satan #1 - Page 3. The pope, surrounded by his loyal servants greets the crowd outside, unaware that amongst them lies an assassin with a hidden blade.

Is Pestilence #1 My Kind of Weird?

The MVP crown here goes squarely to Satan himself. Every line of his dialogue oozes personality — filthy, theatrical, and deliciously blasphemous. If you didn’t already fear him, you’ll damn well respect him after this.

For longtime Aftershock readers, Pestilence feels like coming home to a house built from skulls and scripture. The contrast between Schwager’s brighter, holy palettes and the festering, plague-streaked chaos of the undead makes each page turn feel like a confession and a curse.

In short? This comic book issue doesn’t just raise the stakes — it digs them into your chest and sets them on fire. And that's why Pesilence: A Story of Satan #1 is My Kind of Weird.

That Possession Scene is Definitely My Kind Of Weird

Pestilence: A Story of Satan #1 - Page 12. A demonic entity with boils covering its back, opens the mouth of its victim, and crawls inside - taking him over and making the possession complete.

Can you buy this anywhere?

Not really. At least, since Aftershock Comics shit the bed, filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors it's become pretty hard to. Still, you can grab it on Amazon, eBay (maybe) or a local bargain bin somewhere. Somehow...