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Guy Davis’ THE MARQUIS

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By: DThompson | in: Books, Comics |

MARQUIS

It’s not like me, but a while back I bought a graphic novel I knew nothing about based on the strength of the cover alone. The book was titled The Marquis: Danse Macabre and featured a rather threatening image of a long faced and angry-evil man in a black cloak and tri-cornered hat. It held promise, this cover. For one, it was clearly set at least two centuries in the past; for another, the single visible eye of the man was SO gloweringly hateful I had to know more about him. Then there was that title, “The Marquis” holding out the promise of something mysterious and unique, and it was.
The Marquis is written and drawn by Guy Davis, an artist on the old Sandman Mystery Theater and currently working on Mike Mignola’s excellent Hellboy spinoff B.P.R.D.. His art has a creepy tone to it, not overtly horrific but tending in that direction. It’s complicated work and the black and white of the book serves it well, allowing for all the detailed drawings to be clearly seen. His writing is just as good, on display previously in the old Caliber series Baker Street, which, sadly, has to be the only major series from Caliber that Image Comics has yet to put out in collected form.

MARQUIS

Davis’ Marquis tells the story of Vol DeGalle, retired Inquisitor for the shadowy Ministry and general scourge of evil. Problem is, Vol has been visited by an angel who’s given him various magic evil-fighting tools (like a really keen pair of gatling gun pistols) and now he rages through the night streets of a city called Venisalle that appears to encompass, if not the entire world, at least a good chunk of it.
In this city, consisting almost entirely of towering gothic cathedral steeples, people wear masks to conceal their wickedness and go to the ministry to “confess their sins”. Well, not exactly. They go to the ministry to engage in all the sinful behavior they can imagine in the vain hope that their desires will be left behind. After a single shocking visit to the confessional Vol has started seeing various random citizens as demons, truly monstrous beings. Or are they? Is Vol, known to the populace at large as the Marquis, just a dangerous lunatic?
The story itself and the characters within are concerned very much with the nature of sin. Is sin self-determined behavior or a greater evil working through us? Is it possible to exhibit evil behavior and still be on the side of good? Is religion itself a force for uplifting the populace or for preying upon their fears? The people who seek Vol can not agree on the answers, nor do they agree on why he should be stopped. It’s not even certain, if Vol is influenced by an otherworldly force, that the force is good, as he initially assumes. As doubt, the enemy of faith, begins to invade the Marquis’ mind his motivations begin to shift. Is he still on his original saintly crusade?

MARQUIS

If all this sounds a bit dense and weighty be assured that The Marquis is also an action / horror book full of fantastical demons and battles between the Marquis and foes both human and supernatural. The series is slated for five graphic novels with the first two currently in print. Davis promises the third “The Marquis and the Midwife” will be out soon. One glimpse into the hundreds of spires that make up Davis’ mythical Venisalle and you’ll be hooked into what is a very interesting and exciting tale well told.

[Buy The Marquis: Danse Macabre]

[Buy The Marquis Volume 2: Intermezzo]


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Posted on March 29, 2007

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One Response to “Guy Davis’ THE MARQUIS”

  1. pligg.com on April 9th, 2007 6:16 pm

    Guy Davis’ THE MARQUIS

    It’s not like me, but a while back I bought a graphic novel I knew nothing about based on the strength of the cover alone. The book was titled The Marquis: Danse Macabre and featured a rather threatening image of a long faced and angry-evil man in a …


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