“He Who Fights With Monsters” #1 drops us behind enemy lines to Prague mid WWII. What follows is a story replete with Jewish mysticism, a little ranting, a little raving, a lot of kvetching, and a historical fantasy tale that’s got our attention. The art weighs heavy and picks up the slack when the narrative feels stale. “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1 has a lot to offer for history buffs and historical fiction fans, and looks good enough that it’s worth picking up, even if you have only a passing interest in the subject matter.
Cover by Werther Dell'EderaHe Who Fights With Monsters #1
Written by Francesco Artibani
Illustrated by Werther Dell’Edera
Reviewed by Kobi BordoleyOn All Hallows’ Eve, a community struggles under the boot of the Nazi war machine when supernatural forces come to play a part in the conflict! From the artist of the bestselling Something is Killing the Children comes a Halloween tale that will send shivers up your spine… It’s World War 2 and the struggle between good and evil is in full force. In Prague, the great Bohemian city is being oppressed by the Nazi occupation and the population lives in terror, while the resistance forces try to organize themselves in the shadows. It is an almost impossible task. With the ruthless SS tightening their grip on every street and neighborhood with overwhelming might, only one hope feeds the struggle. A crazy hope, which rests on the fragile foundations of an ancient, monstrous legend…
“He Who Fights With Monsters” #1 will make any history buff giddy, as there’s a lot of references to key moments in World War II that few may know about. For instance, the story begins at the end of the war, in 1945 Prague. Germans are on the run, and a Russian soldier breaks up a gang of Czechoslovakian bruisers who are looking to get revenge on the fleeing Nazis. The flipped script of the occupied busting Nazi ass is historically accurate in this case, and refers to the often overlooked https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_uprising#War_crimes. As opposed to many post-Nazi liberations, this one was particularly brutal — Czech citizens showed their once German occupiers no quarter, and officials went further than looking the other way, often encouraging violence against Nazis and Germans. It was an emotionally high, tense moment in the post-war period, which makes it ripe ground for conflict and storytelling. It’s exciting that “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1 is willing to take the story there.
However, we don’t stay in 1945 for long. At the start of “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1, the Russian soldier who broke up the scuffle gets sold on a puppet show from a creepy, bald headed man (child?), and the story within the story begins. This whole sequence might be some of the best dialogue in “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1. There’s a level of creepiness and edge to the carnie’s pitch that really pulls us in. There are also a few Easter eggs for those particularly knowledgeable about golem’s and Jewish folklore. The carnie mentions the story being about truth and death, a reference to the fact that the golem is brought to life with an inscription of the world truth (emet) and deactivated when the first letter of that word is erased, which changes the meaning of the word from truth (emet) to death (met). It’s a cool aside, and in a story about hidden knowledge and secrets, little nods like this do a lot to build ethos.
Narratively, things do fall off a bit in the second half of “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1. The plot itself is passable — Radek Molnar, a Jewish civilian who uses fake papers and an alter ego to traverse Prague, secretly acts as a caretaker and doctor for a group of Jewish refugees who are hiding in a catacomb beneath the city. This doesn’t feel particularly original, but in the grand scheme of Holocaust narratives, it makes sense. The major issue here as that we get a lot of exposition, and a lot of the meat of the story happens away from the action. There’s a lot of clunky dialogue that dishes out information the audience could have gleaned from context clues, art, or inference.
Continued belowThe final third of the story do pick up, though, and Radek’s conversation about the golem with an old, dying professor is tastily whimsical, even if it is a bit heavy on the exposition. At least in this case the old professor is compelling as a character, and his death-bed caterwauls about the golem and vengeance are a delight to read. Again, these sections are full of fun history facts which also help situate the story. If you’ve got any friends into Czech history, this comic should be top of mind!
Most people are probably coming to “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1 because of Dell’Edera’s art, which makes sense given the popularity of “Something’s Killing the Children.” Make no mistake, in “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1 Dell’Edera certainly brings the heat. Er, maybe not heat, but heavy brush strokes and thick, meaty pictures, which is just as good. There’s a lot of saturation, chiseled visages, and hefty shadow-work in these panels. There’s a roughness and depth to the pictures in “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1 that really evoke a wartime state of mind. On top of that, the art style just so perfectly matches the vibe of golems. Traditionally, golems are made roughly from clay, with more briskness and determination than care. They’re robust monsters who move with purpose if not grace. Dell’Edera’s art really matches that energy and punches up the overall affect of “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1. There’s a simplicity to the color palate that also feels on brand with the chunkiness of “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1. We’re given mostly browns and blues, with a few dashes of red. Still, things never seem bland.
While “He Who Fights With Monsters” #1 suffers from some writing stumbles, the overall narrative still feels exciting, and the art is a pure masterclass. This is only the first issue, so we’re definitely willing to see this one through. Like the golem, hopefully thinks take shape.
Final Verdict: 7.0. Solid and effective storytelling that’s bolstered by imposing, powerful art.
