What do satanic fanatics, overly talkative employees and a heist gone wrong all have in common? They can all be found in Issue 2 of indie comic Trve Kvlt, along with a bunch of other bizarre shenanigans. But don’t take my word for it. Let’s see what the Burger Lord gang have been up to!
Last time we saw Marty, he was being confronted by a couple of Satanists who accused him of stealing from their Lord Almighty. Well, it turns out that said Satanists also belong to a cult called the Church of the Immortal Heartbeat. They’re the type of group who hangs out in front of stores and preach the good word of their “savior” to anyone within earshot. They’re also the type who will kidnap you if you steal from their organization, which is exactly what they do to Marty and his new employee Alison.
Now, you’d think that Marty would be freaking out about this unfortunate turn of events, but you’d be wrong. Instead he’s doing one of two things: either reminiscing about the strange customers he’s had at Burger Lord over the years or tracking the movements of the van that the Satanists dropped them in. Yeah, Marty isn’t really a guy who outwardly expresses his emotions.
As for Alison, she’s somehow under the impression that this is all part of the job interview she was having with Marty in the first issue. She straight up acts as if the whole kidnapping thing is some planned initiation where Marty just hired some goons to test her. She never really stays quiet, no matter how many times the Satanists tell her to shut up. At one point, even Marty tells her that the interview is over and that she can stop talking but, alas, it falls on deaf ears.
Back at Burger Lord Bernice, Marty’s savvy manager, is only just now noticing that Marty and Alison have disappeared. Initially, she assumes Marty is just messing around, but as time passes she starts getting an achy feeling that something is not right. While investigating his car, she finds his gun and stows it away in her jeans for safekeeping. After reviewing some footage from the security camera, she learns that the Satanists have kidnapped Marty and Alison. She leaves work early so she can go hunt them down.
Meanwhile, Marty and Alison come face to face with Veronika who apparently is the Head-Satanist-In-Charge. After hearing about Marty’s successful thieving exploits, she accuses him of being an unintentional servant of Satan who was sent to do her bidding. So she does what any sane Head-Satanist-In-Charge would do: force him into killing her boss, Doctor Shiver.
My Thoughts
When I first heard about this series, I honestly didn’t really know what to expect. I initially thought it would be yet another story about a down-on-his-luck guy who gets mixed up with the wrong crowd. But the plot is taking some twists and turns, and they’re definitely good.
First, the main character pulls a simple heist and, while such an act is usually considered criminal and petty in most circles, Marty looks at it as life-time achievement. It’s something that he thought up and followed through on, despite all the obstacles that lead him otherwise, which is more than he can say for 95% of his life. We’ve seen heist stories countless times before but never in a somewhat uplifting light such as this one.
The addition of Satanists at the end of the first issue was kind of random, but it still gives off that underlying feeling of reality. I mean, we’ve all encountered hyper-religious people in our lives, especially in public places. But no one has ever really put a spotlight on the darker end of the spectrum, which makes for an interesting juxtaposition of the trope. Most Satanists are seen as blood drinking, gothic makeup wearing, death-obsessed devil worshippers. Trve Kvlt, on the other hand, puts them in a different light where they look and act just as fanatically as people of other religions.
Then we have Alison who is literally a piece of work in her own right. She’s a well meaning and somewhat charming secondary character to Marty’s lead, but there’s also a dislikeability to her. She’s heavily articulate almost to a fault (something I very much resonate with); but I have trouble describing her personality. I can’t tell if she truly thinks her constant talking is appropriate for the situation at hand or if if the whole kidnapping thing just doesn’t phase her. Personally, if a Satanist had told me to shut up after throwing me in a van all serial killer style, best believe I’m gonna shut the hell up! On a more serious note, perhaps she talks as a coping mechanism for anxiety? At this point, it’s too soon to tell, but I’m pretty sure she’s gonna make the remaining two issues one hell of a ride!
Questions for the Next Issue
Just like a primetime police drama on NBC, this issue had me begging for more information. How dangerous is this cult? Will Bernice be able to find her friends in time? Are the cops ever going to find out that Marty was behind the heist? Is this Veronika chick the real deal? And for the love of god, who the heck is this Doctor Shiver?
For now, we’re going to have wait for the 3rd issue which has yet to be posted. But you can bet your silver Satanic pentagram that I’ll be there when it drops!
You can read my review for the first issue here.
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