Special Thanks to folks at Zenescope Entertainment, I was able to get my mitts on one of their premiere horror titles, SE7EN, based upon the David Fincher film featuring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, and an unforgettable box delivered by UPS. Since each sin was given its own story in this series, detailed in the history of each victim’s sin in the film, I decided to do a spotlight on each book and their creators. Overall, an excellent series giving fans a look behind the mirror on why John Doe did what he did, and how a man could ever live in and around… the seven sins.

SE7EN – GLUTTONY Sin Issue #1
Written by Raven Gregory Art by Tommy Castillo
Zenescope Entertainment

The fat guy. He’ll always be the fat guy or the dead fat guy from SE7EN, and for this first sin issue, he’s still the fat guy. It’s the only real weakness of the book, for a name was necessary to me. A name would have made him iconic, and yet, he’ll continue to be… the dead fat guy from SE7EN. Writer Raven Gregory dives right into the thick of things and fleshes out why gluttony was the ultimate sin for… the fat guy. It makes sense, and we feel John Doe had trouble with this one, seeing as how they were the most alike. Change for the better; live for the worse, John and the Fat Man were stuck. Not necessarily lost or misplaced, but stuck in a cycle that prevented them from achieving a happy life. Gregory does a great job at making these two talk to one another in their heads, though, when they actually do talk in the dialogue, it’s a little weak and unfitting in the word usage. Sort of like, “I know what you’re thinking, but… I don’t know what to say.” Still, you can tell that’s not where Gregory wants the reader to focus, and quickly moves back to the split screen of how one man became a dead fat man, and the other, a killer of sins. The artwork fits David Fincher’s film almost exactly, and Tommy Castillo would appear to be a fan of the movie; really capturing that gritty autumn, rainy Detroit look. It’s gloomy and depressing, but also a place that gives the reader an edgy feeling when watching how “Gluttony” went down for John Doe and the Fat Man. A strong beginning for a sin we most commonly see today.

GRADE: A- HIGHLIGHT? When the fat guy reveals that his family had all died, but the one thing that was always there was food. It’s piercing, allowing the reader to stop and reflect for a moment in today’s fast food nation.

SE7EN – GREED Sin Issue #2
Written by Ralph Tedesco & Joe Brusha Artwork by Arcana Studios

I’m a greedy sumbitch. I’ll admit it. But I’m still broke. So I’m greedy because I don’t have shit! Makes sense, right? For this second sin issue, we take a look at the life of scumbag lawyer, Eli Gould. Fitting name. He’s got it all, and gets it by freeing the bad guy. Sounds like John Doe’s kinda perfect candidate for Greed! It’s a shame though. This is one of the weaker issues of the Se7en series, focusing more on what the lawyer did to become one of John’s masterpieces rather than why the jerk lived to protect and free sin onto the world. I’m betting the story fluctuated so much and ultimately ended up lost on the last page was because of two writers too. Ralph Tedesco and Joe Brusha seem a little lost with Eli Gould, and struggle to find a convincing argument for us to really hate the guy. Most of the scenarios are cliché and eyebrow-raising typical to the point where the reader is doing the old “littlest violin in the world” routine halfway through. The parallel to the Merchant of Venice is quickly let go as the deeper meaning of John Doe’s message was actually in THAT piece of the story!! I was disappointed the centerpiece became the dirty napkin and fell immediately to the floor. The artwork is average as well, with no real gritty atmosphere or eerie feeling so successfully achieved from the first issue. Then again, I’m the greedy sumbitch, remember? I demand a great story. That’s not asking for much… right?

GRADE: C- HIGHLIGHT? Mike Kalvoda’s narrative! I gave him a hard time with the Final Destination comic series, but now I’m pretty amazed with the John Doe diary pages. I guess in this case, OVER doing it was actually beneficial!

SE7EN – SLOTH Sin Issue #3
Written by Mike Kalvoda Art by David Seidman

I’m still not quite sure how I feel about this one. “Sloth” is indeed a trip, and I think it’s best to have a beer at least to fully enjoy the delivery. Think Requiem for a Dream as a comic book, with John Doe walking around like a sinister devil, and you’ve got the Sloth issue! I really like what Mike Kalvoda and David Seidman were going for, but at times, especially in the beginning, they appeared to be waddling in the pool without a direction. The dialogue is hit or miss, with some great moments within the drug-induced trip, and some messy ones in the real world. The art photography is the same way, with some fantastic scenes of John Doe experiencing a Nine Inch Nails video, and then others being too abstract to interpret. I like how it doesn’t follow the rules either in the panels and lettering, but it’s also loses the story when the art overpowers the tale. Sort of like when you watch Death Proof, and Stuntman Mike is about to get his lapdance, and then Quentin goes and cuts it out. The hands are raised and the “F” word comes flying out. “Where’s the @#$%ing lapdance??” (I hear it’s on the DVD though.) But I admire the artistic venture here, and feel that if I read it again and again, I’ll probably start to love it like I did with Dumb and Dumber.

GRADE: B HIGHLIGHT? “The Sword of God” page was killer! Very cool to look at!

SE7EN – LUST Sin Issue #4
Written by Christian and Adam Beranek Art by Steven Perkins

There’s some deep pain in this issue focusing on “Lust”, and the emotion put into the story makes it the best book in the series. Along with a very stylized painting-look to the art from Steven Perkins, this tale of John Doe as a boy discovering the world of sex is both gripping and dramatically intense. Writers Christian and Adam Beranek lay it on thick for young John’s growing desires, and the story is told in a way that the reader feels sympathy for John, but also gives more depth to John’s struggles with the seven sins. They’re rooted here, John’s focal point in ridding the world of sin because this is where we see him fall victim to them. Especially lust, a common encounter amongst many teenagers. He’s uncomfortable, thanks to his mother and “uncle” exploring such desires in the other room while John spies on the girl next door. This is an amazingly well-written book, and I’m enthralled to witness everyone involved, including Tedesco and Brusha redeeming themselves here in the editing and story department, really deliver the product I wanted to see in this series. And the artwork, both different and surreal, is mesmerizing. Not because of the sexual content, but because of how it relates to the story’s tone. It’s dreamy, yet nightmarish in that it’s a state of flux for John Doe, and Perkins captures that confusion perfectly in his art. A great collaboration from everyone, and the standout book in the series. Definitely landing on my top 10 best for 2007.

GRADE: A+ HIGHLIGHT? John fights his lustful temptations, both past and present, but also relating back to his connection with the gluttonous fat man.

SE7EN – PRIDE Sin Issue #5
Written by David Wohl Art by Jason Craig

Lust was a tough act to follow, and I feel sorry for the guys that worked hard on this sin issue of “Pride.” Right away, John’s mother is captured in a different light, moreso in the hippie psycho mother aspect rather than the slithery and uncomfortable Carrie mother model from Lust. The story is decent, but again, taking on the familiar template of a woman not giving a care in the world about her safety just to be seen and adored by many from a magazine cover. I wanted this girl to die, and I’m not sure I was supposed to. Why? Because in the movie, I thought she was the least to deserve it. So there was a conflict for me, and I felt it was a bit unjustified. The artwork took a wrong turn and ignored everything about the previous issues and the film altogether. Jason Craig is a great artist and should be drawing Top Cow stuff like Witchblade or The Freshmen, but for some reason, didn’t quite fit here with the straight-up comic book style while turning away from the specifically detailed atmosphere of Fincher’s film. I’m not sure why this art direction was chosen as it really feels out of place in the series. A missed opportunity for a sin that needed more explanation from the movie.

GRADE: C HIGHLIGHT? Craig and colorist Thomas Mason do get bloody in those last couple of pages, and it keeps the series alive for people to want the next book.

SE7EN – ENVY Sin Issue #6
Written by David Mack Art by Leif Jones

So here it is! John Doe’s sin. “Envy.” And to be honest, I envy David Mack for getting the opportunity to write this one. It’s the ideal story of the Se7en series, and for a writer to really dig into what happened when John met Detective Mills wife, and how it all led to the glorious conclusion of the film. Yep, if there’s a companion to the film, this issue is the one. While Lust offered a unique story with amazing appeal and originality, it ventured into its own universe. Envy is more like the deleted scenes from the film, and they’re the ones you’ve been dying to see. John following Detective Mills, eventually falling into sin as he envies his life and meeting up with the wife to collect that special something for the infamous empty cardboard box. Mack does an excellent job in both John’s mindful journal and the dialogue in John’s encounter with Mrs. Mills, setting the pace at full speed with intensity in each moment while exploring the deconstruction of John Doe’s self-preservation. The shower scene alone is creepy enough to make anyone cringe when entering a bathroom. The artwork also bounces back from the previous issue’s “outer space adventure” and gets back to gritty Detroit, mixing in film noir along with a darker presentation of Lust’s paintings.
For fans of the film, this is the ideal book to get, so grab it. Get to know your John Doe, and get to see in graphic novel form how Somerset and Mills finally end up on the trail of our beloved sinner.

GRADE: A HIGHLIGHT? Many here. We get hints to what John did in his twenties and thirties. The shower scene is freaky and hard to forget, and John’s comfort in the Mills apartment is both unsettling and satisfying.

SE7EN – WRATH Sin Issue #7

How does it end? We’ll just have to wait and see when Zenescope releases the final installment of the SE7EN sin series this fall! I wonder if Brad Pitt will look like Brad in the book?