Graphic Novel Review: Good Samaritan: Into Dust

Good Samaritan: Into Dust

Words By:  Mike Luoma
Illustrations By:  Federico Guillen
Color and Good Samaritan Logo By:  Ken Lateer

Format:  PDF

Series:  1st in Good Samaritan series

1st Impression:  Who's killing the young boys?

Synopsis:
Boston, Massachusetts - 1965: Father Bill Sullivan is a Roman Catholic priest with a secret – he wields awesome energies that he believes are given him by God. The "Power of the Holy Spirit" manifests around him as nebulous tentacles of purple and gold energy and smoke. It allows "Good Samaritan" – as he calls himself – to hover, grab criminals and restrain them, subject thugs to the experience of their own crimes in his "Confessional", and occasionally render ultimate judgment by turning perps into dust as he proclaims, "Remember Man that thou art DUST and unto dust thou shall return!"A new menace is tangling with Good Samaritan, a creature preying on children, a molester with delusions of being a vampire. And "normal" life is presenting its own problems, as Ernesto Cabral, the new Cardinal of the Archdiocese, apparently has it in for Father Sullivan! He hassles Sullivan after Father Bill helps a young, unwed mother-to-be. The Cardinal might ruin his career... but the creature could take his life!

Purchase At:
DriveThruRPG  /  comiXology  /  IndyPlanet


Thoughts:
*I was given this free review copy at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The Good Samaritan's power reminds me of Ghost Rider in a way. However, The Good Samaritan is a priest, Father William Sullivan. He works in the night to help people who are in trouble. Father William (Bill) Sullivan is a kindhearted man. He works to help the people in his city. Not only as the Good Samaritan but as a Father in the church. He tries to always be there for the people.

First time we meet Ernesto Cardinal Cabral, I knew there was something wrong with him. He's drawn to look bad. And his reason for being in the dark. Ha. I got a strong feeling from him. Well drawn with his words and artwork of him.

When I started reading the story, I found a few frames of the drawings hard to make out. I wonder if this is because it's on my ereader and maybe smaller than would be in print. The frame made it hard for me to see what was happening. A few frames were rather dark on my ereader as well, making it hard to make out what's happening. I did zoom in though. But I got the gist of the story. There is one frame that feels to give a HUGE hint close to half way through the story. Oooooh. You have to look for it!

As in comics, the story moves fast and we complete the story on who is killing young boys like a vampire. The Good Samaritan is on the case and is looking for anything to get to the strange cat and being that are attacking people.

Bill, aka The Good Samaritan, has a touch of self doubt. His one power he uses on all criminals he finds - The Confessional, forcing people to face all their sins and ultimately turns the person to dust. It's related to his profession and God, but does he go too far in the name of good? How far is too far to help others? It seems this is something the good father has to juggle in his own mind. 

The comic tells a complete story with one trouble here along with having personal struggles. Those struggles always continue, but that's part of what makes the hero human.