Review by Ian Keogh

Over two previous volumes Stephanie Phillips has built quite the cast for Grim, enabling Lust for Life’s opening chapter to flit between wherever the Fates hang out, an office in the underworld, a prison and Rad Island. Each location features characters who add to what’s happening in Grim, and each of them has something worthwhile to say. It’s a step back up from Devils & Dust, which featured a fine final chapter, but circled around for too long in other respects. Here Phillips moves rapidly to the crux of the matter, which is that Adira has over-reached herself and she’s lost control.

So nothing to worry about with the present day narrative, and Phillips is considerate enough to fill in how it is that lead character Jenna Harrow came about in the first place. However, the most remarkable chapter here is an interlude featuring Marcel, who, it had been entirely logical to presume, had outlived his usefulness as a character last time round. It seems he still has a part to play as we’re taken on a tour of his 19^th century life showing his personal road to Hell was paved with good intentions. It’s somehow more harrowing than demons being let loose on humanity and asks the existential question of whether we’re always destined to carry our baggage with us, indeed into the afterlife.

In case you’ve not noticed, it’s worth pointing out how visually distinct Flaviano’s characters are. There’s no mistaking one for another, and there’s no using the same standard face over and over again masked by a different hairstyle or clothing. Sure, colourist Rico Renzi adds to the distinctiveness, but Flaviano sets the tone. He also does that with the locations, which here are beginning to merge.

While the opening salvo of Don’t Fear the Reaper was an obvious song lyric given the circumstances, Phillips has since validated the use by subsequent thoughtful quoting of others. They’re more than just a background soundtrack and at their best comment on a character or situation. The volume titles tend toward the well known, but that isn’t the case inside, so kudos for the inclusion of Gin Wigmore’s entirely appropriate ‘Black Sheep’ here.

Marvels this time include the casual dropping of Hell’s original purpose. Almost everything is moving smoothly, with the one question mark. Despite casually supplying the volume title, what Lilah Harrow’s going through began as a novel idea, but is becoming bogged down. Still, there’s plenty of time to rectify that, and we continue with Eve of Destruction.