Review by Frank Plowright
Un/Sacred concerns the marriage of a demon to an angel and all the complications that brings. The first three volumes of the original European publications were combined for the English language Volume 1, detailing Damiano the demon’s long sexual frustration before Angelina finally agreed to marry him, and the progress to their first child. It was patchy at the start, but continually improved under Mirka Andolfo and a succession of writers. What held it together, though, was Andolfo’s always stunning artwork, and while she continues to co-write, there’s little of her art here. That’s not to say the art is poor. It’s actually very good, but none of the other artists manage Andolfo’s combination of charm, allure and threat on the first story.
While sexual frustration remains a primary theme, a second major change is that instead of a succession of finely tuned single page gags, Un/Sacred Volume 2 is a collection of stories, some longer than others. With every new chapter here time moves forward, with Eden an infant in the first story, but looking after her means that Damiano is now almost back to square one regarding having no sex life. By the second story the couple have been blessed with twins, and it now seems Damiano is reluctant to have sex. There is a reason, but it’s not a great joke after thirty pages of lead-up.
That story’s drawn by Gabriele Bagnoli (sample spread left) whose style is the closest to that established by Andolfo over the first volume. The other sample art is the work of Elisa “Pocci” Pocetta, responsible for the other longer story supplied. There’s a strong manga influence, a visual theme common to several other artists, but Pocetta manages to incorporate the style while still giving characters room to breathe in the panels. Hers is the funniest story here, David Goy joining Andolfo on the writing as the now teenage Eden introduces Severino as her boyfriend. If you don’t remember him as the sexually precocious child seen in the class Angelina teaches in the first volume, there’s a reminder in an eight pager here also written with Goy. Severino hardly disguises his intentions, and Damiano can see right through him. It leads to a succession of scenes of Damiano attempting to break up the relationship. That they’re going to go wrong is predictable, but they’re nonetheless funny, helped by Pocetta maximising the comedy potential.
Veronica Ciancarini draws the look at Angelina and Damiano in their old age, closing the book and the series. It’s brief, but also funny, with Gero co-writing this time.
How much the creative switch impacts depends on how much you loved the cast from the first book, but this treats them well otherwise, and offers enjoyably lighthearted domestic comedy with an adult twist.
