The town of Vanglerton has long existed in the shadow of a powerful family, as well as the long-abandoned denim factory they owned.

A killer has been stalking the town, however – and the almost tragically inept, denim-clad, masked menace of the title is definitely not a suspect.

So who’s behind the gruesome killings? Can Detective Rivers get to the truth before it’s too late for her or her colleagues?

The first issue of The Denim Devil was a great exercise in subverting expectations; as I mentioned in my previous reviews, it was impressive just how quickly the unofficial slasher movie rulebook – that states that sex or overt sexuality equals death – was ripped to bloody shreds.

That wasn’t the only surprise, however – with the first two issues giving us a titular character who seems incredibly threatening, but actually evokes empathy; even if the reader does end up laughing at his hilariously sad, often slapstick attempts to viciously murder the inhabitants of Vanglerton.

The slapstick and gross out humour continue in issue two as further light is shone on the dark history of the Vangler family and the factory, though the Denim Devil’s identity continues to be an intriguing mystery.

At the halfway point of the series, it’s clear that writer Zach Carter and artist Jared Yanez have done great work in putting this comic together; it’s a great pastiche on the expected tropes of slasher fiction, as well as featuring the actual gore and horror that you’d expect from tales told in the very genre they’re riffing on.

Both the dark humour and the horror work perfectly together, with brilliant writing and superb art. Though it won’t be to your taste if you don’t have a strong stomach, The Denim Devil’s third issue is another triumph for this fantastic indie series.

There are numerous ways to purchase The Denim Devil #1 – either digitally or in very limited physical form – check out the comic’s website here: thedenimdevil.com. Issue 2 and 3 are now available too; you can check all three issues out at the November Street Press website here. Many thanks to writer Zach Carter for providing me with a copy of The Denim Devil #3 for review purposes.