Sister Imperator #1 was created by Tobias Forge and scripted by Corrinna Bechko. Artwork is by Puste, colours by Thiago Rocha and letters by Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt. Main cover art is by Mikael Eriksson. The book is published by Dark Horse Comics.
Sister Imperator #1 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Sister Imperator has been integral to the band Ghost and its lore since its founding. A representative of the Clergy, she and her past have been shrouded in mystery—until now. Discover Sister Imperator’s hidden history and the gruesome events that led her to become the woman both loved and feared by so many, from her innocent origins in small-town New England to the force behind Ghost.
Review
Ask a group of metal fans for a contemporary band with striking iconography and nine times out of ten the answer is likely to be Ghost. The Swedish group, fronted by Tobias Forge who also created this book, the band has become a staple of the scene after five incredible albums of classically inspired rock. Part of the iconography is Sister Imperator, a character central to the mythology of the band’s Clergy and now the central focus on this four-part comic book from Dark Horse.
Sticking with the horror roots which underpin both Ghost’s music and their visual style, Forge has teamed with writer Corina Bechko to explore exactly who Sister Imperator once was. But more than a simple chance to create a comic book which promotes their music, Sister Imperator is a much richer and gripping exploration of the tragic circumstances which birthed Sister Imperator.
I call her Sister Imperator as this first issue never goes as far as to reveal the character’s real name. Set in Hartford, CT, in the August of 1953, the “real” Sister Imperator could be any one of us. The eldest of three children, she lives with her parents. Her mother appears to be a simple homemaker whilst her father is part of the local church. As the family prepares to welcome the new reverend for dinner we learn his arrival in the town has put pay to Sister’s father from taking the role. His lack of promotion causing an argument between Sister’s parents is just the beginning of a spiralling series of invents in hers and her sisters’ lives.
Bechko’s execution of Forge’s idea feels like an episode (or an issue) of Creepshow in the best way possible. Undoubtedly a horror story it still manages to toe the line with a strong moral underpinning. Yes Sister’s actions at the beginning of the story are wrong. But she’s driven to them by the circumstances of her childhood. Bechko builds the right sense of compassion for Sister in to the story. It’s more than enough for us to invest in her. It also moves along at a neat enough pace that there’s more than enough gas left in the tank to power us through the remaining three chapters in the story.
Puste’s artwork, along with Thiago Rocha’s colours, brings a cool pulpy style to the book. Puste’s design work fits perfectly with the 1950’s setting. From the fashions to the hairstyling, everything feels perfectly placed to transport the reader back to the middle America of the era. It loses a little of that character in the present day but makes up for it with a strong sense of ritualistic gore.
Verdict
Overall Sister Imperator #1 is a solid start. It sells the concept perfectly whilst showing the limited, four-issue run is neatly paced to fill in the gaps from the opening kill scene. Whilst it doesn’t break any new ground it does go above and beyond being a simple musical tie-in.
⭐⭐⭐.5
