Ask for Mercy Vol. 1: The Key to Forever!

So there I was sifting through the ComiXology Originals and came upon Ask For Mercy by Starkings, me being a fan of his work I was immediately drawn to this book, and what a book it is. The characters in this book are beyond magnificent with a perfect blend of science fiction and true-life details delivering a great story between good and evil. Mercy starts out just living out a normal life in modern-day England selling real estate until she gets a visit from a mysterious individual who would show her the door that would forever change her life and introduce her to her real self. You have Ratmir who turns out to be “in it” for himself and ends up double-crossing the team. Kasa and Budgie round out this motley crew, and I must say that these two might be my favorite in the story.

Kasa has shaman type powers and adds her brand of sarcasm at her every appearance she makes. She also has a mother/protector feel about her. Then you have Budgie who is part Tasmanian devil and part Drax. Budgie is the ultimate team member who continually puts his life on the line for the team and is always mission first. The progression of the story is at a pace that keeps you hooked and not wanting to put the book down. Richard Starkings took a big subject in the form of World War II and Nazi-occupied territories and adding and even more horrific detail, Heinrich Himmler in control of the Spear of Destiny, and the SS are actually monsters from another dimension. Now, that is not to say the Nazis and the SS weren’t already monsters, but Richard Starkings just wanted to reassure what the world already knows. Abigail Jill Harding’s art in this book is top-notch.

The colors, the depth, and not to mention her take on the monsters every panel is beautiful, scary, and amazing. Ask for Mercy needed Abigail’s art to visualized Starkings’ story properly. During the ceremony, she uses colors that are absolutely gorgeous and really bring to the spirits and demons to life. Abigail has a remarkable gift at making the grotesques parts of this book jump out at you as if they were coming to life. This is such a great creative team, and this is such a great book.