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Touching Evil Volume 1: The Curse Escapes
Collecting the first story arc of this ongoing series, Touching Evil: The Curse Escapes follows Ada Mansfield, an ordinary woman with an extraordinary curse.
She can kill anyone she touches...
...if they're evil.
Collects issues 1-7, as well as a never-before-seen bonus story, pinup gallery with art from Ryan Browne, Andrew Dimitt, Tom Kelly, and Doug Klauba.
She can kill anyone she touches...
...if they're evil.
Collects issues 1-7, as well as a never-before-seen bonus story, pinup gallery with art from Ryan Browne, Andrew Dimitt, Tom Kelly, and Doug Klauba.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 13, 2023
Took a chance and backed this sight unseen on Kickstarter. Went well above and beyond my expectations. Had to read it in one sitting and cannot wait to see where it goes.
August 24, 2020
One of the best things about C2E2 is walking through artist alley. When you do and you take a chance you find something like Touching Evil. You pick it up, because it seems interesting and you get a nice sales pitch. Then, it sits with all the other books you buy and swear you'll get to one day.
Well, sometimes you get lucky and get to that one book in the stack and say, "yeah, this one". You start reading and promise, the intro alone will you sell you on wanting to read this comic. So, you pull up a cozy chair, grab a cup of tea and start reading. And you don't stop until you are done. Not many books can hold your attention like that. However, this book did.
It's interesting. It doesn't bury the lead. You know pretty quickly exactly what is happening. That isn't the point of this story. This is story is about story. It's weaving a tale that has you caring about the characters.
There are some mysteries and reveals around exactly what is happening in the book, who is involved, who is doing what and why, but that's the B story that keeps it interesting. The A story is following the lead and that's who we come to care about very quickly.
It's not lost to the reader that we do not see enough female leads in comics, but we have a well written, well thought and multifaceted character. It's very reminiscent of Greg Rucka's writing in Batwoman and his currently Image book Black Magic.
There's a lot here and it's well worth the read. As a matter of fact, it was a back to back Volume 1 and Volume 2 read. This was also a successful Kickstarter. There is a lot going on here. Check it out.
Well, sometimes you get lucky and get to that one book in the stack and say, "yeah, this one". You start reading and promise, the intro alone will you sell you on wanting to read this comic. So, you pull up a cozy chair, grab a cup of tea and start reading. And you don't stop until you are done. Not many books can hold your attention like that. However, this book did.
It's interesting. It doesn't bury the lead. You know pretty quickly exactly what is happening. That isn't the point of this story. This is story is about story. It's weaving a tale that has you caring about the characters.
There are some mysteries and reveals around exactly what is happening in the book, who is involved, who is doing what and why, but that's the B story that keeps it interesting. The A story is following the lead and that's who we come to care about very quickly.
It's not lost to the reader that we do not see enough female leads in comics, but we have a well written, well thought and multifaceted character. It's very reminiscent of Greg Rucka's writing in Batwoman and his currently Image book Black Magic.
There's a lot here and it's well worth the read. As a matter of fact, it was a back to back Volume 1 and Volume 2 read. This was also a successful Kickstarter. There is a lot going on here. Check it out.
December 8, 2017
This isn't just one of my favorite graphic novels I've read all year, but probably one of the best in the horror genre among all books. Never judge a book by its cover, because I probably would have passed on this one. But the writing and art within the book, are fantastic. The premise? A curse where if you touch someone who is evil they will die, but live inside your mind for the rest of your life. The other twist? You can't die as long as you have the curse. An awesome story that forces the lines between good and evil to be black and white, and mixes in a bit of kidnapping and psychological thriller. I could not love this book more and can't wait to read more from Dan Dougherty.
April 14, 2025
Not good enough to confront an ex over a 'borrowed' signed copy. Great enough to buy a second time.
At its core, Touching Evil is a story about power, justice, and the pivotal question: 'what is evil?' Dan Dougherty manages to weave a tale that tackles that question and more, showing us that when it comes time to face the reaper, who we are is a product of our choices. You certainly won't regret your choice of picking up a copy of this book.
At its core, Touching Evil is a story about power, justice, and the pivotal question: 'what is evil?' Dan Dougherty manages to weave a tale that tackles that question and more, showing us that when it comes time to face the reaper, who we are is a product of our choices. You certainly won't regret your choice of picking up a copy of this book.
May 4, 2017
This trade did a lot of things right for the cliche story of it all. I don't mean that in a bad way at all. You got to know the characters (except Ada in a weird way, but maybe that's the point). The curse and the story of it are laid out nicely and never once confusing. I definitely enjoyed this even though the theme isn't fully interesting to me.
April 23, 2020
What a great read. A nice blend of art and story to tell a compelling story.
November 23, 2017
I don't commit lightly to a series, and I don't buy a graphic novel unless I'm pretty sure I'm going to enjoy it. After buying the first issue of Touching Evil, I jumped into this (nicely produced) hc graphic novel, and now, I am jonesing for the next volume.
The plot sounds at first a bit like an X-Files episode: A lawyer inherits a curse that turns her touch deadly for evil people. This premise, while sounding uncomplicated, has a more complex yet consistent internal logic; the nature and rules of the curse unfurl with disturbing clarity. The curse also comes to Ada, the protagonist, in a logical way. I appreciated how events in the story come about not by chance, but rather by progression from established circumstances and good character development. Without giving anything away, I'll say that Ada's inheritance ends up upsetting a lot of bad people and forcing other folks to look hard at themselves. Ada's life and that of her teenage son get upturned and threatened. Truths and lies come out, systems get disrupted, and characters die--but not completely. It's a wild, smartly crafted ride, enhanced by the art's striking perspectives, clever action, and mood-appropriate palettes. Blocks of darkness appear like Mike Mignola's at times, along with heavy line shading, though the art moves easily to a lighter hand as the scene warrants. Dougherty and his talented team of inker and colorists complement one another's work to strong effect. I love not being able to guess where a story is heading, and I love when a story's stresses develop into a new wrinkle that leads to more good story. Touching Evil achieves both with apparent ease.
The plot sounds at first a bit like an X-Files episode: A lawyer inherits a curse that turns her touch deadly for evil people. This premise, while sounding uncomplicated, has a more complex yet consistent internal logic; the nature and rules of the curse unfurl with disturbing clarity. The curse also comes to Ada, the protagonist, in a logical way. I appreciated how events in the story come about not by chance, but rather by progression from established circumstances and good character development. Without giving anything away, I'll say that Ada's inheritance ends up upsetting a lot of bad people and forcing other folks to look hard at themselves. Ada's life and that of her teenage son get upturned and threatened. Truths and lies come out, systems get disrupted, and characters die--but not completely. It's a wild, smartly crafted ride, enhanced by the art's striking perspectives, clever action, and mood-appropriate palettes. Blocks of darkness appear like Mike Mignola's at times, along with heavy line shading, though the art moves easily to a lighter hand as the scene warrants. Dougherty and his talented team of inker and colorists complement one another's work to strong effect. I love not being able to guess where a story is heading, and I love when a story's stresses develop into a new wrinkle that leads to more good story. Touching Evil achieves both with apparent ease.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews