Sanctify, Vol. 1

Sanctify #1

by Godsstation

An exorcist is hired to solve a string of gruesome murders.

Warnings: graphic violence, assault, and gore.

Genres: Manga, Horror, LGBT, Mystery, Romance, Yaoi, Fantasy

152 pages, ebook

First published May 14, 2019

Reviews

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lance Hunter, is a scarred yet resilient exorcist battling demons both external and internal.

Gil, a policeman, meets Lance when he’s hired to help with the investigation of a family’s gruesome murder.

This story is not for the faint of heart. There are graphic depictions of torture, murder, and on-page rape. However, these elements are balanced with a stunning art. The illustrations here are some of the most beautiful I've encountered in a long time. A perfect contrast to the darkness of the subject matter.

Reincarnation
Supernatural mystery
DARK
Cult murders/torture
Gorgeous art

The two boys at the orphanage were Gilbert Sullivan and Lucian Campbell. I’m still trying to figure out who is the reincarnation of the other. This graphic novel is intense and not one I would usually read, but the storyline is incredibly compelling, I need answers!

[V.ya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lance Hunter, a weary, battle-hardened exorcist, is hired to help the police solve a murder crime. Somehow he gained a tail in the form of William Gilbert, a young policeman involved in the case.

There is obviously more than meets the eye in both our leads, with potentially dark past (lives) connected to a demonic ritual of the Fallens—those who are influenced by Beelzebub and get ecstasy and immeasurable power from torturing and killing people.

I’m not sure I got all the facts right, but this is surely an intriguing story with beautiful art.

There’s a noncon scene in the extra, but it didn’t really happen, more like a dark desire.

[MaDoReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorprendida para bien, me ha enganchado mucho el argumento, a ver qué nos ofrecen las autoras en los próximos volúmenes. Dibujo maravilloso y edición de dulce la de Moondust.

[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Violent, haunting, but beautiful. This is honestly good except for that extra explicit and vomit-enducing vivid chapter that made me livid. We didn’t need that kind of darkness, okay?! The story is already dark as it is with supernatural concept. I just knew those weird looking, good boy façade, tip of the iceberg guy faces—nothing good comes out of seeing that. I knew he was deranged!

[Leila ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me quiero mword

Vengo esperando este manga desde que la editorial Kemuri anunció que lo iba a traer. Estaba re manija porque BL que traen a Argentina, BL que compro. Lo arranqué a leer sabiendo solamente que se trataba de exorcistas, pero no tenía más contexto que ese; y me quiero mword porque: el dibujo es hermoso mal, la trama tiene alto potencial... pero la traducción de Kemuri es medio chota lloro. No se si yo soy estúpida o si fue escrito así por el autor del manga a propósito, pero posta me pasa la mitad del manga en un estado de confusión porque no entendía qué estaba pasando. De todas formas voy a leer el segundo tomo, y espero que para cuando salga Kemuri se rescate un poco y mejore sus traducciones, porque posta me la re bajó el no entender por momentos de qué estaban hablando.

Also, ¿el hecho de que sea uncensored? 🛐 Kemuri supremacy falta que se ponga las pilas con las traducciones y tranquilamente se vuelve mi editorial favorita.

3.5 de 5 estrellas.

[Phu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lance là một thầy trừ tà đang trải qua một cuộc sống đầy bấp bênh. Cho đến một ngày, khi trưởng cục cảnh sát đích thân đến và nhờ Lance điều tra một vụ án có liên quan đến tà giáo. Cũng từ đó Lance gặp gỡ và quen biết với Gilbert, chàng cảnh sát cũng tham gia điều tra vụ án.

Mình không có dự định đọc quyển này nhưng một người bạn giới thiệu cho mình đọc - bảo rằng hay lắm. Mình thích nét vẽ của truyện đẹp, có những chi tiết vẽ đẹp, thậm chí là nét vẽ chiếm phần lớn lời thoại.

Và chỉ thế. Mình chưa thấy ấn tượng lắm về cốt truyện, chỉ mới là Tập 1 chưa có gì xảy ra nhiều, nhưng mình cảm thấy mọi thứ xây dựng quá mơ hồ - kiểu quyển này một người viết kịch bản, một người minh họa nên đọc mình thấy diễn biến nó loạn kinh khủng. Quyển này liên quan tới tâm linh, trừ tà, giáo phái các kiểu nên mình nghĩ mình có thể đoán ra thêm rồi.

[Mei | bookswandering · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5
Sanctify sốt xình xịch, nhận phát đọc ngay ~ Nét vẽ quá đẹp, chất giấy dày dặn, không hề bị thấu, màu hơi tối ở đoạn đầu làm tui phải căng mắt ra nhìn, với mấy trang chuyển chương có vẻ không nét lắm. Câu chuyện mới bắt đầu nên chưa có gì nhưng 10 điểm cho sự có tâm của nxb

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edición preciosa, pero la historia no termina de convencerme.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 reads: 116/300

content warnings: murder, sexual assault

as the only remaining exorcist in london, lance hunter is hired to investigate a series of gruesome murders connected to a cult. he’s accompanied by gil, a mysterious policeman, and uses his spiritual powers to unravel the mysteries at hand. this was such an interesting story, with gorgeous artwork to go with it. i’m interested in seeing where the story takes us in the next volume.

please note that the “extra” chapter contains graphic imagined sexual assault. i don’t think it was necessary to the main plot, but it might add to the depth of a character. continue at your own discretion.

[v3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

BITE HIS DICK OFF!!!!!

[kuristina- tabreez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had seen Sanctify around here and there, almost strictly due to my involvement with other comics from The Yaoi Army. Naturally, I thought it was one of their originals, so I was surprised to find that they're only the English translators for it. My first shock was how amazing the art was. The Yaoi Army has good artists, yes, but this artist... was in another league, somehow. A cut above the rest. So to find that TYA were only translating it and distributing it in NA but not the creators was...surprising yet not shocking. It also made sense considering how differently this comic felt from the rest. This one is certainly darker, and its "yaoi" themes are far more integrated into the story itself in a manner that feels entirely natural. With yaoi (and yuri, respectively) almost always there is emphasis placed on the fact that it is indeed gay, almost like a "don't forget, we're special because we're gay!" sort of thing. I have fun with that, yes, but it definitely gives them all one specific flavor. Kind of like Taco Bell. Yeah, you can get all sorts of different things off their menu, but no matter what you get, it all tastes uniquely like Taco Bell.
But this... Sanctify treats its yaoi elements like it's nothing special, nothing unusual, it's merely one of the core parts of the story, and while the homosexual and its implications is wholly recognized, it is not focused on, panicked over, nor emphasized. I admire that greatly, and honestly, I enjoyed it far more than I ever would have imagined I would. But. Despite starting the story half for the yaoi half for the other themes, that is not my main focus here.
Lance, the exorcist, our protagonist, has seen so much hardship in his life... It really is something very unfortunate. Even more sadly, it seems that he, and the cop who seems to be unnaturally drawn to him, Gillbert, were the two oldest children involved in the case that Lance is investigating right now. I truly think that they may be the reincarnations of those two children.
It seems that in this world, you can receive the powers of exorcism from god if it was your wish in your past life. It seems to me that the sweeter one, Gilbert, made that as his dying wish, likely to avoid a tragedy like this ever again. And then the rougher one, Lucian I think?, his soul seems to have traversed hell, made a contract with a demon, and has been reborn with demonic powers fueled by hatred and rage, so that he may exact his revenge.
Though... It is very possible that the rougher boy is Lance, and that the cop Gillbert is the sweeter boy, also named Gilbert... They swore to protect each other, the rougher boy a bit more fervently than the other. Yet, in the end, they both failed to protect each other, though it does seem that they died together. Awfully enough, all thirty victims were gruesomely tortured to death in order to make the sacrifice... Oh, yes, but I left out that I have suspicions that the cop is the killer that they're all looking for. This killer in particular isn't the culprit behind the case of the thirty murders in the orphanage but rather someone is going around killing all of the men involved (and their families) responsible for that tragedy. With every chapter, my suspicions grow stronger, but I'm saddened because the more plain it becomes that the cop truly is the culprit, the more sad the story of these two becomes. Lance absolutely hates The Fallen (the spirits reborn with demonic powers and a thirst for revenge), and Gillbert seems to harbor a deep love and affection for Lance, wanting nothing but to take care of him and protect him, and he seems to admire everything Lance does. Not only that, but he's drawn to him in a way he seems to only slowly be figuring out himself, drawn especially to all of Lance's scars which carried over from his past life into this one. Likely all of the scars that one boy had to watch the other boy receive as he were tortured to death...
Lance is really beginning to open up to Gillbert too, he's even feeling blissful. I truly want that bliss to last, but if my suspicions are true... it might not. I hope that Gillbert can be saved, and I hope that the two of them can have a new chance together again, and that they won't be torn apart again in this life too. That is to say... if they truly are the reincarnations of those two boys (by now though, I'd say that's obviously true, though I still wonder which is which...)

P.S. I forgot to mention that I was reading every chapter before bed each night, and for as much as I love this series, it really did change something in me reading it so close to bed like that, and while so tired and emotionally and mentally vulnerable. I began having dreams about demons and things just in general a lot like what was depicted in this story. In the back of my mind, every day, I was a little afraid for all I've done. I've always been pretty in tune with the spirits and I have made contact with demons and other similar things before. I've also dabbled in black magic. Sacrifice is the only place where I drew the line.
Eight years of having given up my religion that I chose for myself before kindergarten, and this comic may have given me what I needed to believe again.
I am afraid of what may come find me someday before or after I die because of the things I have done, but this has also helped me to realize that what I do is real and I should take it seriously, and that there is something holy to balance everything dark, and neither began as holy nor sinful. Everything was something else before it became what it is now. Before there was light or dark, there was nothing, and yet that nothing became what it is now.

Also, I visited God's Station's website and she has really cool background music for her Sanctify art display, Ore Three Is An Orgy, Four Is Forever——Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. It does suit it well.

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reviewing this sereis as a whole. Well, this was different. The way the story is told was weird for me at first not being used to read comics by Chinese authors, but once I grasped how the story was told, I enjoyed it. The paranormal aspect was interesting though I suspected what was going on early in the first volume and the art is simply stunning. I'd love to read the following up story about these characters that the author is working on. I hope it will be translated.
I want to mention also the edition, is fantastic. The quality and the care the publisher has put on it is something else.

[Germán · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sabiendo lo que me gustan las películas de miedo tenia que haberme imaginado antes que este rollo me iba a gustar también. Eso sí, el concepto de consentimiento (y la ética así en general XD) brillan por su ausencia, pero vamos nada nuevo. Creo haber entendido que las escenas explicitas son algo como un sueño en realidad pero aun así: wow it was weird XD.

Un exorcista excéntrico y un policía que colabora en sus investigaciones que oculta más de lo que parece (no penséis mal). Tampoco mucho más que añadir. Es manhua así que se lee de izquierda a derecha, me ha resultado curioso. El dibujo muy conseguido, eso sí me ha gustado bastante.

(Me voy a leer los dos que faltan en cuanto salgan, para sorpresa de nadie)

[Imanewreader ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

read in french, published by Taifu

tw - rape, torture, religion
oh. i thought it had vaguely the same vibe as Guilt Pleasure!
the plot is gripping and the universe dark. the characters are very interesting and can see myself follow them in their investigations and personnal quests.

the art is beautiful and the covers aboslutely stunning!

[Jace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so fucking good!

[fer · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO MANY HANNIGRAM PARALLELS I'M GOING INSANEEEEEEE

(beware this book gets explicit very fast and there's an explicit rape scene)

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you mean I have to wait a whole year for Volume 2?

This series has broken me. Possibly the best BL comic I've ever read!

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wer Trigger-Warnungs braucht, sollte die FInger hier von lassen, trust me.

Dub-Con, Non-Con, Rape (tho alle 3 glaube ich nur in der Vorstellung des Charakters ... maybe), Drogen / KO-Tropfen Missbrauch, Gore, Kindesmisshandlung, Folterung von Kindern, Blut und Eingeweide, Obsession, Stalker.

So, damit haben wir das schonmal aus dem Weg.

Hunter ist über 30, Exorcist, führt ein mieses Leben und will seinen Job als "Privatdetektiv" eigentlich nicht mehr machen. Aber die Polizei benötigt seine HIlfe bei einem Ritualmord, bei dem sie nicht mehr weiterkommen. Dazu stellt man ihm den Polizisten Gil zur Seite, der sich um ihn kümmern soll.

Ab da geht es wirklich nur bergab :D die Story ist wirklich sehr spannend, es geht um Wiedergeborene Menschen, die Fähigkeiten haben (wie Hunter), es geht um Dämonen, um Kulte, die Dämonen Opfer (wie Kinder aus einem Waisenhaus) darbieten, um Gewalt und Folter.
Es geht um die Frage, ob Menschen, die in ihrer Vergangenheit furchtbare Dinge getan haben, das Recht haben, jetzt beschützt zu werden, nur weil sie gutes für die Gesellschaft machen. (No, they don't, meine Meinung.)
Und es geht um Gils Obsession mit Hunter.

Wer wissen will, woher die TWs kommen:
Gil, der wirklich sich aufopfernd um Hunter kümmert, ist ein Stalker, der es unnnglaublich auf Hunter abgesehen hat. Es wird eine SEHR explizite Rape-Szene gezeigt, in der Gil Hunter mit KO-Tropfen ausser Gefecht setzt, zuhause vergewaltigt und nicht aufhören will, dann merkt,w as er getan hat, und es bereut - auf Stalkerweise allerdings. Die Szene wirkt STARK nach einer Fantasie und ist vermutlich nicht passiert, da Hunter auf Gil nicht reagiert. Sie haben sich also vorher noch nie getroffen. Es ist aber def. keine typische "oldschool"-yaoi Szene, wo das Opfer super geil und horny wird und ist ja gar nicht so schlimm. Ihr wisst schon, was ich meine.

Die Story an sich ist wirklich sehr spannend erzählt. Ich bin neugierig, wo es mit diesem ganzen Kult hingeht, und wie sich die "Beziehung" zwischen Hunter und Gil entwickelt. Der Augenmerk ist hier trotz der TWs definitiv auf der Story (noch) und die sehr fragwürdige Beziehung zwischen den beiden wird vermutlich erst später wichtiger. ich hoffe nur nicht, dass es sich zu einem Rape-Fest entwickelt, wo die Story wegfällt :/-

Und Gils Charakter ist ... spannend. Aber er ist eine Red-Flag wie es im Buche steht. Ich bezweifle, dass die Reihe ein Happy End hat... hm, wer weiß. Und ich glaube, dass Gil neben den TWs auch noch andere storytechnischen Dreck am Stecken hat.

Gezeichnet ist es wunderschön. Es ist im Großformat und hat mehrere Farbseiten.
Die Sexszene ist vollständig unzensiert.
Und bei meiner Version lagen zwei großformatige, vollfarbige Drucke von den beiden MCs dabei.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is set in the early 21st century London. Lance Hunter, 35, is the last exorcist. He doesn’t exorcise demons, at least not in this volume. He can see the last moments of dead people, so he often works with the police, solving difficult cases. Mostly he fights the Fallen who sacrifice humans to serve the Devil. He’s burned out and haunted. He’s also a reborn, not that he knows anything about his past lives.

He’s called in to solve a ritual murder clearly done by the Fallen. It’s connected to a case forty years earlier of an entire orphanage killed. And it may be that he’s one of the victims. He’s given a partner, Gil, who mostly concentrates on feeding Lance and looking after him. But his wholesomeness is just a cover.

In the extra story we learn that he has stalked Lance for months and fantasises raping him. Or maybe it’s something that actually happened. It’s narrated so that it gives to understand Gil finds his fantasies horrifying, but it’s still a rather stunning scene, no more so for Lance’s reaction to it—or at least Gil’s idea of how he would react.

Nevertheless, this was an interesting start, if slightly listless for such a gruesome story. The sudden turn in the extra story took me by surprise, although I’d found Gil suspicious from the start. But art was good and I liked the story enough to continue.

[Dani (criesinanxiety) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this blind…and woww first off the art is stunning and the mysterious plot has me turning the pages. We are following Lance who is the last exorcist, he is investigate some murders and Gil is a policeman that joins him.

I will be continuing this series but this is definitely something you shouldn’t blind LMAO but I never do look at TWs so😀


TW: Murder, on page SA (in the extra chapter), gore, and graphic violence
~
I’m not sure if I read the extra chapter correctly but it’s Gil fantasies r@ping lance?🧍‍♀️ I don’t think it was necessary to the plot 😭 and I don’t know how to feel about it but I will rate this not including the extra chapter…

[Noemí (Mysticnox) · Rating 5 out of 5]

La trama se va desarrollando poco a poco y ese es parte de su encanto. Lance es un personaje que ha elegido una vida que no es fácil y de la que no puede escapar y aunque desconocemos el porqué de todo ello todavía es una constante en el dibujo y en sus pensamientos. La aparición de Gilbert y su forma de comportarse nada más entrar en escena me ha desconcertado, lo mismo que a Lance. Lo que pasa es que a mí me ha puesto los pelos de punta, me ha hecho desconfiar. Sin embargo el extra que nos regalan al finalizar el tomo, me ha dejado en shock y me ha creado un desasosiego por lo inesperado totalmente.

El dibujo remarca miradas y cambios de actitud con solo una expresión facial que apoya bien la trama de thriller y misterio, me ha gustado mucho.

[Nayli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó. Es una lectura rápida, sin muchos diálogos. Bien para una introducción, espero ver más desarrollo en los siguientes tomos. La edición de moondust es muy bella. El capítulo extra me dejó un poco shockeada, no quiero que sea una historia de abuso, así que a esperar que nada malo pase

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far it's really interesting so far, cart wait for next volume.

[diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 / 3.5 mostly because i didn't really understand the translation at the end, but I'm assuming that it will make more sense in volumes 2 & 3

[CrystalFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truyện siêu sang xịn mịn, từ cái huy hiệu cho đến trang giấy, sờ trang giấy có cảm giác như hai trang giấy thường chập lại làm một vậy. Họa sĩ có kênh youtube cũng để tên Godsstation, trên đó có playlist dành cho Sanctify, vừa nghe vừa đọc là hết ý luôn. Mà cái bài 'Hell Is Where The Heart Is' của Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio được trích dẫn ở phần mở và kết quyển 1 cũng có thật nữa.

No love will ever save you, no kisses are too deep
No cross will give you answers, or satisfy your needs
No faith will give you pleasure, that takes away the pain
But hate will give you meaning, and make you feel again

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A história é interessante, vou continuar a leitura.
No final, rola uma cena que pode ser gatilho pra algumas pessoas, então é bom ficar atento.

[MontseMH · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Relectura)

El aura de misterio está muy conseguida, es un thriller sobrenatural en viñetas. Los protagonistas, Lance y Gil, cargan cada uno con secretos de peso y ambos son personajes carismáticos.

En cuanto al dibujo, prefiero cuando utilizan el color, pero tienen un de la luz muy bien jugado y muy interesante.

[Monse. · Rating 1 out of 5]

LO RELEÍ para ver si le podía sacar algo bueno, el dibujo sigue sin gustarme, la trama me parece pobre y la vl0l4cl0n innecesaria. no me enganche con ningún personaje y el vínculo me pareció forzado, sumado a que el rubio era un pesado de mierda, más que sospechoso me parecía un intenso. la historia es pobre, cliché y aburrida.

Insisto, no merece ni una estrella.

[Curious Madra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy moly, the art is literally 🔥 like Lance and Gill are one fine bois lol! I like the mystery that it’s about an orphanage in which terrible things happened there and they have to solve it! Unfortunately I can only skim through 3 chapters online but it’s definitely worth the read lads!

[dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5