Steeple, Volume 2: The Silvery Moon

Steeple

by John Allison

A two-part continuation of John Allison's ( Giant Days ) new series Steeple !

Former curate Billie has moved on to a new path . . . as a priestess in the Church of Satan. Meanwhile, her friend Maggie has made a similar switch--from Satanist to church-bound do-gooder.

But when the light of the supermoon turns a Church of Satan warlock into an almost-werewolf, Billie's well-meaning solutions bring her evil boss to the breaking point, just as Maggie's chaotic nature begins to wear thin on her Godly supervisors.

Then, when a mysterious visitor is found in a cave, an ancient evil from the unknowable depths of the Pacific Ocean is hot on their heels . . . and so is Christmas! In the midst of the madness, Billie does her best to arrange an improbable Saturnalia truce between the churches of England and Satan.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Graphic Novels Comics, Contemporary

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2021

About the author

John Allison is the author and artist of the British webcomics Scary Go Round and Bad Machinery.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

John Allison takes us unexpectedly back to the small Cornish village of Tredregyn for an unheralded second volume of one of his least talked-about titles, Steeple. Billie and Mags are still pottering about, doing nowt much. Brian might be turning into a werewolf. Rev Penrose is still fighting mermen. And a new character, who’s basically Jaco the Galactic Patrolman from Dragon Ball, appears for some more nonsensical whimsy. And well done to you if you remembered who any of those names are!

It’s interesting how Dark Horse is handling some of their less popular titles (ie. everything non-Hellboy related). Christopher Cantwell and INJ Culbard’s second volume of Everything was published as a single volume, rather than as single issues first (the usual route for comics), which is how they’ve handled this second volume of Steeple (Allison’s unused thumbnails for the single issue covers to be drawn by Max Sarin are included at the back of this book).

I’m speculating but I guess it’s because the profit (assuming there is any) of publishing the single issues first isn’t worth the bother so they’re skipping straight to the trade. Which I understand with Everything because the second volume completes the story established in the first; but there’s no story to conclude in Steeple. It’s just another mess of unfunny, pointless sketches.

Billie was in the church of Jeebus but now she’s in the church of Satan and vice versa for Mags - not that this means anything, by the by, there’s no conflict in this series because of this. It just means Billie lives over there and Mags lives over here. Yawners.

The Brian/werewolf thing had an amusing conclusion (what Brian actually turns into), though that makes the great Max Sarin front cover misleading in that regard. Allison’s art in this book is the best it’s ever been, which is to say, it’s fine. The dialogue is as cute as it always is but what worked so beautifully in Giant Days fails to enliven the pages here - maybe because the characters are lacking, the things they’re doing are unengaging, or maybe both.

If you were a fan of the first book and John Allison’s assorted Scary Go Round/non-Giant Days stuff, you might get something out of Steeple, Volume 2: The Silvery Moon. But I found this to be an unnecessary and unentertaining addition to a weak title.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even having Billie the priest from the Church of England become a priestess for the Church of Satan and her cohort Maggie switching back to the Church of England can't liven up this series. The stories are trying their damndest to be wacky but don't really succeed. The first story is about a friend turning into a werewolf while the 2nd is a Christmas story that's mostly about a Power Ranger. Yeah, the 2nd one is stupid.

Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the first volume of Steeple much. So why are you reviewing the second volume, you may ask. And the answer is that old stalwart "it might be better" and I do like John Allison's other work a lot - which basically means: always give him another chance.

And it is better! This volume basically is two stories, while the first volume consisted of five seperate short stories, which made things feel inconsequential. This feels more robust, it has more teeth.

At least the first story has more teeth (quite literally). The second story feels wholly inconsequential again - things happen, people quip, story ends tepidly.

I know, I know, Steeple isn't about the stories, it's about the characters, and the jokes. I just find the characters kind of flat, it feels like the little change that happens doesn't have a lot of effect. And the jokes mostly don't work for me.

Steeple still feels a bit like a party I just can't get in to.

(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

UPDATE 10/22/2020 - Review of Steeple: The Silvery Moon webcomic:

(Two stars)

Well, between the first Steeple collection and this webcomic, the characters are starting to grow on me. It's basically a friendship tale between two women in the midst of reassessing their faiths. Some inconsequential, supernatural frivolity fills out the pages. It still hasn't charmed me the way it should, but I'm willing to try the next webcomic chapter as soon as it wraps up at the end of this month.

The Silvery Moon arc is available here: https://steeple.church/comic/2020-02-17/


UPDATE 11/4/2020 - Review of Steeple: Secret Sentai webcomic:

(Two stars)

Nothin' but noodlin' here as Allison plays around with his Steeple characters, generating a few minor chuckles, rolling out yet another sea monster, and calling it a day without anything of consequence occurring.

This adventure is available free online: https://steeple.church/comic/secret-s...

The next one begins serialization online Nov. 9th and wraps up at Christmas: https://steeple.church/comic/christma...


UPDATE 1/21/2021 - Review of Steeple #10: Christmas with Clovis webcomic:

(Two stars)

Maggie and Billie spend Christmas drinking and hanging out with Mrs. Clovis. There is also a small tussle with a minor supernatural being, but that is secondary to the imbibing and bonding.

The web series is going on hiatus for a while, but I'm not sure I'll be coming back when it resumes. It's just too low-key to care about even if the characters are somewhat likable.

Read it free online: https://steeple.church/comic/hes-such...

[Artemy · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Steph Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed volume 1. I like it when John Allison does his own illustrating, because the work is that much funnier (imho). But the campy shock humor worked once for me and when I went back to it, I wasn't really into it. That tells me I didn't get invested in teh characters. The books rely too much on "schtick" where as Giant Days had really likeable characters that developed. We'll see. I'll probably check out v 3 if there is one.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daft, irreverent, and always hilarious. Steeple isn't my favourite of John Allison's creations, but it's got that patented English humour and sarcasm that just keeps me giggling all the way through.

This volume collects The Silvery Moon, a werewolf(ish) story, and Secret Sentai, a holiday themed jaunt involving a giant kraken. Perfect for this time of year.

My biggest complaint about the first volume of Steeple was that it didn't feel complete - and now it's continuing, so I don't have that complaint anymore!

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steeple, Volume 2: The Silvery Moon is the second graphic in John Allison, Steeple, graphic novel trilogy; horror light. The series focuses on former curate Billie and her friend, former follower of the Church of Satan, Maggie. In fact, after the first volume, the two had basically switched roles, with Billie joining the Satanic church and Maggie the local church.

In this volume, Brian, one of the warlocks in the Satanic church is about to be affected by the light of the silvery moon and be turned into a werewolf. At the same time, the Bishop has sent down one of his staff to check out the goings-on at the local church and she finds Maggie somewhat in flagrante delicto with a young local boy, totally inappropriate behavior. As well the vicar himself continues his battles with the local mermen (oh, this is set in a coastal village). And the head of the Satanic church is trying to disrupt his rival... Busy, huh? Of course this is just the first story.

The second involves a sea beast brought to the surface just at Christmas by the machinations of the Satanists and as well, a little alien who might be able to save the situation. So lots going on, lots of fun, neat characters and excellent artwork. Short enough to be a perfect breather from my other books. Looking forward to trying Volume 3 next. (3.0 stars)

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this graphic novel very entertaining. The premise of a good God-loving young woman helping out a Satan-loving young woman, and then they end up switching roles of their own choosing, is comical. And the God-loving woman turn Satan worshipper is doing her best to help the Satan-loving people by baking cakes shaped like the Deceiver, holding sing-alongs, and helping demons control their urges. Where the Satan-loving young woman turned God-loving is trying to tempt the priest. I know it's a bit sacrilegious but it is funny. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Edelweiss+ for giving me an e-copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

[Nate]

Still charming and funny, if not quite as engaging as the first book. It seems like Allison is treating Steeple as a monster-of-the-week series, much like how Bad Machinery was a case-of-the-week series. That's fine I guess, but I'm still hoping for solid character progression that I felt was promised in the first book (and that we got plenty of in Giant Days, which I increasingly believe Allison will never top). Also - and I'm not complaining - isn't Maggie Warren just a slightly more grown-up Esther DeGroot? Allison must have a thing for goths.

[Peter Derk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is more fun than the first. Goofier maybe, but just better, and there are more jokes.

Really, that's how a good sequel should work. Always a little dumber, more jokes, and even though you're not sure why, you prefer it.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first story, about the werewolf, was pretty good. The second one, about the sentai, fell flat. I don't know, it's a fun enough series to casually read but there's not a whole lot more to it than that.

[Bets O · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute read from John Allison. Filled with even more fun monsters the storyline seemed a bit disjointed but it definitely added to the story and I am exited for the third volume.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funnier, edgier, and wickeder than "Giant Days". An off-kilter and sharp treat populated with a wide array of engaging characters.

[Tim Nowotny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow this did not have the same magic as vol.1 for me. Maybe it was because I would have hoped for more of an arc. I still love the characters, but they seemed to just bumble around a bit here.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/29/2025 Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

1/7/2026 This is a review of the first three published volumes of the series.

For quite a long time there, I'd treat myself every Christmas by reading a new volume of John Allison's Bad Machinery while the kids played with their new toys. I eventually ran out of volumes (there are only ten, after all) so decided to go ahead and read all three books of the Steeple series this past holiday season as a sort of consolation. It probably helps that I do have at least nine volumes of Mr Allison's other works still waiting unread on my shelves, in addition to the others I haven't yet bought. Anyway, I'm doing my part to make sure my favorite cartoonist is able to live comfortably and continue making the books I adore.

To which cohort we can safely add the Steeple books! I wasn't sure if I'd love anything outside of the Bad Machinery comics: I'd tried some of the Scary-Go-Round strips a few years back and bounced firmly off them. But Mr Allison does probably some of his most thoughtful, self-assured work to date here with Steeple, in books that aren't afraid to tackle morality, religion and the power of true kindness.

Vol 1, collecting issues #1-5, has colors by Sarah Stern and letters by Jim Campbell. It introduces our main characters, beginning with priest-in-training Billie Baker. She's very much the can-do, organizing type without whom most communities would collapse, despite her work being little appreciated, if not outright disdained. She's sweet and chirpy and more than ready to tackle her newest assignment as curate to the Church of England parish in the small coastal town of Tredregyn in Cornwall.

What she doesn't know, however, is that the current priest, Reverend David Penrose, is on a one-man mission to fight back the abominations that slither out of the sea and threaten the people of Tredregyn (with the support of his crotchety housekeeper, Mrs Clovis.) He sees his battle as a holy war. Billie initially thinks he's nuts, but when she encounters one of the sea creatures herself, she realizes that far greater challenges lie in store for her in this parish than she'd ever expected.

(Since I'm discussing all three books in the series, there will be mild spoilers ahead, so I do recommend reading these brilliant books first if you'd like to remain completely unsurprised by all the terrific plot twists.)

Billie has also been busy getting to know the locals, including her new leather-clad, bike-riding friend Maggie Warren. She's less surprised to learn that Maggie is a local barmaid than that she's also a trainee priestess at the local Church of Satan. The women are resolved not to let theology get in the way of their friendship, which is especially helpful when a new threat appears that will require both churches to team up to actually protect the people of the town.

The final section of this story-packed volume involves a convention of witches coming to town, and the crises of faith it puts our best friends through. The ending was absolutely not what I was expecting when I started this book. Frankly, it's even better. This first volume is a very trenchant critique of modern tribalism under the guise of religious identification, and a rallying cry for people to treat one another first and foremost as fellow human beings deserving of basic rights and decency, no matter what they might believe.

Vol 2: The Silvery Moon is shorter, as it was published as an original graphic novel instead of a trade paperback like its predecessor in the series. Also John Allison shoulders the creative duties for this story alone, so it's quite a bit of work!

Billie and Maggie are each acclimating to their new roles in Tredregyn, but Brian, one of Billie's new roommates, is keeping an important secret from her. Once again, the Church of England and the Church of Satan will have to join forces to contain a threat to their town.

The Anglican church might have bigger problems tho when a "secret shopper" arrives to poke about the rectory. Meanwhile, Magus Tom Pendennis of the Satanic Church is having issues of his own, and decides he's going to fix them by sending his rival a Christmas present (and I'm not gonna lie, I fell about laughing at the Secret Sentai pun.)

The ending sets up super nicely for Vol 3: That's The Spirit! This original graphic novel is also primarily done by Mr Allison, with an assist on colors by Sammy Borras. Billie and Maggie are enjoying their Christmas, even if they have barely anything planned out besides dinner at Mrs Clovis'. Unfortunately for the festivities, they've accidentally brought along an uninvited guest and will have to figure out how to get rid of him.

The second part of this book features my all-time favorite John Allison character and the kid I always wanted to be, the irrepressible Charlotte Grote. She comes to Tredregyn in search of her good friend Shelley Winters, who's gone missing while on a book tour. After run-ins with Maggie and Billie, she finally gets help from Reverend Penrose in tracking down Shelley. Their final conversation as they head back to Tackleford is well hilarious.

Finally, we come to the meatiest part of this volume, titled Clotted Crime, after the fictional murder mystery show depicted in the book's pages. Maggie and Mrs Clovis are both addicted to the cozy crime series but Reverend Penrose calls it "church-sploitation", as its essential premise is the investigation of murders committed in and around Cornwall churches. When filming comes to Tredregyn tho, everyone is excited to participate, even as new dangers and old ties resurface to threaten the inhabitants, and our main characters in particular.

I'm ngl, when I first saw these books, I was a little scared to read them because I didn't want to learn that my favorite cartoonist has regressive views on religion. I was somewhat heartened when my best friend, who is Jewish, read these first (at my Christmas party, lol) and gave them the thumbs up. The whole series is smart and hilarious and thoroughly filled with both sense and compassion. And while the fourth volume wasn't picked up by Dark Horse, you can read the rest online starting here.

Oh gosh, I forgot to update my Best of 2025 shop with these titles, and subsequently forgot to include them in my annual reading recap, oops. Off to do that before more other work!

Steeple, Volumes 1, 2 & 3 by John Allison were published by Dark Horse Comics and are available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!

[Lost in Book Land · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello!

We are over halfway through June and on Youtube I am already starting to see the mid-year book freak-out tag make its return (I do love these videos and maybe I will do a tag here, I believe I have done it in the past) but that also means we are halfway through the year, which is wild to me. Someone in the tag mentioned using their Hoopla app more and it inspired me to head back there and see what other graphic novels they might have that I could pick up. I used to read whole series on Hoopla but for some reason, I kind of stopped one day so it was definitely time to make a return. To start this return I decided to pick up volume 2 of Steeple (I have already read and reviewed volume 1) which is another graphic novel series written by John Allison (who wrote one of my all-time favorite series ever, Giant Days).

SPOILERS AHEAD

Billie is continuing to work for the Church of Satan after switching sides in the last volume and now Maggie is having to work in Billie’s place at the community church (instead of in her usual place at the Church of Satan). Maggie definitely does not fit in but she is doing her best. Outside of Billie and Maggie’s work with the Church, the full moon is on the way and that will definitely mean supernatural beings will be about including a werewolf. But the werewolf turns out to be a friend of Billie and Maggie’s and they are hoping to save him before the Reverend kills him. On top of this Billie has decided not to go home for the first time ever for the Christmas holiday as she is not ready to tell her family about her choice to work for the Church of Satan.

I am really enjoying Steeple (it is definitely not filling the Giant Days-sized hole in my heart but it is still a great series). I am planning to continue to read more of Steeple and pick up some of John Allison’s other series (I recently bought the first volume of his newest series). In the meantime, I highly recommend checking out some of his other work (hint hint Giant Days or Steeple)!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steeple, volume Two, Silvery Moon:
This clever, goofy, OTT, quirky Church of England satire/homage continues (4 stars)


*Silvery Moon:
"Plus, I'm a heretic. I'm not welcome at the Church of Satan." - Maggie

"Your visitor was a classic 'Mrs Lumsford,' a MYSTERY SHOPPER for the Diocese. Someone's dropped a dime on us." - Reverend Penrose

* Secret Sentai
This clever, goofy, OTT, quirky Church of England satire/homage continues:
"Reverend.. I'll get the place nice for the Bishop's audit." - Mrs C
"This is my responsibility, Mrs C. If I can't show that our parish is anything other than dysfunctional they'll sack us, cut parish funding, rent out the rectory and fill in with guest priests." - Rev
"I understand, but you're puttin' things where I don't want 'em. I've got a 'system', Reverend!" - Mrs C
.....
“Brace yourselves! The monster’s coming round for another attack!” - Rev
“Only one thing for it, Reverend. Get it to swallow you, then punch your way out of its guts.” - Mrs C
“That’s exceptionally easy for you to say, Mary. No one’s done a punch-out since Father Frances Coughlan in ‘89! Hold my good jacket, please.”

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steeple Volume 2: The Silvery Moon, script, art and letters by John Allison, published by Dark Horse Comics 2021.

Former curate Billie Baker has moved on to a new path...as a priestess in the Church of Satan. Meanwhile, her friend Maggie Warren has made a similar switch—from Satanist to church-bound do-gooder. When a mysterious visitor is found in a cave, an ancient evil from the unknowable depths of the Pacific Ocean is hot on their heels...and so is Christmas! In the midst of the madness, Billie does her best to arrange an improbable Saturnalia truce between the churches of England and Satan.

Loads of British humor and dark drama. Love the art and the characters. A new favorite series to follow.

Themes: Cornwall, Billie is ‘modernising’ devil worship, singing aloud, Maggie has some male company in the rectory, a visit from a church official, it’s a super moon and Brian isn’t himself, magus Tom does a bit of sabotage, saturnalia panto, a Sentai without a beltbuckle.

4 Stars

[Artur Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Na sua primeira temporada, Steeple era uma divertida comédia de terror, onde uma jovem e idealista seminarista é destacada para uma paróquia remota na Cornualha. Remota e bizarra. Há um culto satânico em plena vila, com bruxas, satanistas, sabbaths e orgias à mistura, e o padre tem como missão defender a terra de incursões noturnas de criaturas vindas do mar. É neste ambiente que a jovem aspirante a reverenda cai. Na continuação, mantém-se o humor, mas com algumas reviravoltas. A mais destacada (e bela da aldeia) das satanistas decide abandonar o culto, enquanto que a jovem reverenda é enfeitiçada e junta-se aos adoradores do demo, que depressa começa a contaminar com a sua boa vontade de seminarista. Entretanto, a vila terá de se defender de ameaças como as de kaijus e alienígenas, ou um lobisomem semi-curado. A maior de todas? Uma visita do bispo que supervisiona as igrejas da região. Um comic divertido, desocmplexado, que merecia maior atenção dos leitores.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that the setting has been established, this volume is allowed to go even more crazy, with two loosely related stories. One of the Church of Satan members is a sort-of werewolf and the Supermoon is coming on - Billie and Maggie get involved in his evening shenanigans. And then Billie's attempt at a Christmas truce between the churches ends up involving a strange alien-looking man who likes to point at his crotch.... The characters are settling in nicely, and Allison gives everyone good to great moments - it's a blast to see Billie driving Tom to distraction by just being too GOOD for the Church of Satan, and Maggie's lifestyle hasn't really suited her new setting, which is displayed in funny fashion multiple times. Lots of laughs, and a surprising amount of action for the setting. It may not be quite as good as Giant Days or Bad Machinery yet, but the setting definitely has promise and is very enjoyable on its own.

[Alex Sarll]

The vicar is still mainly fighting sea monsters, and the magus of the local Satanic temple is still mostly being a bell-end, and neither of the leads are sure that swapping allegiances between the two at the end of the first volume was such a good idea after all. And if that sounds confusing, honestly, the illustrated Story So Far in here makes it much clearer, though all the same you'd probably be better off starting from the beginning. Still, even if you don't you'll get the usual John Allison way with an instantly appealing visual, a ridiculous plot, and some perfectly offbeat dialogue: "It's not Christian to dwell on another's misfortune, ladies. I'm only smiling because this fence post is...exceptionally level."
Plus, the Satanic pantomime looks amazing.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so let’s be honest I was put off that they totally switched places at the end of the last one. Since we were just getting started and I wasn’t ready for such an intense reversal so early on. But I’m glad that this one they didn’t reverse back at all. They’re both really trying to thrive in their new environments with hilarious outcomes. It’s so funny seeing Maggie trying to be strait laced and Billie trying to thrive in the Satanic church. Definitely checking out the next one! I just love all the random stuff that happens in these books.

[Mark Schlatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, frothy goodness (although not near the wondrousness of the Bad Machinery series). You've got an incessantly cheerful and helpful Satanist priestess (organizing a "Sing along with Ringo" night), the healing power of "The Grand Tour" on certain middle-aged men, and a church youth group finding and hiding what looks to be a Power Ranger. Allison's cartooning is top notch as always, although I still prefer the joke-on-each-page format of Bad Machinery.

[Mindy Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

more adventures from the charming seaside town where the local priest battles sea monsters that rise from the depths and the local chapter of the church of satan plots various nefarious deeds. idk i love this! i loved the first volume and this one was just as fun and delightful. the art style is cute and jaunty, the characters are all charming in their own ways, the plotlines are irreverent and absurd and the whole thing is so, so funny. definitely fucking recommend, 5/5

[Tabrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Dark House Books and Edelweiss for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What happens when someone from the Church of Satan and someone from the Church of England form an unlikely friendship? Hilarity ensues! Funny and creative, fans of "Giant Days" will love this new series by the creator!

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are hoping for a re-vamped conclusion for Steeple, this is not it. This volume collects a couple of one-off bonus issues presented as an unified comic; however, it creates an arc that feels more like a series of detours than a purposeful story. Treat this as a quirky, random glimpse of your favorite characters from Tredregyn and you’ll be fine.

[Katy Springer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would have easily been a five star, but there was a character that was introduced towards the end that had no relevance to the story. It could have not been mentioned and story would have still been the same- even with the bit of history we were given of said character. Overall, good read!

[Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steeple continues to be fun, and I continue to be a Maggie/Billie shipper.