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Soulfinder: Demon's Match
People have wondered for "Why do bad things happen to good people? "
That is exactly what Father Patrick Retter, a Catholic priest who was wounded in combat during his youth, is asked at the start of Demon's Match — and it is the question he must grapple with after he becomes involved in a series of supernatural events.
Retter is the parish priest in the small, quiet town of Steepleton, Maryland. Assigned to the tiny locale despite his expertise in demonology and the occult, Retter is often called upon by county authorities to advise on matters with religious significance.
Things don't stay quiet for long, as a series of related deaths imply that a great evil has been residing in Steepleton, waiting to arise. Father Retter isn't alone. He is aided by a young detective and ultimately mentored by a mysterious figure who introduces Retter to an ancient, high order of exorcists known as the Soulfinders.
Retter is reluctant to accept his calling, but the evil he encounters in his investigation — a sinister cult and the demons it worships — may convince him otherwise. There are many tales to tell about this band of brothers and their clashes with evil. Demon's Match gives readers, by the last page, a taste of the vast and unexplored spiritual battlefield that these men face.
That is exactly what Father Patrick Retter, a Catholic priest who was wounded in combat during his youth, is asked at the start of Demon's Match — and it is the question he must grapple with after he becomes involved in a series of supernatural events.
Retter is the parish priest in the small, quiet town of Steepleton, Maryland. Assigned to the tiny locale despite his expertise in demonology and the occult, Retter is often called upon by county authorities to advise on matters with religious significance.
Things don't stay quiet for long, as a series of related deaths imply that a great evil has been residing in Steepleton, waiting to arise. Father Retter isn't alone. He is aided by a young detective and ultimately mentored by a mysterious figure who introduces Retter to an ancient, high order of exorcists known as the Soulfinders.
Retter is reluctant to accept his calling, but the evil he encounters in his investigation — a sinister cult and the demons it worships — may convince him otherwise. There are many tales to tell about this band of brothers and their clashes with evil. Demon's Match gives readers, by the last page, a taste of the vast and unexplored spiritual battlefield that these men face.
- GenresComics
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
6 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Ernst
3 books5 followersDouglas Ernst, the creator of Soulfinder, is a professional journalist who has devoted nearly a decade of covering the comics industry via his blog and YouTube. He currently works for The Washington Times and has interviewed many high profile figures both cultural and political, including Gary Sinise and Mike Rowe.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 20, 2020
Ο μισθοφορος του διαβόλου*
Review of the self-published crowdfunded graphic novel (2019)
Parish priest Father Patrick Retter is a student of demonology, aside from his regular pastoral duties. He is an ex-military veteran who lost a leg in combat. When a series of mysterious assaults and incidents occur in his small town of Steepletown he starts to investigate and uncovers cases of demonic possession. His Bishop is skeptical about the supernatural and attempts to discourage Retter's efforts. A mentor appears to recruit Retter into a secret society of Catholic exorcists called the Soulfinders, established by Pope Boniface II in the 6th Century. Retter will be Soulfinder No. 79.
I found Soulfinder: Demon's Match to have quite a unique theme for the comic book genre which is too often dominated by superheroes and super criminals. It develops the theme with an amount of seriousness that you wouldn't expect, including having untranslated texts of Greek and Latin exorcisms. The series is expected to continue via the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform, but the campaign for the 2nd volume has not yet begun.
Trivia
* O misthoforos tou diavólou (O Mercenary of the Devil) (Greek) is how the Soulfinders address the evil entities that they are seeking to exorcize in this graphic novel.
Review of the self-published crowdfunded graphic novel (2019)
Parish priest Father Patrick Retter is a student of demonology, aside from his regular pastoral duties. He is an ex-military veteran who lost a leg in combat. When a series of mysterious assaults and incidents occur in his small town of Steepletown he starts to investigate and uncovers cases of demonic possession. His Bishop is skeptical about the supernatural and attempts to discourage Retter's efforts. A mentor appears to recruit Retter into a secret society of Catholic exorcists called the Soulfinders, established by Pope Boniface II in the 6th Century. Retter will be Soulfinder No. 79.
I found Soulfinder: Demon's Match to have quite a unique theme for the comic book genre which is too often dominated by superheroes and super criminals. It develops the theme with an amount of seriousness that you wouldn't expect, including having untranslated texts of Greek and Latin exorcisms. The series is expected to continue via the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform, but the campaign for the 2nd volume has not yet begun.
Trivia
* O misthoforos tou diavólou (O Mercenary of the Devil) (Greek) is how the Soulfinders address the evil entities that they are seeking to exorcize in this graphic novel.
February 21, 2021
Soulfinder: Demon’s Match is a beautifully illustrated comic book about a priest, a war veteran and an exorcist, who battles the devil in a small town in Maryland. This is a stirring example of Christian masculinity, and also a call to action.
I got this particular comic because it is beautiful, but also because I am considering giving it as a First Communion gift to my nine-year-old son. And to be honest, I am as of the time of this writing still undecided. Soulfinder deals with some pretty heavy themes: death of your family, the sacrifices of soldiers, and of course demonic possession. However, none of that gives me as much pause as the simple fact that the modern comic book style features nearly naked women.
In context, Soulfinder presents sexualized immodesty as a tool of the devil. However, I just worry because I know that pornography is a scourge of the modern world. I am well aware that I am being prudish. I am also aware that non-Anglo Catholics, such as Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry would find this funny.
I am leaning toward giving it to my son, as I would let him read the 1st edition Dungeon Masters Guide for AD&D, which also features illustrations of naked women, but is also a deeply Christian work. Similarly, Soulfinder is a very masculine Christian work, one that presents the vocation of Holy Orders in a heroic light. And this is what I am most interested in imparting to my sons.
My own bishop, Thomas Olmstead, wrote an exhortation to the faithful entitled “Into the Breach”, about the gifts of men and of fatherhood in fighting the spiritual battle that rages in front of us.
And rage it does. Bishop Olmstead called on all Christian men to Step into the Breach, to defend the defenseless, to pass on the faith to their children, and root out the influence of the devil.
Soulfinder is about all of this, and since I accept Bishop Olmstead’s challenge, I want to encourage others to read it. My own conversion to Catholicism was in part started by reading the book Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism by Thomas Allen, which documented the events that also inspired William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist.
The apostolic Churches retain the power to cast out devils, even if many otherwise faithful Christians within and without don’t heed the reality of spiritual warfare. Prayer and fasting are the tools that are readily available to most of us, but we also need the will to employ them for this purpose. Soulfinder can help provide us with that conviction, by illustrating the stakes, and giving us an example to follow.
I’ve linked to the Iconic Comics webstore for Soulfinder. I don’t have an affiliate relationship with Iconic, but I gladly recommend this work, and I encourage you too, to step into the breach with me.
I got this particular comic because it is beautiful, but also because I am considering giving it as a First Communion gift to my nine-year-old son. And to be honest, I am as of the time of this writing still undecided. Soulfinder deals with some pretty heavy themes: death of your family, the sacrifices of soldiers, and of course demonic possession. However, none of that gives me as much pause as the simple fact that the modern comic book style features nearly naked women.
In context, Soulfinder presents sexualized immodesty as a tool of the devil. However, I just worry because I know that pornography is a scourge of the modern world. I am well aware that I am being prudish. I am also aware that non-Anglo Catholics, such as Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry would find this funny.
I am leaning toward giving it to my son, as I would let him read the 1st edition Dungeon Masters Guide for AD&D, which also features illustrations of naked women, but is also a deeply Christian work. Similarly, Soulfinder is a very masculine Christian work, one that presents the vocation of Holy Orders in a heroic light. And this is what I am most interested in imparting to my sons.
My own bishop, Thomas Olmstead, wrote an exhortation to the faithful entitled “Into the Breach”, about the gifts of men and of fatherhood in fighting the spiritual battle that rages in front of us.
And rage it does. Bishop Olmstead called on all Christian men to Step into the Breach, to defend the defenseless, to pass on the faith to their children, and root out the influence of the devil.
Soulfinder is about all of this, and since I accept Bishop Olmstead’s challenge, I want to encourage others to read it. My own conversion to Catholicism was in part started by reading the book Possessed: The True Story of an Exorcism by Thomas Allen, which documented the events that also inspired William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist.
The apostolic Churches retain the power to cast out devils, even if many otherwise faithful Christians within and without don’t heed the reality of spiritual warfare. Prayer and fasting are the tools that are readily available to most of us, but we also need the will to employ them for this purpose. Soulfinder can help provide us with that conviction, by illustrating the stakes, and giving us an example to follow.
I’ve linked to the Iconic Comics webstore for Soulfinder. I don’t have an affiliate relationship with Iconic, but I gladly recommend this work, and I encourage you too, to step into the breach with me.
October 4, 2024
Patrick Retter is a veteran who, after losing his leg in combat, turns to the priesthood. Now a priest at a local parish in a small Maryland town he's known by one of the cops as who to come to when the unexplained occurs. As Retter begins to help investigate he gets drawn into a confrontation with a demonic being. This leads to Retter being recruited by a secret Order within the Catholic Church: Soulfinders, who have been tasked with battling this particular demon down through the centuries.
Overall, an intriguing story, with great artwork that brings the experiences to life and really sets up what looks to be an interesting and thought-provoking series. I'm looking forward to seeing
Overall, an intriguing story, with great artwork that brings the experiences to life and really sets up what looks to be an interesting and thought-provoking series. I'm looking forward to seeing
December 5, 2022
Great story of combat exorcists fighting an ancient demon for the souls of mankind. The art is superb, and the story delivered. Don’t hand this to your kiddo, and if you are not looking for a story depicting the darkness of demonic possession then please look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a great book.
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August 15, 2022Praise the Lord, A Good Comic!
I already liked Iconic Comics for Kamen America, but then they do good work like this. But then, maybe I'm biased when someone does a story involving my faith, and the characters are actually likable. The art's good, as well. Credit to the artist.
I already liked Iconic Comics for Kamen America, but then they do good work like this. But then, maybe I'm biased when someone does a story involving my faith, and the characters are actually likable. The art's good, as well. Credit to the artist.
January 27, 2023
All of the books are riveting and have beautiful, realistic messages (and struggles) in faith. I cannot wait for the newest one!
April 28, 2023
I am enjoying this series so much!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews