Infidel

Presenting horror as topical as it is viscerally distressing, the trade volume of this bold series conjures xenophobia in tangible and terrifying form. Upon moving into an apartment building, Muslim woman Aisha is met with hostility from neighbors (including her mother in law). As it happens, a Muslim man detonated an explosive in the building years prior. As Aisha digs deeper into the history of the housing complex, monstrous forces begin haunting her and provoke her into hurting her family. When she falls into a coma, Aisha’s multiracial friends discover that the evil presence is fueled by bigotry—and as they become targets themselves, must work to destroy demons both unseen and in plain sight. Pichetshote’s disconcerting contemporary take on the classic haunted house genre is enlivened by Campbell’s ethereal artwork. Characters are drawn in realistic style with striking colors, and both monsters and the environment they thrive in are twisted in ways that indicate the hatred they represent. With a script laden with powerful metaphors, this series leaves readers both creeped out and more aware of the presence of everyday monsters, and keenly awaiting the next installment. [em](Oct.) [/em]