Devil's Due Presents: Hack/Slash-Mercy Sparx #1 — Josh Blaylock and Joe Song bring the undead killer to town in this reprinted crossover
Devil’s Due is celebrating a quarter-century in the game, and they’re marking the occasion by dusting off some truly iconic corners of the horror-comics pantheon. This isn’t a new story so much as a return to a foundational moment in the genre, reprinted and ready for a new wave of readers to discover why these characters have stayed relevant for so long.
The premise starts with a chilling breach of sacred ground: an undead serial killer rises from within the Catholic Church, setting off a chain reaction that catches the attention of two very different hunters. Cassie Hack, the woman who hunts slashers, finds her skills tested by a foe who doesn’t quite follow the rules of the living. At the same time, Mercy Sparx, the devilish fixer for Heaven, is drawn into the fray, bringing her own celestial perspective to the violence.
What makes this one-shot special is the collision of those two worldviews. You have Hack’s gritty, grounded approach to monster-hunting clashing with Mercy’s more bureaucratic, otherworldly method of dealing with evil. They aren’t just fighting a killer; they’re navigating a conflict that sits right at the intersection of faith, sin, and survival. Josh Blaylock’s writing sets the stage for a cat-and-mouse game where the prey is far more dangerous than the hunters expect.
Joe Song’s art provides the visual punch, grounding the supernatural horror in a tactile, immediate reality that makes the threat feel present and pressing. The dynamic between the two leads is sharp and engaging, offering a snapshot of how these characters operated before their stories branched out into full series. It’s a masterclass in tone, balancing the macabre with the wit that defines the Hack/Slash universe.
If you’re looking to fill your stack with something that feels both historic and immediately thrilling, this re-release is a smart play. It’s a self-contained story that works perfectly as an entry point, but it also carries the weight of a classic for those who know the lore. Keep an eye on the variant covers, too—Sveta Shubina’s work on the alternate edition adds another layer of visual flair to an already strong package.