SUPERNATURAL SPECIAL: CASTIEL #1 – The Boys are Back in Town

Creative Team – Preeti Chhibber, Pasquale Qualano, Alessandro Miracolo, Alessandro Ranaldi, Robby Bevard, J.L. Briere, Jeff Eckleberry

Published by Dynamite Entertainment

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The Story

Supernatural Special: Castiel #1 will be reviewed by Nerd Initiative’s Edalyn and yours truly, Megan!

Edalyn – When it comes to adapting a well established TV show into another medium, that isn’t something that’s exactly easy. However, Preeti Chhibber makes it look so, as she captures the characters beautifully. Here, we see things from Castiel’s point of view and I swear, the whole time, I heard Misha Collins.

If you’ve never seen the show, or you just started and are unfamiliar with Castiel, this serves as an amazing introduction to the character. Chhibber perfectly captures his personality and made me laugh at several points throughout. She also did a fantastic job at capturing his inner turmoil of figuring out his place and purpose in a complicated situation. Any fans will know immediately what I’m talking about. Given the fact this ends in a cliffhanger, I truly hope we get more in a continuation as I’d hate to see this be just a one-off special.

Megan – As a giant Supernatural fan, when I see a comic that’s centered around Castiel, I don’t have to give it a second thought; I am all the way in. I had high expectations for Supernatural Special: Castiel #1 and each one of them was exceeded. Preeti Chhibber wrote this in a way that gives us a new story, but was so authentic to the characters. There was a comfortable feeling because you can practically hear Sam, Dean, and Castiel’s voice through the words. What I wouldn’t give to see this be played out in live action with the three icons themselves.

In Supernatural Special: Castiel #1, we see Castiel keeping an invisible distance from the Winchesters, watching them as they go as they are none the wiser. That is until the Winchesters need assistance in their hunt. The brothers think they’re looking for one monster, but Castiel informs them that there’s actually a different monster that needs their attention. Going through their classic monster hunting ways, and getting Castiel involved in the fun, we get to see the three fight evil together. By the end of the comic, I already wanted more. Chhibber kept my Supernatural-loving heart full and excited, but also made me want to see the adventures of Sam, Dean, and Castiel continue. If you’re a Supernatural fan, make sure this one is on your pull lists!

The Art

Edalyn – Qualano, Miracolo and Ranaldi truly outdid themselves here. While reading, I felt like I was in the middle of the action as it all felt very dynamic and three-dimensional. This was helped heavily by the shading and coloring, as the two together really worked wonders.

Speaking on the colors, Bevard put in some truly amazing work here. Each scene felt very unique and like its own character, especially the concert setting. The mix of colors from the lighting really made it come to life.

Megan – With such a stacked creative team, it’s no surprise that the artwork is fantastic. The artists matched the artwork to the tones of the story incredibly well, especially with the action panels. The energy was high where it needed to be, and calm in the best places. What I really enjoyed was the intensity of when the Winchesters and Castiel came across the monsters. You could feel the energy popping off the pages!

The colors were handled perfectly, achieving the grittiness that is so accustomed with the Winchesters. What really shined for me was the lettering. Jeff Eckleberry perfect captured the personalties of the characters and showed their authenticity through the dialogue. You could feel Castiel’s calm and monotoned replies, or Dean’s aggression or joking demeanor. All in all, the artists made this comic feel exactly how you’d want a Supernatural story to feel; exciting, high energy, and the otherworldly feeling of monster hunting.

Final Thoughts

Edalyn – 10/10. Everything came together to create something truly amazing for fans and newcomers alike. Preeti continues to prove that she knows this world and its characters well all while crafting new and interesting stories. This special is more than worth a read, especially if you love Castiel and a good character study.

Megan – 9/10. Supernatural Special: Castiel #1 is precisely what every Supernatural fan would want. Action, adventure, classic moments between our favorite monster hunters and their angelic sidekick. Be sure to add this to your pull list because it’s a special adventure you don’t want to miss!

Overall Grade – 9.5/10

Let us know in the comments what you thought of the comic!