THE DIRT BENEATH THE DEVIL #1 (Mad Cave Studios)
What do you get when you mix the old west with some mystery and horror? You get the brand-new series from Mad Cave Studios, The Dirt Beneath the Devil! After the death of William Buckley, his wife, children, mistress, and business partners must come to Missouri to find out what he left to them in his will. Unfortunately for all involved, William who was difficult alive is just as difficult in death, as he has some requests that they must follow before their inheritance is revealed.
The Dirt Beneath the Devil #1 - Written By Dan Panosian – Art By David Ferracci – Colors By Lee Loughridge – Letters By Pat Brosseau - Published By Mad Cave Studios
Credit: Mad Cave Studios
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
STORY OVERVIEW:
June Buckley the eldest child of William Buckley has made her way from New York City to Kansas City, Missouri after her fathers’ death in 1891. Being raised in NYC by her mother and not really knowing her father except for the terrible things her mom told her, gives her a little culture shock when she arrives in the Midwest. Upon arriving she is greeted by Mr. Houston, who is the executer of her father’s will. He gets her set up for the night in an inn and then meets her at the Cooke House for dinner and to meet the others. Amongst the people in attendance is William’s widow Martha Nell, her son August, business partners Peter “Tennessee Pete” Bickers & Thomas Mash, and his mistress Kima and their love child Billy. They find out from Mr. Houston that they will be riding on horseback to Wichita in the morning. Not only has June never ridden a horse but she also must ride Hendido her dad’s horse, who likes no one. However, the horse takes to June when he sees her. Which is just the start of the strange happenings and challenges on their way to find out their inheritance.
WRITING:
This first issue gives readers a strong amount of backstory without ever feeling like it is overexplaining the world or giving away too much too soon. Dan Panosian does an excellent job of building the mystery piece by piece, allowing the reader to understand the basic situation while still leaving plenty of questions hanging in the air. The death of William Buckley immediately gives the story a clear reason for bringing this unusual group of people together, but the details surrounding his will, his relationships, and the strange instructions he left behind make it clear that there is much more going on beneath the surface. Panosian balances that information well, making sure the reader never feels lost while still keeping the bigger secrets just out of reach.
One of the strongest choices in the issue is telling so much of the story through June. Because she was raised in New York City by her mother and grew up mostly separated from her father, she enters Missouri with the same uncertainty that the reader has. That makes her a very effective point-of-view character. She does not fully understand William Buckley, the people connected to him, or the expectations waiting for her, so every new detail feels like something we are discovering alongside her. Her lack of experience with her father also gives the story an emotional layer, because she is not just trying to learn about an inheritance; she is trying to understand a man who helped shape her life mostly through absence, reputation, and secondhand stories.
June also comes across as the most innocent person caught in this situation. Everyone else seems to have some kind of history, motive, resentment, or personal stake tied to William, while June’s motivation feels more connected to duty, curiosity, and the complicated pull of family. That difference makes her stand out immediately. It also makes the moment with Hendido more interesting, because the horse’s reaction to her feels like more than a simple animal instinct. Hendido is introduced as a difficult and dangerous horse that does not take to people easily, so the fact that he accepts June gives the scene a strange sense of importance. Panosian uses that moment to suggest that June may have a deeper connection to William’s world than she understands, and it adds a supernatural edge without fully explaining it.
Hendido may end up being one of the most intriguing parts of the series as it moves forward. There is clearly more to that horse than meets the eye, and Panosian does a great job of nudging the reader toward that idea through small but memorable details. The way Hendido behaves, the attention given to his hooves, and the way he reacts to August all make the horse feel unsettling rather than simply wild. Those details create a sense that Hendido is connected to the larger mystery surrounding William Buckley and whatever secrets he left behind. The issue does not rush to explain any of this, which works in its favor because it lets the tension grow naturally.
There is also an interesting air of mystery surrounding Mr. Houston. On the surface, he appears to be the executor of the will and the person responsible for guiding everyone through William’s final requests, but he often feels like someone who knows more than he is willing to say. His calm reaction to Hendido accepting June stands out because he seems almost prepared for it, as if he expected something unusual to happen. That confidence makes him feel suspicious in a quiet way, and it gives his scenes an added layer of tension. By the end of the issue, Panosian has created several strong hooks: June’s connection to her father’s legacy, Hendido’s strange behavior, Mr. Houston’s hidden knowledge, and the larger question of what William Buckley truly left behind. Those mysteries are held back just enough to make the reader want answers, and they give the series a strong reason to keep following the trail.
ARTWORK:
The artwork in this first issue matches the mood, pace, and strange energy of the story extremely well. David Ferracci captures the feeling of the old west in a way that does more than simply establish the time period. The clothing, buildings, interiors, horses, and wide-open stretches of land all help make the setting feel lived in and believable. That western atmosphere is important because the story depends on the idea of June being pulled out of the world she knows and dropped into a place that feels unfamiliar, rougher, and far less forgiving. The visuals make that contrast clear, especially when June is placed against dusty roads, dimly lit rooms, and open landscapes that feel much bigger and more dangerous than the life she left behind in New York City.
Ferracci also uses the landscape to strengthen the book’s mystery and horror elements. The journey by horseback toward Wichita already gives the story a classic western setup, but the way the land is drawn makes the trip feel uneasy rather than adventurous. The empty spaces, distant horizons, and isolated locations create a sense that this group is moving farther away from safety with every scene. That isolation works very well for the story because it makes the characters feel exposed. If something strange or violent happens out there, there may be no one nearby to help them and no witnesses to explain what really happened. That visual loneliness adds tension to the issue and helps the horror slowly creep into the western setting.
The character designs are another major strength of the issue. Each member of William Buckley’s circle has a distinct look that immediately gives the reader a sense of who they are before they even say much. Martha Nell, August, Kima, Billy, Tennessee Pete, Thomas Mash, Mr. Houston, and June all feel visually different from one another, and those differences help reinforce the tension within the group. Their clothing, posture, and expressions suggest different backgrounds, social positions, and personal attitudes, which is important because the story brings together people who clearly do not trust one another. Ferracci makes those divisions easy to read visually, so the gathering at the Cooke House feels uncomfortable even before the larger mystery begins to unfold.
Of course, one of the standout visual elements is Hendido. Ferracci makes the horse look powerful, dangerous, and almost unnatural without pushing the design too far into obvious monster territory. That balance is what makes Hendido so effective. He still looks like a horse, but there is something in his presence that feels darker and more threatening than an ordinary animal. The attention given to his body language, his eyes, and especially the details around his hooves makes him feel connected to the supernatural side of the story. Every time Hendido is on the page, the issue gains a different kind of tension because the reader is waiting to see whether he will behave like an animal, a warning sign, or something much stranger.
The colors by Lee Loughridge compliment Ferracci’s linework beautifully and help give the book its ominous atmosphere. The dusty western tones make the setting feel dry, harsh, and grounded, while the darker skies and heavier shadows hint that something worse is hanging over this group. The color choices never overpower the artwork, but they add a lot to the emotional feel of each scene. Warm earth tones sell the historical western setting, while the darker blues, grays, and shadowed moments push the story closer to horror. That mix of grounded western grit and creeping supernatural dread is exactly what the issue needs visually. Together, Ferracci and Loughridge give The Dirt Beneath the Devil #1 a look that feels atmospheric, tense, and full of mystery.
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Final Thoughts:
The Dirt Beneath the Devil #1 is an amazing opening issue for the series that will surely trap readers’ interest in reading more of the series. The mysteries that this issue either straight out tells us or implies are enough to peek even the most jaded readers’ interest. The premise that is laid out here in the first issue is intriguing, but when you know that Panosian obviously has more in store for us that jacks the intrigued levels all the way up. This should be a slam dunk pick up at the shop or Neon Ichiban this week. As a matter of fact, make sure to add this one to your Pull List as you won’t want to miss a single issue of this series.
FINAL GRADE: 9.6/10
Let me know your thoughts on The Dirt Beneath the Devil #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
