The Mills family has finally been blessed with a baby. Their journey to that point had been fraught with personal struggles as well as the agony of loss, but through it all, they made new friends and stood together as one. When baby Matthew suddenly falls ill, they hope that it is nothing alarming until they get to the hospital and their worst fears are confirmed. All hope seems lost as the best efforts of the doctor only seem to delay the inevitable. With nowhere to turn and at the end of his tether, David Mills is offered a compromise from the most unlikely of sources. This gift comes with a condition, a burden that may cost him all he has built up over the years but then how far would you go for the ones you love? Discover David’s decision in Daniel Foster’s Torment: Descension.

Daniel Foster’s graphic novel is thought-provoking. Granted some of us have a habit of treating comics, as I prefer to call them, with a certain degree of disdain, but Torment: Descension is a completely different proposition. The storyline is as realistic as it comes right down to the difficult process of decision-making. The motives of the principal characters are as emotionally moving as they are puzzling. I was particularly impressed with the extent of the scrutiny that Foster subjects his characters to as they justify their respective positions. The pictures are striking with a good mix of colors that make them eye-catching. This is an interesting novel with an unusual plot that will immerse the reader almost instantaneously. I look forward to the sequel.

Torment: Descension is a work in the graphic novel, fantasy, and interpersonal drama subgenres. It was written and illustrated by Daniel Foster, with color by Gregory Ottaviani and lettering by Jimmy G. In this fascinating fantasy tale, we meet new parents, David and Grace, whose lives are turned upside down when their beloved new baby becomes deathly ill. Faced with a supernatural dilemma, David does some serious soul-searching as he wonders how far he might go to save his child. What follows is a classic tale exploring the nature of evil from an inventive modern fantasy perspective.

Daniel Foster has crafted an incredibly memorable and visually enjoyable work in this engaging, emotive, and often heartfelt graphic story. One of the first things that grip you is the emotional portrayal of Foster’s line drawing, which is angular and shaded in the right way to offer the maximum dramatic impact. The scene of David on his knees praying for a miracle stayed with me for a long time, especially when you see exactly who ends up answering these pleas and how that works out for him. In addition, I found the dialogue easy to follow and unique to each character, with dark and biting humor that often undercuts the seriousness of the plot to lighten the read and keep everything in balance. Overall, I recommend it as a highly accomplished read for fantasy and drama fans who will surely devour it eagerly.