The Devil You Know: Should You Be Reading ‘Ava’s Demon’?

With Should I Be Reading… ?, ComicsAlliance hopes to offer you a guide to some of the best original ongoing comics being published today.

Curses. Ghosts. Aliens. Magic. Revenge. Spaceships. What more could you want from a story? Welcome to the world of Ava's Demon, a webcomic about life, love and secrets under an oppressive regime, from cartoonist Michelle Czajkowski.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

Describing what this comic is about without giving it away is a bit hard. Set ostensibly one thousand years into the future, this comic follows Ava, her annoying classmate, and a random dude who comes and grabs them, saying that their planet is going to be destroyed. Then it... is. Oh, and Ava is haunted by a demon who has been attempting to drive her to suicide for years.

Without getting too specific, we'll just say there's a cult run by the head of a corporation slowly taking over the universe, reeducation camps, ticked off ghosts, magic demons, and ghosts who are in love with humans. Plus lots of really really cute aliens. It deals with issues of fate, love, and the horror of living under a fascist regime... while also being a weird sci-fi-fantasy. None of the characters are who or what they seem. Everyone has some secret lying beneath the surface.

WHO’S IT BY?

Michelle Czajkowski is a New York-based illustrator who worked as an animator at Pixar and Dreamworks before working on Ava's Demon full time. You can read more about her in our interview from 2015.

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?

From the first panel, the series draws you into the story of Ave Ire and her demon, before blasting off into space and exploring a wider and weirder Universe.

Ava's Demon has some of the most interesting mythology in comics, bar none, but let's put that aside for a second. Have you seen the art? It's freaking gorgeous. Having a one-panel a week update is A) completely frustrating; and B) completely worth it. Some webcomics feature quickly scribbled art that's little more than doodles; but Ava's Demon has gorgeous, beautiful, stare-at art. Some of the best in comics today.

And because it's a webcomic, it can do things that other comics can't. Like end chapters with huge, minutes-long animated specials --- with gorgeous art, animation, and sound, bringing the characters to life. The mix of animation for huge beats, and the gorgeous illustrations, makes this comic shine.

Plus, the mythology is cool. It unfurls slowly so we don't want to give too much away, but let's just say it's more high fantasy than you might think when you start. High fantasy in an awesome, science fiction world? Who could want for more?

WHO SHOULD READ IT?

Anyone who can stand the long waits to read. Honestly, it's an amazing comic with an expansive mythology that is slowly unfurling before our eyes. The art is gorgeous. The characters are unique, cute, and endearing (even the annoying ones).

If you're a fan of Gene Wolfe, Isaac Asimov, Star Wars or Crimson Peak, you'll love it.

WHERE CAN I READ IT?

Ava's Demon is available at avasdemon.com; it updates every Thursday. Ava's Demon also has a Patreon, which you can subscribe to here.