Barstow

Making their comics debut, husband-and-wife filmmakers David Ian and Rebekah McKendry join forces with artist Jenkins (Hairball) for a feverish horror yarn that never quite catches fire. FBI agent Miranda Diaz pulls into Barstow, Calif., an isolated desert town that seems to consist mostly of trailers and Quonset huts, in search of a missing fellow agent. With the help of Sheriff Papa Dodd (who looks exactly like Willie Nelson) and his multitalented assistant, Starr, she investigates the eccentric locals and uncovers a demonic infestation. A satanic ballet instructor runs a side hustle to exploit the fruits of hell, selling to people eager to be possessed (“With a demon by your side,” she promises, “you can rise all the way to the top”). Meanwhile, slacker Eli is accidentally possessed and becomes the focus of a rival Christian cult. Then the Hail Satan motorcycle gang rolls into town. There’s plenty of potential in the setting and the setup, but there’s not enough space to develop each member of the expansive cast, and the goals of the rival groups of demons and humans remain murky. Meanwhile, Jenkins’s art is uncharacteristically wobbly with blotchy shading. Despite clever ideas and local color to spare, this feels underbaked. Agent: Bridget Smith and Valentina Sainato, JABberwocky Literary. (Sept.)