My Rating
“Safyia”
The lead archaeologist at the Egyptian Institute of Exploration has discovered the sarcophagus of Merneptan the Plague-Giver. As the sounds of celebration fill the air around the Valley of the Kings, Doctor Safiya Mahmoud begins a tedious task. She must secure the mummified body of the tyrant pharaoh for transportation to her laboratory in Cairo. Merneptan brought plague and a host of other diseases to Egypt two thousand years ago. His reign brought suffering and death to countless Egyptians. Now, after centuries beneath the desert sands, the Plague-Giver has returned to the world of the living. Well, his corpse has, anyway.
Days later, Dr. Mahmoud and her peer, Dr. Nader, prepare the corpse of the dead king for a battery of tests. With the power of modern technology, CT scans and DNA sequencing could answer many questions about Egypt’s dark past. What secrets might the ancient pharaoh reveal? Could the diseases that once devastated his kingdom still lurk within his mummified remains? These are questions that modern science might finally answer.
As Safiya works late into the night, a singular voice begins to occupy her thoughts. It starts as a faint whisper but soon grows to domineering proportions. Was the mummy of Merneptan attempting to communicate with the good doctor from beyond the grave? Or had something far more sinister occurred when she touched the ancient corpse?
Merneptan earned the name Plague-Giver for good reason. Could the diseases that once ravaged ancient Egypt have survived thousands of years within his mummified remains? Had Safiya unknowingly unleashed an ancient curse upon herself? Or was the spirit of the tyrant pharaoh attempting to claim a new body in which to walk among the living?
Whatever the explanation, something sinister now lurks within the laboratory in Cairo. And poor Doctor Mahmoud may soon discover that some secrets of ancient Egypt should remain beneath the desert sands.
Review
Michael Gordon and Dan Parsons bring an ancient Egyptian curse into the modern world with Safiya: The Mummy, a one-shot from American Mythology Productions. Unfortunately, the story left me a little underwhelmed when all was said and done. The premise of a long-dead pharaoh returning to haunt the living certainly has potential, but the execution leaves something to be desired. There is nothing particularly wrong with the story itself. It just doesn’t offer much beyond what feels like a throwaway tale of supernatural horror.
Where this comic book truly shines is in the artwork of Dan Parsons. His illustrations remind me of those wonderful old Marvel Comics Living Mummy stories from the 1970s. There is something about the character designs, shadowing, and overall atmosphere that takes me right back to the Bronze Age of horror comic books. Parsons captures that classic mummy aesthetic beautifully, and for me, his artwork remains the strongest part of this one-shot.
Gordon and Parsons certainly hint at a follow-up story, and I would be interested in seeing where they take Doctor Safiya Mahmoud next. However, given the publishing history of American Mythology Productions, I have my doubts about whether we will ever see that continuation. I hope we do, because this character has the potential for something much better. As it stands, Safiya: The Mummy offers an entertaining enough read, but the story fails to leave a lasting impression. I give this issue three out of five stars.
