‘Be Not Afraid’ Review: Faith, Fear, and Identity

I was raised in a very religious, conservative household, so Be Not Afraid hit me harder than I expected.

I knew this was going to be religious horror, and I already loved Jude Ellison S. Doyle’s work from The Neighbors and Maw, but I was not fully ready for how personal this one would feel. Not because I lived Cora’s story, obviously, but because I understood the fear underneath it. The guilt. The shame. The idea that faith can be used against you until you start believing there is something wrong with you for existing.

This series comes from writer Jude Ellison S. Doyle, whose work I already love from The Neighbors and Maw, and artist Lisandro Estherren, who brings such a raw, unsettling energy to this series. Together, they build something that feels deeply personal, disturbing, and very intentional.

What Is Be Not Afraid About?

At the center of the story is Cora. Cora grew up in a strict religious community, holding onto a faith that, instead of protecting her, was used against her. Through guilt. Through shame. Through control.

And that context matters, because it shapes everything that happens next.

She gets pregnant from what is described as a connection with an angel. But it does not take long to understand that this is not a miracle story. Her son, Jordy, is what the Bible calls a Nephilim. He has the face of something divine, but his existence brings suffering. Everything around him decays. Everyone around him is affected. His very presence feels wrong.

After a lifetime of raising him, carrying that burden, and trying to survive what his existence means, Cora is finally given the opportunity to end it.

But before we even get to that moment, we need to talk about Jordy, because that is where this story really got to me.

The Line That Stopped Me

There is a line in this series that completely stopped me.

“Jordy wasn’t a sinner. He was a sin. For him, God’s mercy was not an option.”

That hit deep.

Growing up, I was taught that what I felt in my heart was a sin. I did not have the language to understand what it meant to be queer. I only had the fear that I was something that was not supposed to exist. That I was something God did not want.

And then you read Jordy’s words.

“I am not supposed to exist, so why do I? Why didn’t he stop me?”

“Do you have any idea how often I’ve wished I didn’t exist? That I wasn’t like this?”

That is where the horror shifted for me.

It was not just about monsters, religion, angels, or something supernatural anymore. It became something much more human. The fear of being wrong just for existing. The weight of being told that who you are is something that needs to be erased.

Faith, Fear, and Shame

The horror in Be Not Afraid is layered with religious symbolism, and it hits even harder if you grew up around that language.

You can read between the lines. You can see what the story is saying beneath the surface. Words like sin, mercy, punishment, purity, and faith carry a different kind of weight when you have heard them used as weapons before.

That is what made the book so uncomfortable for me. It brought back the feeling of questioning myself. Of wondering if the things I felt made me broken. Of being scared that love, identity, and faith could not all exist in the same body.

The book is not subtle about that, and honestly, it should not be.

The Art Makes It Even More Unsettling

Lisandro Estherren’s art fits this story perfectly.

It is unsettling in a way that does not feel exaggerated. The horror is not clean or pretty. It feels rough, heavy, and uncomfortable, which is exactly what this story needs. The faces, the bodies, the religious imagery, the decay, everything feels like it is carrying the same fear that the writing is dealing with.

Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli’s colors add to that feeling too. The book has this sickly, oppressive mood that makes the religious horror feel even more suffocating. Simon Bowland’s lettering keeps everything clear, even when the story gets emotionally heavy and visually intense.

The art does not let you look away from the discomfort. It pulls you into it.

What Matters

Be Not Afraid is heavy. It is uncomfortable. It is personal.

It made me think about the things I was taught. The things I believed. The things I was told I was. It hit somewhere deeper than just a horror story. It brought back that feeling of questioning myself, but from a place where I could finally look at it differently.

Jude Ellison S. Doyle’s writing is sharp, emotional, and deeply intentional, and Lisandro Estherren’s art makes the whole thing feel raw and hard to escape.

Maybe that is what makes this book so powerful. Not just the horror. Not just the imagery. But the way it made me sit with those questions again and see them from the other side.

For me, Be Not Afraid was not just scary. It was personal.

FAQ

What is Be Not Afraid about? Be Not Afraid follows Cora, a woman raised in a strict religious community, and her son Jordy, a Nephilim whose existence brings suffering, decay, and questions about faith, shame, identity, and divine punishment.

Who created Be Not Afraid? Be Not Afraid is written by Jude Ellison S. Doyle, with art by Lisandro Estherren, colors by Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli, letters by Simon Bowland, and cover art by Reiko Murakami.

Is Be Not Afraid a horror comic? Yes. Be Not Afraid is a religious horror comic that uses angels, Nephilim, decay, faith, shame, and identity to tell a disturbing and emotional story.

Is Be Not Afraid connected to Jude Ellison S. Doyle’s other comics? No. Be Not Afraid is its own story, though readers who liked Doyle’s work on The Neighbors and Maw may connect with its emotional and unsettling approach to horror.

Who should read Be Not Afraid? Readers who like religious horror, emotionally heavy comics, queer readings of horror, unsettling family stories, and stories about faith, shame, and identity should check out Be Not Afraid.