ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

I do normally love a demon possession story, and I'll admit that a lot of the full art pieces in this were really good. I really loved looking for the demon in the shadowy areas of the earlier panels too, definitely added a bit of tension in a way I don't think you could get from just a written piece of work.

At the end of the day though this was just your bog-standard demon possession story but with a really unnecessary presidential plotline alongside it. Obvious and not compelling, this exact story has been written hundreds of times before. Also, maybe it's just because I'm not American but... I just felt really put off by it all honestly, the presidential speeches and the war plot and whatever else. Just not for me. I also think the art style looked so unfinished which was disappointing.

As an aside, the watermark was really annoying in this, I know it's necessary but it was really distracting.

ARC Read: Yes, thank you to @idwpublishing for the ARC copy!
Format: Digital ARC
Genre: Horror
Pages: 130
Content Warnings: demonic possession, language
Rating: 🐆🐆🐆 .5/🐆🐆🐆🐆🐆

Synopsis: The first female president of the United States of America has her hands full with bloodthirsty congressmen, bad-faith reporters, increased foreign hostilities and more, not to mention balancing her marriage and the care of their two teenagers. But when an ancient evil surfaces among them, the halls of the White House become a much different kind of battleground, one that may cost them their souls.

Thoughts (assume minor spoilers):
This graphic novel collects the full run of the limited comic series The Exorcism at 1600 Penn. I subbed to this book because the ashcan preview my local comic book shop set aside for me looked compelling, and I’m glad I did.

I love a good possession story, and I appreciate the change in setting here. It takes that age-old political adage of “fighting for the soul of the nation” to its most literal. Rose May does a great job expressing outside of the possession story just how much technology plays a pivotal role in today’s political and social landscape. Del Rey’s frantic sketchy visuals keep your eyes on edge the entire time, and Bellaire’s muted color palette conveys a sense of dread that intensifies with each page.

Quibbles: I really did enjoy this book, so my quibbles are very minor, but - one, I wish there was more of the demon. Whether it be him manifesting more in the background, or wreaking more havoc up front, it would have been nice to see more. Two, and I realize this is a dumb thing to fixate on, but… where was the Secret Service during some of these scenes? The most egregious examples for me are when Kevin is pulling the prank, and when the major battle is happening in the final third of the book.

Overall, I recommend this one for folks who enjoy possession and demon stories.

Kelly Doyle is the 1st elected female president trying to juggle political tensions, the media and having 2 teenagers
the world on the brink of WWIII, kelly must battle not only international threats but the demonic possession of her daughter in this dark, gritty, modern political exorcist story

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

This graphic novel had a really cool concept, and while I'm aware that this is just the first entry in a series, I can't help but feel like it didn't live up to its potential. It's not bad or anything, it just could be better. The art is fine, the characters are fine, the story is fine. It's just fine. I'll probably forgot I read this in a week, but remember the concept itself.

I'm also seeing rumblings about AI use in the reviews here, which is super yikes, if it's true. I'd like some clarification on that.

Three stars out of five for The Exorcism at 1600 Penn!

I thought the premise of this graphic novel was interesting, but I just never fully got invested in this story and always wanted something a little more from everything I read.

The Exorcism at 1600 Penn by Hannah Rose unfortunately did not live up to the hype in my opinion. This comic follows the new First Family of the United States and the troubles they face as they move their lives into the White House.

The comic felt very disorganised and overloaded with too many topics and plots, from political issues, bullying, strange military deaths, bullying, to demonic possession, this story didn't know where it was headed. The main focus of this read should have been the possession and demonic entity at play, however, this wasn't fleshed out until very late in the comic, and felt rushed.

It was difficult to enjoy and follow this story as it felt that you were trying to follow several different stories that were all rushed to a conclusion and climax in the last several pages.

A lot of the artwork was very beautiful, especially the darker panels.

I wish we got a more fluid storyline where the evil horror that had attached itself to the daughter was the prime focal point. More back story and detailed explanations of what, how and why for the demonic entity would have allowed for a more enjoyable read.

Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Exorcism at 1600 Penn in exchange for an honest review.

Chilling, provocative, and visually arresting, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn is a graphic novel that grips you from the first panel and doesn’t let go. Set against the iconic backdrop of the White House, the story unravels a sinister possession that threatens not just a family, but the very heart of the nation—specifically the daughter of the first female President of the United States.

May’s storytelling is sharp and suspenseful, while Del Rey’s hauntingly atmospheric artwork drips with dread, pulling you deeper into the darkness with each turn of the page. The tension within the First Family, layered with their fraught interactions with outsiders, builds a web of intrigue that feels both intimate and politically explosive. It’s a horror tale with gravitas, ambition, and a uniquely American twist.

You'll turn the last page both satisfied and craving more.

I would find this one hard to recommend. I didn't care for the artwork too much, and found the plot hard to follow.

When doom scrolling goes wrong!! This was a really fascinating premise. I liked the characters and the way they interacted with each other and the world. The art was really well done and it had a very spooky feel to it. If you like scary books, I recommend this one.

Firstly, the watermark on the ARC was a little too opaque and got in the way of the words and art that made it difficult for me to read through this with my dyslexia but I persevered and managed to finish, and what I read wasn't bad!

IDW usually puts out some interesting horror and horror adjacent comics, and The Exorcism at 1600 Penn is another for the collection... just not my personal collection. I'm not normally big on religious horror but the setting of this one, the White House, intrigued me.

Hannah Rose May tries to do a lot and mostly succeeds - there's commentary around doomscrolling, negative thoughts, bullies, politicking, reactionaries, religion, etc nothing annoyed me though I think a stronger focus on one or two of these things rather than a whole bunch would have made the story stronger. Her President is newly elected as the first female president (and while the political parties aren't mentioned at all, it's pretty clearly a JFK-type Catholic democrat) and she turns out to actually be a side character lol

The main characters in this comic are the President's kids, Kevin and Mara. Mara, pretty early on, starts showing signs of possession, which is mistaken as a number of other things due to the new situation the family finds themselves in, shortly after the new President takes office. Aside from one of the potential reasons for Mara's behavior being linked to Havana Syndrome, I don't think the setting makes much of a difference and this story would have been the same if it were just like, a student at the school.

Overall it felt very much like a filler episode of Evil. Which, Evil is one of my favorite tv shows so I'm not mad, it's just that I hoped for and wanted more. If you like possession or religious horror, it's not a bad story to check out though. The art is reminiscent of Ben Templesmith's work as well, which I enjoyed.

Loved this so much! Great graphics & plot! I knew I’d love the supernatural aspects, but I also really enjoyed the political aspects as well!

The Exorcism at 1600 Penn is a great story about a haunting/possession in the White House. It's really creepy. It's interesting to see how someone has to deal with being president and a haunting at the same time. It shows what someone would do for their family. It's a different concept and it works. Horror fans will enjoy this graphic novel.

A bizarrely creative premise grounded in gifted illustrations and a riproaringly adventurous plot makes this well-done graphic novel magnetic and compelling, and quite likely apropos in light of our currently divisive Society. Well worth the reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for my Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

I absolutely love horror comics and this one did not disappoint. I loved the original storyline and the writing; I just wasn't a huge fan of the art, which is just my preference.

This fast paced horror comic had my heart pounding. The storytelling was well done, the artwork was stunning and the comic as a whole was scary enough to spike my anxiety.

Thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed the story for the most part. First, while this book centers around 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the publisher blurb does not tell the whole story. The book’s focus is on the teenage children of the first female POTUS. She is featured, but much off the story revolves around the teens.

Second, I have read a fair number of graphic novels and the artwork is just–weird. It’s physically dark, which I would expect from a horror novel, but there’s all sorts of weird shading. It was also hard to see expressions on the faces because of the weird drawing. Someone else suggested that the artwork was touched up with AI, which would make sense. There are some really great panels by other artists that are clear and don’t have the weird shadowing feature, and I enjoyed those immensely.

I did enjoy the political tension in the novel, as the president has to balance work and home while dealing with a blustering, power hungry senator who wants to start WWIII. Yeah, that doesn’t seem very realistic, does it? (Sarcasm font enabled.) Despite my misgivings with this ARC, I would still recommend it if I knew the artwork was corrected for the general release.

Curious concept and premise.
The first woman president of the US has a difficult job. Not only because she is the leader of a country. Also because….
Father Reid was an interesting character.
Moody comic. highly recommend.
3.5 stars.

A solid read. I enjoyed the narrative quite a bit, it’s too bad that the artwork is so dark towards the end that it’s tough to make out what’s going on.

A refreshing take on the possession trope. Told through a unique scenario this was surprising and fun to read. A definite recommended read for all fans of The Exorcist.

If the title of Hannah Rose May and Vanesa Del Rey's latest series, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, doesn’t grab your attention, the story inside certainly will. This supernatural horror comic thrillingly blends chilling political themes with the classic horror elements. May and Rey, two of comics' finest talents, deliver a truly unexpected horror that had me hooked from the outset.

Kelly Doyle has just been elected the first woman president of the United States of America, and boiling political tension could spill over at any second. Having to balance being a mother to two teenagers and navigating the shifting media landscape, all while preventing World War III, has Kelly spread thin, but she could never predict that the nation's hallowed halls would soon become a demonic battleground for good versus evil.

The timing of the original release of the four-issue miniseries might scare you away, but what lies inside the pages of The Exorcism at 1600 Penn is more supernatural horror than a traditional political tale...which with the current political climate was a relief. The First Family must navigate the challenges of public life while also facing demonic forces lurking within the White House. This unique blend adds an exciting and unexpected element to the comic. This story takes a surprising twist on political drama.

As we continued through the four-chapter story, we see elements of horror and political drama as expected, but we really dive into the family dynamics as the First Family adjusts to life in the White House–balancing caring for her daughter while it also being a possible threat to National security. Life in the public eye of being the first family as well as running a country is likely horrifying enough without having to worry about what supernatural forces may be at work. The balance of exploring the President's family and dealing with what lurks in the shadows is well executed.

The pacing throughout The Exorcism at 1600 Penn is wonderfully crafted, building tension slowly before delivering impactful moments that leave me edge. This emotional and thrilling story really captivated me as a fan of horror and political fiction (yes, I just watched the entirety of West Wing). Fitting directly in my wheelhouse, I looked forward to each page turn with anticipation and suspense. It's a fresh take on both genres that I wasn't really asking for, but somehow fell in love with along the way.

Each chapter has its own high moments, but the culmination in the fourth installment truly sent the story home. A tension and emotion-filled climax that made the entire journey worth the ride. While I said before the pacing was spot on, the ending did feel a bit fast, but not enough to take away from the overall story.

With a tale as good as The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, it definitely wouldn't have been nearly as good without the illustrations of Del Rey. Vanesa's gritty artwork enhances the eerie atmosphere of the story, allowing me to understand this story was more than a straight forward political fiction and we are in for an immersive ride. The tones are dark and the artwork can be chaotic at times, just like life in a horror story based in the White House. The visual elements such as the use of texting adds so much to the overall reading experience.

I was hooked after the premiere issue of The Exorcism at 1600 Penn and satisfied the feeling I felt from the outset carried throughout the entire story. Hannah Rose May and Vanesa Del Rey have created a gripping tale that defies genre conventions with its blend of political drama and supernatural horror. This miniseries showcases the kind of innovative storytelling that sets creator-owned comics apart from mainstream titles, more of what we want to see coming from outstanding publishers like IDW Publishing.