Review: Hell to Pay #1 (of 6)

“‘Tis the season to be scary, tra la la laaa, la la, la, la”. It seems that every other book this last fortnight has been horror themed. I suppose if that all publishers are pushing out, those books are going to trickle somewhere. Hell to Pay is a kind of horror themed Indiana Jones type of quest affair. Throw in a deal with the devil and you have the sort of table turning story that promises to deliver some twists and turns.

The Stones have made a deal with the devil. All they need to do is collect the remaining cursed coins, the qurrakh that exist on the earth. Now on the trail of the last one, its glad rags for Mrs Stone and back-up for Mr Stone, However, they are not the only ones who have made deals, and with an added pressure to the need to be free the race is on!

I am a fan of Charles Soule from across the various comic book aisles. Here, Soule sets the table out from the get go. If sex can sell, it certainly can also distract, with Maia Stone showing a lot of leg to the target of Ian Macready and an offer of joining his collection having the desired result, Soule is playing with the readers expectations. The setup allows for a ton of exposition, at least from a certain point of view. There is a need for this; first issues tend to have to sett the scene; Soule tries to keep this at a minimum, though with devil being in the details, you would do well to take notice of it all. The characters of Maia and Sebastian (the Stones) are well nuanced with a casual comfiness that comes from being a married couple for a number of years. The plot is quite pacy, even with the sideways history lesson that is required, a testament to Soule’s vitality. and the sense of enjoyable generate by way of the characters interactions.

The artwork is supplied by Will Sliney, whose work I’m not too conversant in. Here there are totally different stylings on present. Firstly Sliney makes use of some wonderful traces to intensify Maia. This then strikes into the second model, a form of Tom Rainey look with an fringe of cartoony parts. Finally, this segues right into a extra straight ahead sq. jawed strategy. Will the true Wll Sliney please rise up! Some tame physique postures early on are rescued by digicam angle adjustments later within the e book. The colours from Rachelle Rosenberg work effectively, with a deepness that provides a mystic vibe to proceedings, matching the tone of many of the e book. Finally, Chris Crank provides a pleasant font, that’s straightforward to learn, exposition and. all. I’ll even give a nod to Image Comics for together with Crank on the quilt credit.

A enjoyable e book, that’s an pleasant romp, stuffed with characters who make logical choices for the now, regardless with what this will likely imply down the road. Soule raises the ante because the Stones assume they’re lastly out from below the hammer.

Writing – 4 Stars

Art- 4 Stars