In Hell We Fight #1: Retribution and Ice Cream

In Hell We Fight #1 is a comic book that makes a story about petty children condemned to an eternity in damnation fun. Think of it as the sequential storytelling equivalent of opening a pack of Garbage Pail Kids cards. Comically relenting in its unkindness and firmly tongue in cheek with the knowledge that kids (i.e., adult children comic book readers) are in on the joke. It has the air of a tall tale or fable where naughty kids receive a surprisingly brutal comeuppance. The kind of fate that Lisa Simpson secretly wishes on her brother in the form of eternal detention. This particular detention is a hellscape with demon warlords and ominous monster frogs. 

The condemned children are unapologetic in their eternally youthful defiance. Frozen in time, our cast of characters includes a masochistic stomper of frogs from 1870, a rising star from the Yakuza gang whose teenage rise to power was cut short in 2003, and a pensive kid named Ernie Comstock who was murdered by a magical ax. Along for the ride is the offspring of a demon warlord who envies the “bad kids” and takes on the persona of the baby brother, who is begging to come along for the fun. These children assemble and use the Beatlejuice-equal powers bestowed on them from the manner of their demise to fulfill their ultimate goal of… highjacking ice cream in hell. When the heist goes sideways – the fun begins.

Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum writer John Layman is having a great time telling a story that could have easily been gestating from a particularly dull stint in detention forty years ago. It’s word-building without pretense, and the ending reveals a new addition to the gang that will create a “team” dynamic to sustain this book for future issues. It’s relentless in its comic brutality but in the most fun and lighthearted ways. His lettering incorporates images and symbols to convey swift and sudden emotion. It fits in so well with the artwork and storytelling that we can expect loving imitations in 2024. With his penciling partner, JOK, Layman has created a fun tone reminiscent of school desk graffiti, and it makes for a damn fun read.