Review: ‘In Hell We Fight’ #2 Is Diabolically Fun

Welcome to the table,

There is something comforting about thinking about what comes next. I was frequently told I’m disabled because I didn’t love a god enough for them to help me. This makes me keenly aware that when I leave this world the next place I am destined for is a hellscape, at best.

Because of this, stories of hell that show more than a firepit of pain and horrors appeal to me. I don’t think, if there is a space beyond the veil, that I’m destined for the one with clouds and candy. Because of this, the thought that there is some kind of comfort, even if you have an axe in your head or the toilet always overflows, at least still feels like some kind of existence, a space to maybe call your own, a reason to fight on.

In Hell We Fight! #2 from Image Comics is a fun little romp through what comes after for those who do not fall into the “good place” category of the grand cosmic scheme of things.

Written and lettered by John Layman with art by JOK and colors by JOK and MEY, the story follows a group of young entities, all seemingly brought to hell as a direct result of demonic influence. They attempt to figure out what to do with an angel they found locked in the back of an overly accessorized and tricked out ice cream truck.

Yeah, that’s the premise. It’s unhinged and weird and dark in a whimsical way, and all of that combined really works for me. In the vast landscape of hell, where you could spend hundreds of pages on the various demon lords and horrors that lurk in the world beyond, In Hell We Fight is charmingly character-driven and that works to set it apart from other explorations of the space where angels fear to tread.

The ensemble cast of the damned feels unredeemable, but also weirdly loveable. In issue one, we got Xander Waterford’s backstory, and this messed up frog-smashing youth seems like such a horrible little kid. But then when he is eaten by the frog devil Bufobeelz, you can’t help but wonder if his hate for frogs was because on a cosmic level, he knew what was coming, or if his actions caused the massive frog beast to rise from the depths of the Mississippi to snap him up sending him into the pits of hell.

Issue #2 gives us another backstory this time focusing on the snarky Midori Fukada.

Raised by a gang of thieves who called themselves the Demon Dragons, Midori’s youth was spent learning the tools and tactics of those who inflict pain and torment on others.

That is, until she discovers that the leader of the Demon Dragons is an actual demon… and dragon who she then promptly decides she is going to kill. I know it sounds goofy and it is, it’s so very goofy, but that is where this book really shines.

The charming diablerie of the plot, coupled with the bright and colorful art makes In Hell We Fight feel like someone using a box of crayons to journal their existential crisis of faith across the pages of an ancient skin-bound grimoire used for communing with the lords of hell.

As someone who loves demon lore and vaguely villainous protagonists a collection of damned youth who are concerned with an ice cream truck in hell is the kind of plot I willingly sign up for. I love the stylized art, and the monster design, all of it works for me.

All of it, except some of the font choices. The lettering itself works. Great kerning and justification as far as the speech bubbles go and even in most of the narration blocks there are no flaws that stand out. However, occasionally when there are sound effects or as seen above the shift from normal text to a more designed-based font for the name Koroso, the design choice seems out of place with the rest of the book. Like an afterthought or the text in an Instagram stories post added on via the native platform over an otherwise really cohesive image that probably did not need it.

It’s not even that I think it’s bad, it just does not fit the vibe of the rest of the book.

My opinion on some of the font choices should not dissuade you from picking up In Hell We Fight if you are a fan of weird stories like Black Metal, House of Mystery, or even Deadly Class. I know I’ll keep reading the series as I enjoy the strangeness of it all and want to see what new demons are going to appear.

Until next time, the angel in this book can use a halo as a weapon and it is so rad!