Many people have the idea that hell is a hot place.
Ignoring for a moment the debate over whether an afterlife or underworld exists, I think it’s interesting that we’ve led people to think that Hell is filled with fire and brimstone. It spreads through popular culture and has precedents in many mythologies. It also makes some logical sense, in a practical sense, that the further you go into the Earth’s interior, it will naturally warm. “You’re going to burn in hell,” some particularly loving Christians told me. Warm and cozy.
But I prefer to think of Dante’s description of hell. The Ninth Circle is described as a cold, desolate place, far from the light and warmth of God’s love. It is an absence rather than a presence. lack. Much like darkness.
“We all walked by ourselves.
Although mainly Hell Detective The title is mostly fresh off the bat, with Paul Jenkins and Sean Phillips serving as lead creative team and original series scribes Jamie Delano Back to John Constantine terrorist and david lloyd and Elita Fair. A two-issue prestige series in which an emotionally deficient Constantine attempts to hunt down a refugee from Africa who may be spreading terror around the world with a haunting look.
Oddly enough, the story raises some timeless socio-political questions. It’s 1995, the series is about to come out, and we have immigration, hunger, domestic violence, and more. The way the issues are presented, the references (like things reminiscent of cattle cars in Nazi Germany) change, but it’s a reminder that we’ve been dealing with these issues again and again. But there is an emotional distance inherent in John Constantine’s perspective. That indifference mentioned earlier. Some characters try to fill this void with sex or food.
David Lloyd’s artwork is haunting. His line art makes interesting use of chiaroscuro, sometimes making characters and buildings feel like shadows cast on the background. It brings an eerie, nightmarish feel to the story. Especially the angel himself. The images take on a dark expressionistic form. Mixed with his colors, it’s as much a story you read as it is a story you feel. Elitta Fell rounds out the creative team with a solid typeface.
“Fear is the fuel that drives the human engine, isn’t it?
I don’t want to shame anyone who needs to shut themselves down right now. Isolate myself from the outside world for a while and think about how to move forward. This is also a protective measure. It’s like going into survival mode. There are a lot of unprecedented things happening in our lives and I don’t want to feel cold.
I think the important thing is to find a healthy way back. In your own time. Whether it’s exorcising your inner demons or finding a way to feel good again, like in terrorist Authors: Delano, Lloyd, and Phil. or through other personal means. The world itself may be cold, seemingly indifferent, and full of terrible things, but knowing them, identifying them, and overcoming your shadows lies ahead of you.
Classic Comics Compendium: Terrorists
terrorist
writer: Jamie Delano
artist: David Lloyd
Writer: Elita Phil
Publisher: DC Comics – Vertigo
release date: October 26 – December 7, 1995 (original question)
available for collection John Constantine: Hellraiser – Volume 2: The Devil You Know
Read past entries in the Classic Comics Compendium!