Satanic Hell Review: Red State Meets Spinal Tap

The initial concept behind Zeno Telos Press’ “Satanic Hell” isn’t awe-inspiring. The thought of a comic that centers on a band seems old and frail. The idea has been done before countless times in other mediums. Comics that focus on politics are bland too. The fact that every comic book writer nowadays tries to throw in his or her political opinions, rather than create characters that are compelling, hurts the few writers that have a real message.

But after a few pages, the Spawn-inspired art and witty writing get a hold of you and don’t let go. Like a perfectly blended combination of Kevin Smith’s “Red State” and the cult classic “Spinal Tap,” the first issue of this comic is a winner.

Writer Grigoris Douros does his job in showing a Texas that has been lost. Overrun by religious leaders, the state is void of Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, big steaks and even the sultry Jessica Simpson. A place of religious worship and absolute rule, it’s not the place for a down on their luck metal band. But after a call from an underground promoter, the band is promised an opportunity of a lifetime- their big break. Can they make it in the uber-conservative and dangerous state long enough to play a gig?

The first issue of the seven-part mini-series makes you wonder.

Artists Kevin Enhart and Jimmy Kerast paint an image of Texas that feels borrowed, but not stolen from the work of Greg Capullo. Sharp facial expressions with blurry features make for an imaginative and wild car ride. The opening page is absolutely beautiful and will make any seasoned reader think they’re about to read the comic book version of Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.”

Through the savvy writing and psychedelic yet gritty visuals, you get a debut comic that not only caters to the more sophisticated comic book reader, you get a literal tale that is also enjoyable. Those that see the political undertones will embrace them. Those that do not will see a more serious version of a “Scooby Doo” meets “Metalocalypse” story.

Lets face it- independent comic book companies sprout up like weeds in dog parks nowadays due to the cost-effect ways digital publishing caters to young creators. While most of the work is sub-standard and there’s a reason it never gets past the web, “Satantic Hell” would be a nice addition to a mature imprint of a major comic book company.

Smart, edgy and paced-well, Douros and the artistic team have their act together in issue one.

For more information on the comic click here.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13821 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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