LADY HEL #1, from Dynamite Comics on August 17th, 2022, follows Lady Hel’s downfall after she was defeated by Purgatori. When Lady Hel wakes up in an unfamiliar Underworld, she must find the new ruler to regain her throne.
The Details
- Written by: Erik Burnham
- Art by: Zhengis Tasbolatov
- Colors by: Salvatore Aiala
- Letters by: Dave Sharpe
- Cover art by: Lucio Parrillo (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: August 17, 2022
Is It Good?
LADY HEL #1 follows up the Vampirella vs. Purgatori arc with a mini-series focused on one of the villains who suffered an embarrassing defeat. Now, Lady Hel finds herself lost in a multiverse of Underworlds where her sovereignty and power are all but gone. Is this first issue strong enough to raise the dead, or does it leave you wishing it had stayed six feet under? Honestly, it’s not bad.
Burnham’s first issue sets up a mystery where Lady Hel has to figure out where she is and who put her there so she can regain her former glory. The mystery is the strength of this first issue as Burnham gives you just enough information from Lady Hel’s point of view to build curiosity. Using Lady Hel as the audience surrogate immediately puts the reader on her side, even though she’s not a nice person. The reader can easily invest in the mystery on Lady Hel’s behalf.
Burnham takes the intriguing step of using the multiverse concept to mix Underworlds from different mythologies. Lady Hel comes from Helheim, a derivative of Niflheim from Norse mythology, but here she winds up in Tartarus from Greek mythology. Two Underworlds, different cultures. So, if you like to see how a creator takes different versions of a common idea and blends them, this issue will be interesting to you.
The art is fine in this issue. This issue is our first exposure to Tasbolatov’s work, and the execution is generally good. The character designs have a static quality common among artists who are used to graphic design and portraiture rather than action comics, but the action sequences are handled well. The colors look great, and the lettering is excellent.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
After her defeat at the end of Vampirella vs. Purgatori, Lady Hel finds herself suddenly cast into a dark pit. The pit looks like Helheim, but Lady Hel’s power and strength are almost gone, and she doesn’t recognize her location. She’s soon confronted by a gang of demons who don’t recognize her.
Striking the lead demon for an insolent comment, Lady Hel finds she’s nearly powerless as the blow does mild damage. The demons chase her, intending to exact painful payback. Lady Hel finds herself cornered in an alley, but before the demons can strike, she gambles on absorbing the soul energy from nearby shades.
We conclude the issue with a temporary reprieve, a visit with the new boss, and a “grim” interrogation.
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Final Thoughts
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LADY HEL #1 is a creative, intriguing first issue exploring one of Chaos! Comics’ lesser known characters. Burnham sets up the mystery well to get the readers invested, the mix of Underworld mythologies is intriguing, and the art is fairly good.
Related Information
What is Hel the goddess of?
Lady Hel is the goddess of Death. The name Hel originates from Norse Mythology and literally translates as ‘Death’. In Norse mythology, Hel is the daughter of Loki and she was said to rule over Niflheim, the Asgardian version of the Underworld.
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