History ComicBook / Heck

[[TimeSkip Five years later]], Heck has established himself as an "inheritance consultant": for a small fee and a contract [[BloodOath signed in blood]], he'll travel into Hell, find a recently-deceased person, and tell or ask them anything you want. When his old high school flame comes in to give a letter to her late husband, Heck takes on the job—but there's more to the story than there first appears ...

NeedsWikiMagicLove.

* CruelMercy: [[spoiler:At the very end of the book, Heck has saved Elliot from Satan himself, but is grievously wounded and ready to die. Satan, however, picks up Heck and tells him the most hurtful thing he can: the truth. Even after Heck abandoned his only friend, Elliot still forgave him. This breaks Heck's spirit utterly ... and then Satan returns him to Earth, unharmed. After all, he'll see Heck again—eventually.]]
* DevilButNoGod: Since the book is based heavily on Literature/TheDivineComedy, then logically God must exist, but nobody ever mentions Him. A few angels show up—both regular ones and [[{{Satan}} fallen]].

* [[spoiler:LaserGuidedAmnesia: Apparently, every time Heck leaves Hell, most of his memories of the journey are erased. Which means he doesn't remember just how terrifying and disturbing it is—until the ''[[FridgeHorror next]]'' time he goes there ...]]

* [[spoiler:LaserGuidedAmnesia: Apparently, every time Heck leaves Hell, most of his memories of the journey are erased. [[FridgeHorror Which means he doesn't remember just how terrifying and disturbing it is—until the ''next'' time he goes there ...]]]]

* ChildrenAreInnocent: An interesting example that plays with actual Catholic doctrine. [[WordOfDante According to Dante]], the unbaptized children stay in Limbo with the virtuous pagans. However, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbo#Modern_era a document written by Pope John Paul II and published in 2007 declared that, essentially, unbaptized infants are ''not'' prevented from entering Heaven.]] So on this trip, Heck happens to arrive at the exact moment that a contingent of angels arrive to take all the babies to Heaven.

** RedRightHand: [[spoiler: Amy's eyes are like those of a snake,,especially when upset.]]

* {{Forgiveness}}: A major betrayal in the book is forgiven, surprisingly. [[spoiler:Elliot, who was seemingly abandoned by Heck at the very bottom of Hell, tells Satan that he forgives Heck. But Heck finds new resolve, returns and rescues Elliot, only to be beaten within an inch of his life and ready to die. Satan decides to spare Heck, but before returning him to Earth, tells him that Elliot forgave him. And that moment, more than any other, is what breaks Heck.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: Literally. [[spoiler:Heck meets Colin, one of the guys in the car with Greg, in the wood of the suicides. Colin was the driver.]]

** This also makes for an interesting method of communication with the mortal world: using a magic talisman, Heck can talk to Amy, but she will only hear him when she's committing the sin of the [[CirclesOfHell circle]] he's in, ''regardless of when she committed it''. For example, while in the Uncommitted (those who did not choose between good or evil), Heck speaks to Amy. In the present, Amy finds a diary she kept in high school; in a section where she's having trouble making a major decision, her writing takes a sudden odd turn as she "hears" what Heck is saying.

* DevilButNoGod: Since the book is based heavily on Literature/TheDivineComedy, then logically God must exist, but nobody ever mentions Him.

* PlaceBeyondTime: As Heck says, "Everything down there is ''always'' happening." He and Elliot don't need to eat while they're down there, and time will pass differently from the mortal world.

* ChildrenAreInnocent: An interesting example that plays with actual Catholic doctrine. [[WordOfDante According to Dante]], the unbaptized children stay in Limbo with the virtuous pagans. On this trip, however, Heck happens to arrive at the exact moment that angels show up to take the babies to Heaven. This is due to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbo#Modern_era a document written by Pope John Paul II and published in 2007 which declared that, essentially, unbaptized infants are ''not'' prevented from entering Heaven.]]

* AbusiveParents: Hinted at with [[spoiler:Elliot]]. Heck's dad was clearly not a nice guy, either, though to what degree is unclear.

* ChildrenAreInnocent: An interesting example that plays with actual Catholic doctrine. According to Dante, the unbaptized children stay in Limbo with the virtuous pagans. On this trip, however, Heck happens to arrive at the exact moment that angels show up to take the babies to Heaven. This is due to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbo#Modern_era a document written by Pope John Paul II and published in 2007 which declared that, essentially, unbaptized infants are ''not'' prevented from entering Heaven.]]

* ChildrenAreInnocent: An interesting example that plays with actual Catholic doctrine. According to Dante, the unbaptized children stay in Limbo with the virtuous pagans. On this trip, however, Heck happens to arrive at the exact moment that angels show up to take the babies to Heaven. This is due to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbo#Modern_era a document written by Pope John Paul II and published in 2007 which declared that, essentially, unbaptized infants are ''not'' prevented from entering Heaven.

Years later, Heck has established himself as an "inheritance consultant": for a small fee and a contract [[BloodOath signed in blood]], he'll travel into Hell, find a recently-deceased person, and tell or ask them anything you want. When his old high school flame comes in to give a letter to her late husband, Heck takes on the job—but there's more to the story than there first appears ...

* AndIMustScream: It follows [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante's ''Inferno'']] to a T, so all those punishments appear here too: the Wood of the Suicides, the sorcerers with their heads turned backwards, the sinners frozen in ice ...

* CirclesOfHell: This version of Hell follows [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante's map of Hell]] exactly: nine circles divided by sins, with Satan at the very bottom.

* [[spoiler:WellDoneSonGuy: Heck ends up meeting his father in Hell, and they come to an understanding, at least.]]

* FireAndBrimstoneHell / {{Hell}}: The setting of 90% of the book.

A graphic novel by Zander Cannon, first published in serialized form in the digital comic book ''Double Barrel'' in 2012 and released in print in 2013 by Top Shelf Productions. Hector "Heck" Hammerskjold, former high school football star, returns home for his father's funeral, planning to finally discard the last of the old man's crap. And then he discovers a portal to Hell in the house's basement ...

* DrivenToSuicide: Literally. [[spoiler:Heck meets Colin, one of the guys in the car with Greg, in the wood of the suicides. He was the driver.]]

* [[spoiler:LaserGuidedAmnesia: Apparently, every time Heck leaves Hell, most of his memories of the journey are erased. Which means he doesn't remember just how terrifying and disturbing it is—until the ''next'' time he goes there ...]]

Years later, Heck has established himself as an afterlife consultant: for a small fee and a contract [[BloodOath signed in blood]], he'll travel into Hell, find a recently-deceased person, and tell or ask them anything you want. When his old high school flame comes in to give a letter to her late husband, Heck takes on the job—but there's more to the story than there first appears ...

* [[spoiler:TheBadGuyWins]]

* {{Hell}}: The setting of 90% of the book.

* AndIMustScream: It follows [[Literature/TheDivineComedy Dante's ''Inferno'']] to a T, so all those punishments appear here too: the Wood of the Suicides, the fraudulent seers with their heads turned backwards, the sinners frozen of ice ...