History ComicBook / TheChroniclesOfWormwood

* GodKartingWithBeelzebub: In this context, God and Satan only have a professional relationship (not that God could really have a proper say in anything, [[KingOfAllCosmos being completely out of his mind]], anyway). Their sons [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} Jay]] and [[AntiAntichrist Danny]] on the other hand are definitely friends.

* IronicHell: Hell in the story is basically this. Aside from the general torments of torture and mutilation inflicted by demons, the sinners are also inflicted with punishments having to do with their sins (like a pedophile being set upon by monster children). It's also a bit of SelfInflictedHell as the sinners choose where they go but unlike the Creator/NeilGaiman version from ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' in which people are condemned by their own guilt (so innocent people can damn themselves or be tricked into going to hell), people who die are shown the absolute truth of who and what they were, a truth so so powerful that, in Wormwood's words,"cannot be denied. Not even by the truly insane" and afterwards know where they have to go. Later on, Pope Jacko, who had become the lord of Hell, states that for most, this realisation is the worst part of hell. Knowing, with absolute certainty, that you are a monster and deserve to be in hell.

* IronicHell: Hell in the story is basically this. Aside from the general torments of torture and mutilation inflicted by demons, the sinners are also inflicted with punishments having to do with their sins (like a pedophile being set upon by monster children). It's also a bit of SelfInflictedHell as the sinners choose where they go but unlike the Creator/NeilGaiman version from sandman in which people are condemned by their own guilt (so innocent people can damn themselves or be tricked into going to hell), people who die are shown the absolute truth of who and what they were, a truth so so powerful that, in Wormwood's words,"cannot be denied. Not even by the truly insane" and afterwards know where they have to go. Later on, Pope Jacko, who had become the lord of Hell, states that for most, this realisation is the worst part of hell. Knowing, with absolute certainty, that you are a monster and deserve to be in hell.

* FluffyTheTerrible: The Beast with Seven Heads is named Nigel.

* IronicHell: Hell in the story is basically this. Aside from the general torments of torture and mutilation inflicted by demons, the sinners are also inflicted with punishments having to do with their sins (like a pedophile being set upon by monster children). It's also a bit of SelfInflictedHell as the sinners choose where they go but unlike the Creator/NeilGaiman version from sandman in which people are condemned by their own guilt (so innocent people can damn themselves or be tricked into going to hell), people who die are shown the absolute truth of who and what they were, a truth so so powerful that, in Wormwood's words,"cannot be denied. Not even by the truly insane" and afterwards know where they have to go. Later on, Pope Jacko who had become the lord of Hell states that for most, this realisation is the worst part of hell. Knowing, with absolute certainty, that you are a monster and deserve to be in hell.

* CorruptChurch: In Jay’s backstory, it is elaborated that his message of peace and love has been twisted by his followers ever since his death to punctuate his suffering to control the masses [[spoiler:which Satan claims to have taken credit for, having pitched the idea to Emperor Nero]]. In modern times, the Vatican wound up electing Jacko - who is shown to be a hedonistic asshole with no respect for anyone or anything [[spoiler:and an associate of Satan when no one else is around]] - as the new pope because “[[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain it was this or the nigger]].”
* DeathIsCheap: There are dozens of deceased humans who have left Heaven or Hell and are now wandering the streets. UsefulNote/JoanOfArc happens to be one of them, being a recurring hook-up for Danny.

* KarmicSTD: The Chronicles of Wormwood: Jacko (the world's first Australian Pope) is a devout hedonist, regularly seen having sex with nuns. At the end of the first book, his scream of "Full-blown AIDS? FUCK!" can be heard outside the Vatican. This leads directly to the second and third arcs where he wants Jesus to cure him and revenge on Wormwood for preventing that, respectively.

* DeathIsCheap: There are dozens of deceased humans who have left Heaven or Hell and are now wandering the streets. Joan of Arc happens to be one of them, being a recurring hook-up for Danny.

* IronicHell: Hell in the story is basically this. Aside from the general torments of torture and mutilation inflicted by demons, the sinners are also inflicted with punishments having to do with their sins (like a pedophile being set upon by monster children). It's also a bit of SelfInflictedHell as the sinners choose where they go but unlike the NeilGaiman version from sandman in which people are condemned by there own guilt (so innocent people can damn themselves or be trick into going to hell), people who die are shown the absolute truth of who and what they were, a truth so so powerful that, in Wormwood's words,"cannot be denied. Not even by the truly insane" and afterwards know where they have to go. Later on, Pope Jacko who had become the lord of hell states that for most, this realisation is the worst part of hell. Knowing, with absolute certainty, that you are a monster and deserve to be in hell.

* MisaimedFandom: In a weird sort of in-universe way. Every time a Satanist approached Danny as a kid with plans of worshiping him or helping him along his way to taking power, they turned up dead from a heart attack or brain tumor shortly thereafter, with a "traumatized" Danny unable to explain what had happened.

* TakeThat: The Catholic church, self-consciously "shocking" cable television shows, the Catholic church, ''Franchise/StarWars'' fans, the Catholic church, right-wing talk radio hosts, shock journalism, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush, and, [[OverlyLongGag by the way, the Catholic church]].

* FlatWhat: To round out the page count of ''The Last Battle'', Ennis has included two two-page shorts, both of which are in the worst possible taste.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Pope "Jacko" is casually racist, spends most of his time banging women wearing habits, [[spoiler: steals blood from altar boys]], and pals around with Satan when nobody's looking, but even ''he'' gets pissed off about pedophile priests.
--->"...and by the way, Cardinal O'Leary, it'd be a fucksight ''easier'' for the head of the Catholic church to tell ''anyone anything''--if CUNTS LIKE YOU '''WEREN'T FUCKIN' RAPIN' KIDS ALL THE TIME'''!"
** Not much of a standard - he's not really pissed about them being pedophiles so much as [[PragmaticVillainy he's pissed about having to deal with the fallout]].

* TakeThat: The Catholic church, self-consciously "shocking" cable television shows, the Catholic church, ''Franchise/StarWars'' fans, the Catholic church, right-wing talk radio hosts, shock journalism, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush, and, by the way, the Catholic church.

* JerkasshasAPoint: When Pope Jacko's cardinals call him to discuss the end of days, [[EveryoneIsSatanInHell they claim that Danny’s criticism of religious fanaticism on live television is a sign that he is gathering his army of Satan-worshippers for the end of days]]. It takes Jacko - who is established to be a misogynistic asshole every bit as unworthy of his title would demand - to point out that not only is that very flimsy evidence at best, but the various incidents that happened in Danny’s life show that he is anything but interested in becoming the Prince of Darkness that he was destined to be. Later on, they bother him again by claiming that he went to Hell to gather his demonic armies, only for Jacko to point out that he could also just be visiting. He was right on both counts.

--> '''Jakco:''' It's the truth that does for most blokes. That's how it works. yer pop yer clogs and find out what yer really amounted to. and where yer got to go for eternity because of it. I mean, can you fuckin' imagine the shock a' that...? Yer a cunt. There's a hell. and yer going there. And that's really hell, bein' helpless forever in the face of yer own cuntishness. Drives most o' them wacko straightaway. Take ol' Saddam as a recent example: Believed to the day they stretched his neck that he was a great leader. Cruel to be kind, Allah was on his side, woulda been fine if the wogs hadn't let him down..no. No, no, an' no.
** During the guided tour of Heaven, Danny, Jimmy and Jay encounter a suicide bomber taking care of his 72 virgins. That is, 72 babies he is responsible for feeding and cleaning.

--> '''Jakco:''' It's the truth that does for most blokes. That's how it works. yer pop yer clogs and find out what yer really amounted to. and where yer got to go for eternity because of it. I mean, can you fuckin' imagine the shock a' that...? Yer a cunt. There's a hell. and yer going there. And that's really hell, bein' helpless forever in the face of yer own cuntishness. Drives most o' them wacko straightaway. Take ol' Saddam as a recent example: Believed to the day they stretched his neck that he was a great leader. Cruel to be kind, Allah was on his side, woulda been fine if the wogs hadn't let him down..no. No, no, an' no.\\

--> '''Jakco:''' It's the truth that does for most blokes. That's how it works. yer pop yer clogs and find out what yer really amounted to. and where yer got to go for eternity because of it. I mean, can you fuckin' imagine the shock a' that...? Yer a cunt. There's a hell. and yer going there. And that's really hell, bein' helpless forever in the face of yer own cuntishness. Drives most o' them wacko straightaway. Take ol' Saddam as a recent example: Believed to the day they stretched his neck that he was a great leader. Cruel to be kind, Allah was on his side, woulda been fine if the wogs hadn't let him down..no. No, no, an' no.

During the guided tour of Heaven, Danny, Jimmy and Jay encounter a suicide bomber taking care of his 72 virgins. That is, 72 babies he is responsible for feeding and cleaning.

* IronicHell: During the guided tour of Heaven, Danny, Jimmy and Jay encounter a suicide bomber taking care of his 72 virgins. That is, 72 babies he is responsible for feeding and cleaning.

* BlackBestFriend: Wormwood's friend Jay is the SecondComing of Christ, although he's not often entirely lucid. Because he has severe brain damage as the result of a cop caving in the side of his head with a nightstick. Lift the dreadlocks on his right temple and you can see a three-inch scar. His daddy sent him to Earth in the freaking sixties. PoliceBrutality at its finest.

* TakeThat: The Catholic church, self-consciously "shocking" cable television shows, the Catholic church, ''Franchise/StarWars'' fans, right-wing talk radio hosts, shock journalism, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush, and, by the way, the Catholic church.

* TakeThat: The Catholic church, self-consciously "shocking" cable television shows, the Catholic church, ''Franchise/StarWars'' and its fans, right-wing talk radio hosts, shock journalism, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush, and, by the way, the Catholic church.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Danny and Maggie manage to work out their issues and get back together, Pope Jacko's soul is sealed inside the mind of an asshole catatonic man and Jay finally starts to recover from his head injury and is planning on starting a talk show produced by Danny so he can go back to helping people.

--->"You guys wanna come to the show tonight? We got Creator/BillHicks opening for [[JimiHendrix Hendrix]]. No cover."

* TakeThat: The Catholic church, self-consciously "shocking" cable television shows, the Catholic church, ''Franchise/StarWars'' and its fans, right-wing talk radio hosts, shock journalism, GeorgeWBush, and, by the way, the Catholic church.

''Wormwood'' is a horror/comedy series from Creator/AvatarPress by GarthEnnis, Jacen Burrows, and Oscar Jimenez, which currently consists of two miniseries (the second of which, ''The Last Battle'', took about [[ScheduleSlip eighteen months to ship six issues]]) and a one-shot, ''The Last Enemy''. Despite Ennis's high profile, ''Wormwood'' is surprisingly obscure even among Ennis's fans.

* MisaimedFandom: In a weird sort of in-universe way. Every time a Satanist approached Danny as a kid, they turned up dead from a heart attack or brain tumor shortly thereafter, with a "traumatized" Danny unable to explain what had happened.