Line #32 Webcomic/TheLettersoftheDevil


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wright_heuman_ben_the_letters_of_the_devil_web_png_1_4.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:The Letters of the Devil: a Whodunit Mystery Graphic Novel by Ben Wright-Heuman]]
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4	''[[http://www.bwhcomics.com/lotd The Letters of the Devil]]'' is a whodunit mystery graphic novel by Ben Wright-Heuman that was launched as a serialized webcomic in February 2017. New pages post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. After the story concluded in November 2017, a print edition was published that December. A second print volume titled ''The Letters of the Devil II: The Legacy of L'' was published in October 2020 following a successful Kickstarter.
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7	!!''The Letters of the Devil'' contains examples of:
8	* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Chuck Castor is murdered right after it is revealed that he killed an underage mistress.]]
9	* BiblicalBadGuy: Both the title of the comic and some passing comparisons to Lucifer imply that the mysterious "L" is the Devil. Whether this is literal or figurative is not yet clear.
10	* BigFancyHouse: The Castors have a pretty swanky place.
11	* BlackWidow: [[spoiler:Right after shooting her husband in the chest, Susan says, "Don't worry 'bout me, hon. It's not the first time I've done this." This confirms an earlier L Letter clue, which suggests that one of the Castors killed their previous spouse.]]
12	* ByTheBookCop: Detective Lechter, who sits across from Cedric, is "too big a straight-edge."
13	* TheCityNarrows: [[spoiler:The run-down warehouse district becomes a scene of violence and chaos when Gilly attacks Cedric with a syringe.]]
14	* CityNoir: The unnamed city that ''The Letters of the Devil'' inhabits is a world of barely-hidden corruption. As the mysterious L says in the Prologue, "The city is beautiful from a distance. It hides the Rot well."
15	* CityWithNoName: The city is never named. The only clue is the initials "SGPD" on the back of Cedric's police windbreaker.
16	* CoolKidAndLoserFriendship: In a flashback, Cedric describes how he became friends with Ira after saving him from a beating from some bullies.
17	* CopKiller: Cedric makes reference to his old partner, Eric Thompson, who was killed by a junkie.
18	* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Rita Carey, founder of Carey Investments and a businesswoman of questionable ethics.
19	* DirtyCop: [[spoiler:Cedric]] might be on the side of justice, but he's more than willing to murder unarmed criminals and leave people to die if it gets him a shiny new promotion.
20	* DisposingOfABody: [[spoiler:Chuck reveals that he had an aide dispose of Lucy Tripp's body.]]
21	* DrivingQuestion: Who is L, how do they know so many secrets, and why are they sharing them?
22	* FairPlayWhodunnit: The mystery will be solvable with the clues provided.
23	* ForensicAccounting: In response to Cedric's questioning of her books, Rita Carey sends the police precinct boxes full of accounting records.
24	* IntrepidReporter: Vida Olivier, tabloid reporter for ''The Scrutineer''.
25	* JigsawPuzzlePlot: The story appears simple at first, but it becomes progressively more complex as more and more clues surface.
26	* KnightInSourArmor: Cedric is more interested in advancing himself by doing the least amount of work possible than he is in actually solving crimes.
27	* MinorCrimeRevealsMajorPlot: The story is started by Cedric's investigation into Rita Carey's fraudulent business practices, and we discover a plethora of other, more heinous crimes as his investigation progresses.
28	* MysteriousStranger: Letters from "L", and a mysterious bicyclist.
29	* PaedoHunt: [[spoiler:It is revealed that Chuck Castor had an affair with an underage intern and subsequently killed her when she revealed she was pregnant.]]
30	* TheReveal: And L is... [[spoiler:Ida, the background guy who played the part of the ExtremeDoormat mook to get all the intel he needed to pull this off. He's been practicing since he was six.]]
31	* SleazyPolitician: Chuck Castor discusses using his late wife's death to get "sympathy votes" in the upcoming election. [[spoiler:It is also revealed later that he murdered an underage mistress and had an aide dispose of her body.]]
32	* SplashOfColor: The entire comic is in black and white, with certain special objects and flashbacks being drawn in red.
33	* TheOnlyOneITrust: When describing Ira, Cedric says, "There's nobody I trust like him."
34	* TakeItToTheBridge: The story opens on a bridge, and Cedric meets with Ira on the same bridge.
35	* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Rita Carey is portrayed as being an exceptional and charitable businesswoman, which causes roadblocks when Cedric investigates her for fraud.
36	* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: The location of the city is never specified.
37	* WhiteCollarCrime: Rita Carey is accused of running a Ponzi scheme.
38	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Once it becomes clear that Chuck's reputation is irrevocably tarnished, Susan kills him while saying, "You're too broken."]]

Context Webcomic / TheLettersoftheDevil