Let's get it started!
Page 1:
We kick things off in a graveyard. Raining, of course. A pair of shadowy figures seem to be walking away from a grave.
We zoom closer to the grave over the next two panels, revealing it belongs to a "Rhea Snaketail". It's a nice touch with the single bouquet of roses, which, coupled with only two people at the grave, kind of tells us this Rhea isn't exactly the most loved of people.
The next panel, oddly enough, shows a closed eye surround by orange skin. Someone is saying Rhea's name, so in the grand name of fiction cliches, clearly this is Rhea's eye. Over the next two panels, it opens in response to the whispers to reveal...
A giant dark red and black dragon, wearing robes, saying "Good morning" while Rhea floats in some sort of white void. What.
The dragon reassures Rhea (who is revealed as this little fuzzy clothes-wearing cat/squirrel hybrid thing) that Rhea has nothing to fear, and that he/she/it will not harm Rhea. Rhea does not look convinced, letting out an ominous "uh-oh."
Page 2:
Rhea is revealed to be clearly female, so I can stop beating around the bush and actually use pronouns to talk about her.
She labels the dragon "Mr. Creepy" (clearly a great way to greet a giant dragon when floating in the middle of a white void), and asks where she is.
The response is classic. "This is JUDGMENT!"
Rhea does a double-take and asks about who the dragon is. Apparently the dragon is Death, aka the Grim Reaper, aka Anubis, et cetera, et cetera. (Keep those alternate titles in mind for later.) In short, Rhea...is dead.
Rhea belts out an "Aw, crap!" as Death looks her up in a book while somehow spontaneously sporting mirrored glasses. Man, it must be cool to be Death.
Apparently the "Great Book of Records" can't tell Death what he (I'm going to be lazy and refer to Death as male) wants to know, so he has to determine the destination of Rhea's soul the hard way.
Page 3:
Death then pulls out one of the old standbys, a set of scales. Using them, he quickly determines that Rhea led a very...balanced...life, with her sinful deeds only slightly outweighing the good.
As a result, he concludes that she can neither go to Heaven nor Purgatory, and that she doesn't really belong in Hell. Rhea's response is an incredulous Big "WHAT?!".
Death admits the situation is unusual, but he tells Rhea to follow him, saying he'll explain along the way. Rhea, being naturally contrary, decides to enter an inner monologue that fills the background.
This just pisses off Death, who grabs Rhea with a giant clawed hand to haul her off. Honestly, did you think Death was just going to let her sit there?
Page 4:
We now somehow have ended up with Death and Rhea standing on the edge of a river made of green glowing skulls, with a boat waiting. This "River of Lost Souls", aka the Styx (no et cetera needed), is between them and Hell.
Apparently Death has apparently decided that Rhea is going to Hell after all. Lovely.
Rhea of course protests with an "It's not fair!", to which Death proclaims that he is always fair, promising (again) to explain along the way.
Rhea suddenly asks how Death changes size so readily (he's now only about three times her height, when before, if you can recall, he could hold her in one hand). His answer is that it's a perk of the job, so now she should just get in the boat (with the clear undertone that she needs to shut up).
Stay classy, Death, stay classy.
Death then remembers that Rhea has to pay the traditional fare of a single coin in order to cross. Rhea, being logical, protests that she wouldn't have any money. Death tells her she can try swimming it...
...or that she check her right ear instead. Rhea pulls out a coin and is honestly surprised to find it there. Death points out that it is Jakkai tradition (that's the name for whatever Rhea is) to put coins in the ears of the deceased. Given her surprise, I'd say she didn't have any real friends or family to hold to that tradition.
Death then tells her they have to hurry, or they will be late. Rhea answers with Typical Corny Pun #47, which makes Death tell her she almost deserves to go to Hell for that.
Okay, good job staying classy, Death.
Page 5:
We cut to Rhea grousing about some place called the "Ring of the Slightly Damned" (yep, a Title Drop). She finds the name stupid.
According to Death, it's an underused part of Hell that few souls get put in. Even most demons don't really care for it. (Doesn't that make it a worse punishment than the other parts of Hell?)
Rhea is less than enthusiastic about their arrival, asking where the guy they're supposed to meet is. Apparently, Death judges, finally spotting a figure approaching, he's "late as usual".
Kind of invalidates your effort to get there on time, Death.
The figure runs up, revealing a purple furred...thing, with horns, white hair on his head, and a long tail. This purple furry, panting for breath, apologizes for being late, with Death unsurprised by the whole thing.
So, who is this purple being? What sadistic tortures await Rhea? And will Death find new ways to be classy? Stay tuned.
