By Sam King

Hellicious #1 begins the story of Cherry, an adorable little girl who happens to be the granddaughter of the Devil. This comic tells the classic story of a kid just trying to make friends and maybe get a kind of pet, but puts a devilishly fun spin on it. This is the first issue in a five-part miniseries.

The thing I like most about this comic so far is Cherry and the imaginative twist put on a child trying to have fun. It is so creative and entertaining. Cherry is the daughter of Sin, who is leading Hell. Cherry tires out her mom and continually delivers her dead charges very physically messed up since she takes them using extra dangerous, yet fun, ways. This terrifies the dead, seemingly frustrates her mom, and leaves Cherry in a tough spot. This issue she gets advice from her grandfather and decides to be a little more ambitious in the hopes that she will get to advance faster and maybe get her way finally. We also see death timers that countdown to people’s deaths so Cherry can pick them up, but Cherry is occasionally a tiny bit early, which may cause a little trouble by the end of the issue.

I would really like to see another issue because this one was so funny to me. Don’t let the cute cover and Cherry’s appearance fool you, this isn’t for kids. There’s cursing, a talking severed head, and some cartoony gore, so this one is for us older folks and maybe some teens who could still relate from their childhood a few years back. I wouldn’t hand or recommend this to anyone under 13, personally, especially if they weren’t my own kid. It is a fun, morbid themed story with lots of imagination, but it could definitely be a tiny bit too much for little ones at this point. I like that this one does have a younger protagonist than the audience because it creates a different reading dynamic and allows for more laughs. It isn’t about learning any lessons, it really just lets you remember being a kid and laugh at the conclusions kids jump to or the desires they have. There are familiar counterarguments where a “human mortal pet” would be concerned coming from Cherry’s mother. There are also warnings in place that may foreshadow an essence of what is to come later, without giving anything away at this point.

The art of this comic is very cartoony and fun, but it still captures the gothic, morbid elements that it needs to in order to match the story. It almost reminds me of a comic, more morbid version of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, in terms of the gothic element cartoon look, while having a different premise and artistic style. People from my generation who enjoyed slightly darker, creepier cartoons like Billy and Mandy, or Courage the Cowardly Dog may enjoy this one, because a lot of the tones those shows had resonate in this story, but with more adult language and cartoony grotesquery. This comic goes a step further to the dark side in a way those cartoons couldn’t due to their audience and network capabilities.

Ultimately, I would definitely say to give this comic a try. It is cute and fun despite being “grim” and macabre. This takes Hell and makes it way more fun, providing a child’s perspective on a dark, feared place that to her is actually home. It is imaginative and entertaining and I would like to read more to see what happens with the brooding goth musician who is about to meet his doom, which may just be Cherry.

Hellicious #1 releases July 25th.   

Score: 4/5

Hellicious #1
SBI Press