Cover Image: A Walk Through Hell Volume 1

A Walk Through Hell Volume 1

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I am not sure what to make of this story. It started off strong and then meandered all over the place. I am not sure if it is a horror story or a crime story. It was too confusing to hold my interest.

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I didn't trust Ennis on this one and it was an actually a good move. Because it starts with a kick and then it slows down and take wide circles getting to the centre of the story. These five issues have very slow progression, lot of flashbacks and shitload of dialogues, mostly between two main protagonists. But the story is getting weirder and weirder (in a good and creepy sense), and the dialogues are getting better and more interesting. But it takes a whole first book to take it to that point where it feels good, where it is starting to work better and better. So in the first book, I would be cautious to judge, but starting the second one I do like it more and more. It has that "ultimate omnipotent evil" feel like Gideon falls has, there is still a lot of talking, but I enjoy that (to my surprise) even if it almost feels like more reading and less "pictures". And that's maybe for better because art is OK. It's not bad, it works, but it has no power to drag a weak story.

(Addition after the whole story - the end derailed from what I hoped and expected to be, and everything I liked about this story somehow went away. I was generally disappointed how the promising story faded in chaos and absent-mindedness.)

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This graphic novel is pretty messed up. Between the horrors being faced in the warehouse that is the main scene for this book, right up to sorry excuse for a human that is the orchestrator of the terror. I only gave it 3-stars only because I would’ve liked there to be just a little bit more of the story packed into this volume, it would’ve really sold me on the series. I still plan on continuing because I really want to see how much more effed up the whole thing can get, but I have no problem waiting for it.

Recommended for those that like horror-fantasy graphic novels with a taste for the bizarre and gruesome.

Received via Netgalley. All reviews and opinions are expressly my own

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I am unsure as to how I feel about this one, the plot went a bit everywhere and I wish it centered more on the horror aspect of it all rather than following the cops around as a constant without anything of interest happening.

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The aspect of a literal hell involves the aspect of the a mind freak that allows even the most logical of people to lose perception of their judgment. in “A Walk Through Hell Vol. 1” [Garth Ennis/Aftershock/120pgs], Ennis, who also created “Preacher” uses the aspect of perception to dominate his characters’ lives. He follows two FBI agents on the path of a child abuser/abductor but they get stuck inside a warehouse in a time loop. Different people, including many agents, are stuck in a progression not of their own doing but one that allows for a pause of logic. Whether it is a man continually blowing his brains out with a gun but never dying to a logical FBI agent being pursued by a monster that he only recognizes from his childhood, there is a bevy of layers of meaning. In many ways there is a parallel to Netflix’s “Mindhunters” because both agents there know what they need to do but it is a matter about how deep they allow themselves to be led or tricked into as it would be. The characters here talk about the aspect of what is real versus what they think they might be seeing but they are not in control so it is just whoever is pulling the strings that is setting the stage. This aspect whether it be a deity or demon is kept hidden. but like Mulder’s & Scully, this team works because of the discussions they have and not the resolutions they find. It is about highlighting their weaknesses and how they make them stronger that will dictate what later volumes will reveal.

B+

By Tim Wassberg

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Garth Ennis is one of the best comic book writers going and his originality is absolutlely one of his strong points. He writes powerful tales about the underbelly of any city and time and doesn't flinch away from the sensitivity of the reader. If you pick up a Garth Ennis book you know what you are in for.

A Walk Through Hell is just such a tell. A police procedural that quickly morphs into something far darker and far more malevolent.

A hell of a good read!

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I really wanted to like this - especially after a wow part in the beginning. However, it was really slow and hard to get into it. Maybe just wasn't the comic for me.

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This book was okay. I first picked it up because the synopsis made it so that the story had legs to run a marathon, if you understand what I mean.

However, this book ran a few meters and waled the rest.

In the beginning, I was truly fascinated because, even though the characters weren’t interesting, the story was. The way it flowed from the present to the past was absolutely perfect.

However, there was a part in which I lost interest in the story. At some point, it felt the story was, like the characters, walking in a labyrinth that always lead to the same place.

The were also scenes that felt like filler, something that should never happen. The worst part is that the filler pages were the FBI agents talking about how bad the alt-right is (which I completely agree with) and how odd it is that they have the president they do. There’s a time and place for political commentary and, even though this book had the perfect places to talk about Trump’s immigration scandals and other stuff he’s done, it never ceased the opportunity, the political parts always came at the wrong time.

Rating: 3 stars

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I'm a fan of Ennis's <i>Preacher</i> and liked his work on <i>Hellblazer</i>, but this one left me cold. It seems to be trying for an <i>X-Files</i> vibe, but it's just convoluted and kind of preachy. It's not awful, but I won't be picking up the next volume.

Received via NetGalley.

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Well-drawn, written, and paced - I'd recommend for horror fans even though this novel, in the end, wasn't my cup of tea. I think it's setting up a rich world, and it kind of reminds me (in tone) of the first season of True Detective where I was looking more for X-Files. Anyway, it's strong and probably a must-read for fans of this genre.

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Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an early copy of this book.
A Walk Through Hell was just weird, and not in a good way. It was just an odd read. I was interested in the synopsis and the cover drew me in. It had potential, I just don't know if it ever reached it.
So, I'll start with the good. I liked the art and the colors. It also had a slight X-Files vibe to it, mainly because the two main characters were FBI Agents, they were investigating something weird and maybe not of this world, and the female agent favored Agent Scully, a lot. I think the X-Files vibe was very intentional. There were some very shocking scenes that added to that whole horror vibe.
Now the Meh, and that was pretty much the whole story inside. It was very confusing. It jumped back and forth in time. It was very weird. It wasn't even a gradual journey to the weirdness, it just got sprung on the reader. I feel like things needed to be explained more, especially this case that was so central to the FBI Agents. I didn't really understand why Agents were sent to that warehouse in the first place.
And now the Bad, at least from my perspective, the book went political. I hate when authors push in their political beliefs in books. It's just very obvious to me and I don't enjoy it. The world is already overly-saturated with political discourse and people disagreeing, so I don't want to see it so blatantly in the books I read. At least try to hide it from me or disguise it, make up some fictional political system that mirrors our own or something. That might be an unpopular opinion, but I don't want it and I don't enjoy it. It was one of the main characters who was constantly bringing up politics, like someone would bring up the weather. It didn't really do anything for the story and I didn't enjoy reading it.
A Walk Through Hell, Volume 1 was just one big MEH for me. I don't know if I'd pick up the next Volume. I'm really grateful that I was able to read and review an early copy.
BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5
Just kinda weird

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I'm not exactly sure what is going on here. except that it is creepy as heck. Basically, two FBI agents on the trail of a pedophile serial killer get called out to a creepy warehouse. Once they they learned that two of their fellow agents went in there a while ago and never came back out. Also, the SWAT team that was called to save them went in, came right back out and locked themselves in their vehicle where they later committed suicide.
So what is happening? Are the agents in actual hell? Are they drugged? Are they somehow being mind controlled by a psychopath they thought was long dead?
I guess I might have to read book 2 if I want to find out.

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I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

I really loved this one! The art is fantastic and the plot is really promising. I love a crime procedural but throw in some supernatural elements and political commentary and I am all about it! The characters are interesting and the plot line is complex while being interesting. Overall I am really excited to see where this series goes and will be picking up the next volume.

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Garth Ennis has written what I consider the definitive run on <i>Hellblazer</i> and <i>Preacher</i> is one of the greatest comics of the last 20 years. That's why I was so disappointed reading this. It's such a muddled, confusing story where I have no idea what's even happening. Something about mass shootings and a pedophile that can make people do whatever he tells them. And then two FBI agents get lost in a warehouse where everyone is trying to kill themselves after they enter. The storytelling is just awful. The story flips back and forth between the present and random flashbacks. It's really difficult to tell what's what. Other than a few random horrific images, this book, unfortunately, has zero going for it. I did like Goran Sudzuka's art.

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I liked the graphics, the colouring, the fonts. In terms of story, I found it a bit confusing, jumping back and forth like it did, and me not having a clue what was going on but it did make for a rather intriguing read that definitely held my attention. I'm still not quite sure what's happening but it does make me want to pick up the second volume. Actual rating: 3.5, rounded up to 4.

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Hmmm… I'm inclined to give this book more stars than other people, partly because I don't want to jump on the shooting-the-greats-while-they're-down bandwagon. This isn't as awful as people attest, but it's sometimes a little too incoherent, too full of non sequiturs, and really does beg for the whole thing being available at once, rather than how this book is allowed to end with no sign of the fate of one of the main characters whatsoever. We have a massacre in a mall from someone unknown, then a mix of spooky drama for two FBI agents trying to trace their colleagues in a spooky warehouse, switching back and forth with the mass-child-abduction case that may or may not have caused them all to be at said depository.

I certainly want future volumes to explain the hell out of this one, but I also want to be on board, as there is not that much to this volume's detriment to mean I'm switching off here. It even managed to defy my Third Rule of Graphic Novels, which states that any use of social media nested conversations as narrator deserves binning. As it stands, however, it is a little frustrating. I can only guess the author misread a line from Sartre and thought there was a story to be had in the misquote, "hell is other paedos".

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This is not a graphic novel for children - let's get that out right away. It's not graphic but I suspect it could become graphic in later issues. There are a ton of adult themes and language.

There's not a ton here to review. The plot is slow and twisty. The volume ended just as the story was starting to gain traction. This reminds me of Alan Moore's Providence. It has an almost HP Lovecraft feel. If you like those types of stories then this will be right up your alley. This is going to be a slow ride through insanity so you have to be willing to take your time. There is a lot of story and so many holes. If it holds true to form, then the payoff should be good.

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I loved the concept of this – I'm a massive X-Files fan so anything about unexplained phenomena or weird goings-on always gets me. (I'd say the X-Files vibe is totally intentional here, as Shaw even has Dana Scully's hairstyle.) And it's not that any individual part of this can be faulted, really: the art is looks good, the dialogue is well-written, the transitions work well. But the narrative is just SO confusing. I've read the whole thing and I'm still not sure what it was about. I don't mind convoluted narratives, but this one was a real struggle, with its leaps in time and monologues that intentionally hide things from the reader. Also I won't spoil the ending, but it has a 'plot twist' that I've seen many times and really dislike.

I love Preacher and so I keep reading Garth Ennis, thinking that I'll get into his stuff the way I did with Preacher. But for me, nothing else of his has really stuck.

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I have trouble describing what I just read. It was a mix of so many different story, both set in the present and the past that I had great trouble distilling the story from the pages. It sounded interesting enough though. Two FBI agents, still struggling with the aftermath of their previous case, are called to investigate a warehouse. Something strange and deadly is certainly going on.

I had the feeling it tries to be to much different things and therefore, it sort of fails at all of them, if that makes any sense. Also, I didn't really like that the ending was so open, I have to read the second and possibly more volumes to get even some kind of closure. The artwork was okay, but nothing special. I just felt like it didn't live up to its potential.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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Deeply dark and twisted, A Walk Through Hell might be one of the best comics I've read all year.
What begins as a story of two FBI agents entering a warehouse, quickly delves into the history of their careers and what might have landed them in Hell. Even more interesting was the way that Garth Ennis used this platform as a way to explore modern day tragedies and how social media plays a part in how we view them. I found this to be a slow burn at times but ultimately satisfying.

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