Virgil Hilts and the Senator make their way through Hell. But who is friend and who is foe, and can they figure it out before it’s too late? Find out in Hellcop#3 from Image Comics!
HELLCOP #3
Writer: Brian Haberlin
Artist: Brian Haberlin
Colorist: Geirrod Van Dyke
Letterer: Francis Takenaga
Editor: Melanie Hackett
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 5, 2022
Previously in Hellcop: Virgil Hilts, a Hellcop, is on the lam. Framed for the murder of his partner, his only chance is to solve the mystery himself. Now he is working from Hell and he knows the clock is ticking and the other Hellcops are still on his tail!
A RACE AGAINST TIME
Hellcop #3 opens with Virgil dreaming of being at home and not wanting to wake up. But someone is trying to wake him up. It is one of the denizens of Hell he is traveling with. Two of them are guiding him and the Senator he found on the Train of Souls through the desert and to a “soft spot.” If they are to be trusted.
Virgil talks with them a bit more, surprising them when he identifies their clan as Clan Tepan. They reassure him that they’re known for their reliability. Virgil knows otherwise. There is an amusing interchange where Virgil lets on that he knows some of their history, and the other guy calls it fake news, and talks about how the truth is out there on “Fiendster.” But the truth of Virgil’s situation is that he doesn’t have much choice.
Back on Earth, Taj is ostensibly working on the portal in Hellcop Central. After helping Virgil escape, she is trying to buy him some time. Her boss brings in a tech by the name of Wil Brode to help. Not only has she never seen him before, but he claims his normal work is super classified. She steps away for a bathroom break and a little time to think.
Back in Hell, the little group continues their journey, only to stumble into a nest of Mawzes, which are basically huge toothy mouths on giant tentacles. Using the power of Hell, the Tepans dispatch them. Maybe they can be trusted after all…
Taj suspects the Captain is on to her. Fortunately, he still needs her expertise, but she worries that Wil may be able to fix the portal on his own. She has a vital processor with her, and she flushes it down the toilet. She returns and Wil continues where he left off, talking down to her and treating her like she has no skills. Later, when the portal is up and running and the Captain returns, Taj cleverly attributes all the credit to Wil and lets him operate it to send the team through after Virgil.
But without the correct processor, the team is sent through to a different location on top of a spike of rock in the middle of a magnetic flux. They can’t go back and request a new port. They must climb down the old-fashioned way.
The Tepans claim they are close to their destination, but Virgil recognizes that they have reached the River Lethe. Indeed, one admits they were ordered to bring him here and dunk him enough to erase his memory. A fight ensues. The Tepan won’t let on who sent them, but decides it isn’t worth letting Virgil stay alive. But Virgil has an unknown ally who wants to talk to him.
EVOCATIVELY ALIEN
The art of Hellcop #3 is interesting. Some of the backgrounds almost look like they are based on photographic references, but faded out and processed enough so they blend with the art. I have nothing against this. Especially for the outdoor scenes in hell, it gives them a sense of realism as well as scale. There are also backgrounds that must have been drawn, such as the graveyard of petrified giants – just a momentary scene, but quite stunning. And the colors and textures blend with the other backgrounds to give a consistent feel.
I think the characters are drawn quite well too. Virgil’s look has a steampunk feel to it between his breastplate, jacket, and the interesting gun he carries. The guys from Clan Tepan are humanoid but with flattened faces, low ears, and very toothy mouths. It gives them a lot of expression, especially when they try to be ingratiating. The Senator fascinates me. He is just a normal guy, but he is in a light-colored suit and manages to keep it pristine through the slog in the desert. It does give some credence to the thought that he may not be alive.
BOTTOM LINE: A GOOD MYSTERY IN AN INTERESTING SETTING
Hellcop #3 draws you into the story and into the world. I like using a classic mystery plot to allow us to explore this strange place, and I appreciate that the characters so far seem to be pretty clever.
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Hellcop #3
Virgil Hilts is on the lam in Hell, attempting to clear his name.
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By day, she’s a mild-mannered bureaucrat and Ms. Know-It-All. By night, she’s a dance teacher and RPG player (although admittedly not on the same nights). On the weekends, she may be found judging Magic, playing Guild Wars 2 (badly), or following other creative pursuits. Holy Lack of Copious Free Time, Batman! While she’s always wished she had teleportation as her superpower, she suspects that super-speed would be much more practical because then she’d have time to finish up those steampunk costumes she’s also working on.