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A Walk Through Hell ##1-5
WALK THROUGH HELL #1 CVR A CLARKE
So these two FBI agents walk into a warehouse…
Special Agents Shaw and McGregor handle the routine cases nowadays, which is just the way Shaw likes it. She’s pushing 40, a borderline burnout, the ghastly memories of her last investigation still clinging like shadows. McGregor is younger, more dedicated, hanging onto some measure of idealism whatever the world might throw at him.
When two fellow agents go missing inside a Long Beach warehouse, Shaw and McGregor are sent to investi-gate. But what they find waiting is far from routine, as the local police have already discovered to their cost. Before the night is out, our heroes will encounter terror beyond their most appalling nightmares—in a place where the night may never end at all.
A new kind of horror story for modern America, written by Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys, Crossed) and drawn by Goran Sudžuka (Y: The Last Man, Hellblazer)
Special Agents Shaw and McGregor handle the routine cases nowadays, which is just the way Shaw likes it. She’s pushing 40, a borderline burnout, the ghastly memories of her last investigation still clinging like shadows. McGregor is younger, more dedicated, hanging onto some measure of idealism whatever the world might throw at him.
When two fellow agents go missing inside a Long Beach warehouse, Shaw and McGregor are sent to investi-gate. But what they find waiting is far from routine, as the local police have already discovered to their cost. Before the night is out, our heroes will encounter terror beyond their most appalling nightmares—in a place where the night may never end at all.
A new kind of horror story for modern America, written by Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys, Crossed) and drawn by Goran Sudžuka (Y: The Last Man, Hellblazer)
Comic
First published December 11, 2018
9 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,614 books3,158 followersEnnis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
February 10, 2019
“A walk through hell” pretty accurately sums up the experience of reading most of Garth Ennis’ recent output: his second World of Tanks book, the DC books Dastardly and Muttley and Sixpack and Dog-Welder, his other Aftershock book Jimmy’s Bastards, which was a book-length Viz joke, and now this one!
Two Feds go into a warehouse only to find that it’s an inescapable labyrinth of nightmares and/or a portal to Hell. So how does Ennis manage to take any excitement out of this potential setup and turn it into the most boring comic ever?
It’s mostly a police procedural with the two Feds going over the case details of a wealthy pedo, trying to catch him out by going through paperwork and blah blah blah. It’s not helped by Ennis being vague for the most part and the bad guy being a bland businessman/sociopath who doesn’t say or do anything interesting.
These flashbacks are broken up with moments of pointless horror in the warehouse with Ennis in general trying too hard to shock the reader out of the lethargy of his dull story, like the opening scene which involves a baby getting shot in the head. People getting shot in the head is basically the theme of this book - seriously, I think the number of people who get shot in the head here is in the double digits!
There’s no real plot or story or character arcs, it’s just Ennis switching between boring police procedural and boring repetitive and gratuitous horror. I’m amazed a writer as talented as Garth Ennis can produce a book as dreary as A Walk Through Hell and it’s only because he’s a name writer that he can keep putting out one terrible comic after another like this.
Aftershock remains the dumping ground of unsellable comics passed on by the likes of the Big 2 and Image - walk right on by A Walk Through Hell!
Two Feds go into a warehouse only to find that it’s an inescapable labyrinth of nightmares and/or a portal to Hell. So how does Ennis manage to take any excitement out of this potential setup and turn it into the most boring comic ever?
It’s mostly a police procedural with the two Feds going over the case details of a wealthy pedo, trying to catch him out by going through paperwork and blah blah blah. It’s not helped by Ennis being vague for the most part and the bad guy being a bland businessman/sociopath who doesn’t say or do anything interesting.
These flashbacks are broken up with moments of pointless horror in the warehouse with Ennis in general trying too hard to shock the reader out of the lethargy of his dull story, like the opening scene which involves a baby getting shot in the head. People getting shot in the head is basically the theme of this book - seriously, I think the number of people who get shot in the head here is in the double digits!
There’s no real plot or story or character arcs, it’s just Ennis switching between boring police procedural and boring repetitive and gratuitous horror. I’m amazed a writer as talented as Garth Ennis can produce a book as dreary as A Walk Through Hell and it’s only because he’s a name writer that he can keep putting out one terrible comic after another like this.
Aftershock remains the dumping ground of unsellable comics passed on by the likes of the Big 2 and Image - walk right on by A Walk Through Hell!
December 18, 2019
Garth Ennis has written what I consider the definitive run on Hellblazer and Preacher 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.
Received a review copy from Aftershock and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Aftershock and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
February 10, 2019
This was my first time trying anything by Garth Ennis after being disappointed by Preacher a while back, so I wasn't sure what to expect, and even now, having read this, I'm not entirely certain how I feel about it! There's a lot of good, and a lot of bad, too, to be unpacked in this graphic novel.
The good:
- interesting characters
- diversity (2 queer MCs, multiple POC characters)
- interesting social commentary on the current sociopolitical climate in the US and how it affects minorities
- a few really creepy and/or disturbing scenes
The bad:
- you're immediately thrown into a bizarre scenario with no back story or information about what's happening
- there's very little "logic" to what's happening (i.e., how are people chosen? who "deserves" it and who doesn't?)
- volume 1's ending feels very abrupt and premature
So, all in all, this is a pretty mixed bag, but I'm intrigued enough to say I think I'd like to read volume 2 sometime, and the things that I did like about this graphic novel have me weighing the possibility of giving Preacher another try while I wait.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The good:
- interesting characters
- diversity (2 queer MCs, multiple POC characters)
- interesting social commentary on the current sociopolitical climate in the US and how it affects minorities
- a few really creepy and/or disturbing scenes
The bad:
- you're immediately thrown into a bizarre scenario with no back story or information about what's happening
- there's very little "logic" to what's happening (i.e., how are people chosen? who "deserves" it and who doesn't?)
- volume 1's ending feels very abrupt and premature
So, all in all, this is a pretty mixed bag, but I'm intrigued enough to say I think I'd like to read volume 2 sometime, and the things that I did like about this graphic novel have me weighing the possibility of giving Preacher another try while I wait.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
April 3, 2019
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
February 22, 2024
So, two investigating detectives enter a warehouse and don't come out. Then another two detectives - the main characters enter and weird things start to happen. It reminded me X-files a little but humor is missing. There's jumping around the timeline but not in a confusing way, I did not have a problem to follow the story at all. I still don't have a clue what is going on there and I think that's good because it makes me want to read another volume. The atmosphere in this was built up great, I felt discomfort more and more as the story continued. Also, I liked this wasn't Ennis' usual work full of action and storytelling did not consist mostly of swearing and simple sentences.
February 6, 2019
Not good. The lack of originality just destroy this one. There is nothing new here and kind of a horror/crime/cops story that isn't gripping at all. The characters are some of the flattest I have seen in a long time in a comic or novel! Nope!!
November 10, 2019
(3,5 of 5 for FBI mass murderer investigation turning into horror comics slow start)
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. But let me be a judge at the end of the second book, at the end of this peculiar story.
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. But let me be a judge at the end of the second book, at the end of this peculiar story.
June 7, 2019
This one was a difficult one to get into and stay into. Special Agents Shaw and McGregor enter a warehouse and quickly realize all is not as it should be. Nowhere near it. The premise is simple enough, but initially confusing flashbacks make it hard to figure out what's going on and when. For that reason I think a second reading would be beneficial, but I'm not sure I am sufficiently interested to do so. For now, my walk stops here.
I liked the artwork, particularly as it helped to sort out the timeline.
I liked the artwork, particularly as it helped to sort out the timeline.
January 2, 2020
I hate that I'm considering reading Volume 2 just to figure out what happens, because this was kind of a slog for me. Every time I was /almost/ sucked into it, we flashed back to something else.
October 28, 2019
SUPER FAST REVIEW:
So the story is pretty damn interesting, it’s very suspenseful throughout and has a lot of twists. I also love the artwork in this, it is so damn good!
Unfortunately it can get kinda confusing with it’s jumping back and forth in time. The political stuff is not well written (surprising since Ennis is often good at writing commentary) and it’s slower than I want an Ennis comic to be.
Overall not bad but far from being Ennis’ best. Still fairly interesting and I will add volume 2 to my reading list, especially with that ending!
3/5
So the story is pretty damn interesting, it’s very suspenseful throughout and has a lot of twists. I also love the artwork in this, it is so damn good!
Unfortunately it can get kinda confusing with it’s jumping back and forth in time. The political stuff is not well written (surprising since Ennis is often good at writing commentary) and it’s slower than I want an Ennis comic to be.
Overall not bad but far from being Ennis’ best. Still fairly interesting and I will add volume 2 to my reading list, especially with that ending!
3/5
May 21, 2018
A comic that takes the modern day reality of the horror of mass shooting and the thoughtless volatility of social media and turn it into something else. 'Garth Ennis' does great work here creating an atmosphere of the cold reality of modern life, then injecting interesting techniques of storytelling, forcing the readers to slowly divulge the details and throws in an ending that will have you pulling at your hairs for the next issue.
The story focuses on two FBI agents, Shaw and McGregor, who tries to find out their two missing colleagues, who suddenly went missing investigating a warehouse. But this is far from any routine case as the readers start slowly to dive into a dreadful tale.
This is a comic that needs more than one read to really appreciate for a reader as new elements will surely be appreciable after re-reading. We start the experience with a beautifully rendered mall mass shooting seen which then turns into the heartless social media banter, and then we are introduced to the main players while once again getting a bit amazed by the casual response of the characters regarding the incident. As we progress through the story the sense of dread and hopelessness somehow keeps increasing. Then the missing FBI agents suddenly hit us and the unusual nature of the behavior of the local police escalates it even more. And the author leaves us with a cliff-hanger which quite literally plunges us into darkness until the next issue.
The structure used highlights the importance of telling the story in different issues and this is a series that will give you much more enjoyment in the aforementioned way rather than waiting for a collected edition, as you will have more time to think about what you have just experienced.
The art, while at first glance might seem a bit simplistic, yet for me 'Goran Sudzuka' did an excellent job here. His artful use of facial expression to paint the emotional aspect of horror and the use of extreme closeups to drive in the point of unease and hopelessness was very thoughtful. The colorist also used colors to substitute noise regarding gunshots further adding to the atmosphere, and the change up between white and black at the end sequence was another nice touch for effect.
This first issue, with its interesting plot and top-notch execution provided a lot to think about for me as a reader, while I wait for the upcoming issues.
A solid 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
The story focuses on two FBI agents, Shaw and McGregor, who tries to find out their two missing colleagues, who suddenly went missing investigating a warehouse. But this is far from any routine case as the readers start slowly to dive into a dreadful tale.
This is a comic that needs more than one read to really appreciate for a reader as new elements will surely be appreciable after re-reading. We start the experience with a beautifully rendered mall mass shooting seen which then turns into the heartless social media banter, and then we are introduced to the main players while once again getting a bit amazed by the casual response of the characters regarding the incident. As we progress through the story the sense of dread and hopelessness somehow keeps increasing. Then the missing FBI agents suddenly hit us and the unusual nature of the behavior of the local police escalates it even more. And the author leaves us with a cliff-hanger which quite literally plunges us into darkness until the next issue.
The structure used highlights the importance of telling the story in different issues and this is a series that will give you much more enjoyment in the aforementioned way rather than waiting for a collected edition, as you will have more time to think about what you have just experienced.
The art, while at first glance might seem a bit simplistic, yet for me 'Goran Sudzuka' did an excellent job here. His artful use of facial expression to paint the emotional aspect of horror and the use of extreme closeups to drive in the point of unease and hopelessness was very thoughtful. The colorist also used colors to substitute noise regarding gunshots further adding to the atmosphere, and the change up between white and black at the end sequence was another nice touch for effect.
This first issue, with its interesting plot and top-notch execution provided a lot to think about for me as a reader, while I wait for the upcoming issues.
A solid 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
November 25, 2018
I'd probably put Preacher as top 20 comics of all times. I read it a lot later, but it still has/had a big impact. It's brutal, well told, funny, and important for the comic world. Saying that, recent Garth Ennis work has been piss poor at best. Are there ANY good, RECENT, Garth Ennis stories?
So what is this? A confusing mess of a storyline where it starts off with a public shooting. The shooting occurs in a mall where a baby and the mother are shot down in front of the husband. Then the story confusingly jump to two detectives dealing with the aftermath, and reading twitter, and talking about shootings and gun control. Then we go to, well hell, where the supernatural part comes into play.
Good: The art? Sometimes?
Bad: The confusing plot points are ALL over the place. One second you're in one time zone, the next you're in another. The art gets muddy at times, hard to tell who is who. The dialogue isn't much stronger, just okay at best.
Not sure if Garth Ennis is just bored now days. This guy wrote one of the greatest comics of all time, and then some follow ups that I don't think highly of but people love like The Boys or Crossed. This though? This is horrible. A 1 out of 5.
So what is this? A confusing mess of a storyline where it starts off with a public shooting. The shooting occurs in a mall where a baby and the mother are shot down in front of the husband. Then the story confusingly jump to two detectives dealing with the aftermath, and reading twitter, and talking about shootings and gun control. Then we go to, well hell, where the supernatural part comes into play.
Good: The art? Sometimes?
Bad: The confusing plot points are ALL over the place. One second you're in one time zone, the next you're in another. The art gets muddy at times, hard to tell who is who. The dialogue isn't much stronger, just okay at best.
Not sure if Garth Ennis is just bored now days. This guy wrote one of the greatest comics of all time, and then some follow ups that I don't think highly of but people love like The Boys or Crossed. This though? This is horrible. A 1 out of 5.
November 24, 2019
The swap between the current timeline and backstory kept pulling me out of the tension from the warehouse, which was otherwise well done. There was some extra tension built around characters that I didn't care about.
January 25, 2022
I cannot deny that Garth Ennis is an excellent writer, but I cringe my way through his work as he always pushes my limits of good taste. I keep going back though.
March 9, 2019
The story centers around two FBI agents’ investigation of recent nightmarish and unexplainable events. Despite its realistic protagonists, intricate plot and the dark, unnerving mood it achieves—the story somewhat falters due to a sluggish pace and a confusing timeline that relies too heavily on flashbacks.
What’s it about?
After two fellow agents fail to emerge from a Long Beach warehouse after 9 hours, Special Agents Shaw and McGregor are called in to find out what’s going on.
Between you and me, I would probably decline to enter the warehouse if the SWAT dudes (I repeat, the SWAT dudes) are this messed up after the experience.
Apparently, the warehouse makes you suicidal but also immune to gun-shot wounds to the head. And by “immune” I mean that your head will get really messed up but you won’t die. So...I guess he’s going to need to invest in a really good hat?
The warehouse’s dark, labyrinth hallways whose sole purpose seems to be to make anyone who dares walk inside more lost with each step mimics both the characters and the readers growing uneasiness and confusion.
Remind me to never step foot in a warehouse again.
What supernatural forces are behind this warehouse of horrors? The flashbacks to Shaw and McGregor’s most recent and horrific case shed some light on who (or should I say, what) may be behind this new terror.
Other notes
The story opens by framing a tragedy within a social media thread—in which the real victims become, more or less, vehicles for individuals to push their own political agendas—speaks to the modern age and was cleverly done. This contrasts with some of the other morsels of social commentary which felt a bit random and staged.
What’s it about?
After two fellow agents fail to emerge from a Long Beach warehouse after 9 hours, Special Agents Shaw and McGregor are called in to find out what’s going on.
Between you and me, I would probably decline to enter the warehouse if the SWAT dudes (I repeat, the SWAT dudes) are this messed up after the experience.
Apparently, the warehouse makes you suicidal but also immune to gun-shot wounds to the head. And by “immune” I mean that your head will get really messed up but you won’t die. So...I guess he’s going to need to invest in a really good hat?
The warehouse’s dark, labyrinth hallways whose sole purpose seems to be to make anyone who dares walk inside more lost with each step mimics both the characters and the readers growing uneasiness and confusion.
Remind me to never step foot in a warehouse again.
What supernatural forces are behind this warehouse of horrors? The flashbacks to Shaw and McGregor’s most recent and horrific case shed some light on who (or should I say, what) may be behind this new terror.
Other notes
The story opens by framing a tragedy within a social media thread—in which the real victims become, more or less, vehicles for individuals to push their own political agendas—speaks to the modern age and was cleverly done. This contrasts with some of the other morsels of social commentary which felt a bit random and staged.
January 7, 2022
This was a pretty confusing story, jumping around between past and present without any clear indication of where/when the scenes take place. But I was still intrigued enough to stick with it and hope that subsequent volumes will fill in enough details for this all to make sense. You've got a couple of cops chasing a pedophile who might be a serial killer (and who might be able to make people do whatever he tells them to do--shades of Marvel's Purple Man) who stumble on a warehouse that just might contain a portal (or entrance) to Hell. How exactly that warehouse and the other case connect (and what got the police on the scene in the first place) is not all that clear, but the two head into the warehouse, in search of another pair of cops who went in before and never came back (there's also a SWAT team that goes in and comes back out very quickly, before meeting a terrible end). Normally, I hate comics that make me work to make sense of them and this one really does make you work. But, hey, it's Garth Ennis, so I'm willing to give him some benefit of the doubt. The artwork by Sudzuka is very strong throughout. Here's hoping future issues/volumes bring more sense to this.
March 17, 2019
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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!
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!
January 7, 2020
3/5
Muy confuso al principio pero luego se van aclarando las cosas. Estoy intrigada.
Muy confuso al principio pero luego se van aclarando las cosas. Estoy intrigada.
October 19, 2019
Wow! I found another Ennis book that I don't hate. This one doesn't seem to suffer from the same elements present in his books that I didn't enjoy. Anyway, this follows two police detectives on an investigation, but will their actions during a recent case drive them to the brink of Hell?
This book is weird. Let's just get that out of the way. It may not make a ton of sense straight off and there are some weird transitions between past and present. Although I found the colorwork did an excellent job of indicating when something was happening in the past vs. the present. There are a lot of questions that get raised and not a lot that get answered. For some reason, this just piqued my interest in the story more, rather than making me feel isolated from what was going on.
If the second volume can clear up some of the confusing parts of the book, I think it would be well worth checking out.
This book is weird. Let's just get that out of the way. It may not make a ton of sense straight off and there are some weird transitions between past and present. Although I found the colorwork did an excellent job of indicating when something was happening in the past vs. the present. There are a lot of questions that get raised and not a lot that get answered. For some reason, this just piqued my interest in the story more, rather than making me feel isolated from what was going on.
If the second volume can clear up some of the confusing parts of the book, I think it would be well worth checking out.
May 11, 2020
Volume 1: The Warehouse reprints Issues #1-5, the first part of the 12-issue story. Garth Ennis straddles the line between crime and horror, and dives deep into the psyches of FBI agents. Is the warehouse a gateway to Hell where those who enter have to revisit their guilty past, in a state of seemingly lifelessness (no heartbeat) yet still mobile and aware?
I've read several Goodreads reviews of this where the reader mentions the book being muddled and confusing, and I have to agree -- because I also was a bit confused on first reading. There are numerous flashbacks throughout the story, some seem incidental and unimportant while others drip with relevance. However, I was intrigued enough by the circumstances to want to read it again, and a bit slower the second time. That's all it took to get the full gist of what Ennis is attempting to do here.
There's quite a bit more here than a simple police procedural.
The horrific Christmas mass shooting inside a shopping mall that opens the story seems unrelated until some detective work in the latter part of the story uncovers the connection to a larger investigation. A tactical S.W.A.T. unit that turns their guns on each other also makes more sense when considered a part of the bigger picture.
The FBI investigating team of Shaw and McGregor will remind some of the X-Files team. Shaw is an aggressive female agent with smarts and skills that doesn't get enough respect. Neither does her partner, McGregor, simply because he's gay. There's a side story centering on a nasty encounter with a homophobic male chauvinist agent who dislikes both of them, and directs his ire at the female head of the department as well.
Two fellow agents, both associates of Shaw and McGregor, enter a warehouse on an investigative lead and don't emerge after four hours. A S.W.A.T. team is dispatched, and retreats from the warehouse, cowering in fear after only several minutes inside. Shaw and McGregor venture inside and become lost in a dark labyrinth that leads them down some even darker trails. They find the missing agents; and neither one will be productive workers again. There's a homeless couple with child inside, huddled together in death. How and why remain unexplained.
As they search for meaning as well as a way out, Shaw and McGregor are plagued by deep-seated insecurities and fears. Shaw even hears the voice of the pedophile serial killer from their previous assignment goading her on. That now closed case still troubles the team, none more so than Shaw who unbeknownst to her partner took justice in her own hands to provide both evidence and resolution to that investigation.
The story raises many questions before the first volume ends on a cliffhanger.
The entire mini-series is about to be collected in a deluxe hardcover edition to be released in late May, and I'm considering ordering a copy through my local comic shop. Even though I've read this I'd prefer to have a more permanent edition. I'm thinking another reading might reward my efforts.
I've read several Goodreads reviews of this where the reader mentions the book being muddled and confusing, and I have to agree -- because I also was a bit confused on first reading. There are numerous flashbacks throughout the story, some seem incidental and unimportant while others drip with relevance. However, I was intrigued enough by the circumstances to want to read it again, and a bit slower the second time. That's all it took to get the full gist of what Ennis is attempting to do here.
There's quite a bit more here than a simple police procedural.
The horrific Christmas mass shooting inside a shopping mall that opens the story seems unrelated until some detective work in the latter part of the story uncovers the connection to a larger investigation. A tactical S.W.A.T. unit that turns their guns on each other also makes more sense when considered a part of the bigger picture.
The FBI investigating team of Shaw and McGregor will remind some of the X-Files team. Shaw is an aggressive female agent with smarts and skills that doesn't get enough respect. Neither does her partner, McGregor, simply because he's gay. There's a side story centering on a nasty encounter with a homophobic male chauvinist agent who dislikes both of them, and directs his ire at the female head of the department as well.
Two fellow agents, both associates of Shaw and McGregor, enter a warehouse on an investigative lead and don't emerge after four hours. A S.W.A.T. team is dispatched, and retreats from the warehouse, cowering in fear after only several minutes inside. Shaw and McGregor venture inside and become lost in a dark labyrinth that leads them down some even darker trails. They find the missing agents; and neither one will be productive workers again. There's a homeless couple with child inside, huddled together in death. How and why remain unexplained.
As they search for meaning as well as a way out, Shaw and McGregor are plagued by deep-seated insecurities and fears. Shaw even hears the voice of the pedophile serial killer from their previous assignment goading her on. That now closed case still troubles the team, none more so than Shaw who unbeknownst to her partner took justice in her own hands to provide both evidence and resolution to that investigation.
The story raises many questions before the first volume ends on a cliffhanger.
The entire mini-series is about to be collected in a deluxe hardcover edition to be released in late May, and I'm considering ordering a copy through my local comic shop. Even though I've read this I'd prefer to have a more permanent edition. I'm thinking another reading might reward my efforts.
January 12, 2019
Well damn this was quite the creepy read. I see some people calling this Ennis's most subtle work in years and i would have to agree. This is not a in your face straight up horror, it mostly relies on the eerie and chilling atmosphere with actually not much disturbing imagery (though there is a handful of that in here). One issue i have is that the flashbacks weren't necessarily as interesting as the warehouse stuff but i didn't mind it as it went on.
September 28, 2018
The artwork is great, the story line is very promising.
October 6, 2019
3.5/5
omg, i just hope the rest of the issues will be as good as this. amazing introduction, dark premise and it's by Ennis, so high expectations.
omg, i just hope the rest of the issues will be as good as this. amazing introduction, dark premise and it's by Ennis, so high expectations.
April 22, 2020
Lest ihr Comics? Wenn ja, aus welchen Genres am liebsten? Habt ihr vielleicht sogar Comics von Garth Ennis gelesen? – Mein Comic ist in diesem Fall von „Garth Ennis – a walk trough hell“ aus dem Cross Cult Verlag. Herzlichen Dank für das Rezensionsexemplar.
Nun wie soll ich es sagen, zu Beginn der Comicserie wusste ich überhaupt nicht was mich hier erwartet bzw. ob und wie sehr mich die Idee, Geschichte und Umsetzung überzeugen würde. Zuerst einmal möchte ich aber über ein paar allgemeine Punkte in diesem Comic sprechen, bevor ich zum inhaltlichen Teil komme.
Ich bin fasziniert, wie gut die Zeichnungen hier sind. Wie man mit bestimmten Motiven und Co. bedrückende, spannende, gruselige und ernste Momente untermauern und sie qualitativ hochwertig wiedergeben kann. Ich bin begeistert von jeder einzelnen Zeichnung und jedem einzelnen Charakter, der für die relativ kurze Comicserie sehr interessant erschaffen und dargestellt wird.
In diesem Fall möchte ich auch gern einmal erläutern, dass die Geschichte sicherlich nichts für schwache Nerven ist. 😉 Die Story nimmt von Beginn an eine rasante, brutale Entwicklung an. Mit vielen Spannungs-, Horror bzw. Mystery Elemente kommt hier eine atemberaubende, faszinierende Story, die sicherlich dem einen oder anderen Gänsehaut beschert. Auch die Zeichnungen geben der gesamten Handlung permanent eine bedrückende, gruselige Stimmung, womit die authentische Story durchweg gelungen ist.
Ein Kritikpunkt bzw. Abzug habe ich allerdings. Ich habe mich diesbezüglich auch mit einem anderen Blogger ausgetauscht und wir waren letztendlich derselben Meinung. Unzwar geht es hier um die Dialoge. Gerade aufgrund der Länge des Comics und der relativ „wenigen“ Seiten erwarte ich eigentlich permanent einen einfachen und flüssigen Schreibstill so dass mein Lesefluss im Comic nicht unterbrochen. Doch allerdings gibt es hier gewisse Übersetzungen, gewisse Redewendungen bzw. Sätze über die ich 1-2 drüberlesen musste. Da sie sich im deutschen doch etwas seltsam anhören.
Abschließend kann ich sagen, dass für mich „a walk trough hell“ eine absolute Leseempfehlung ist und ich auch damit, gerade durch die spannenden, Horror und Mystik Elemente sehr gut in die Welt der Comics gestartet bin. Tolle Reihe, spannend, brutal, geheimnisvoll und gruselig. Eine absolute Kauf-Leseempfehlung mit 4,5 von 5 Sternen.
Nun wie soll ich es sagen, zu Beginn der Comicserie wusste ich überhaupt nicht was mich hier erwartet bzw. ob und wie sehr mich die Idee, Geschichte und Umsetzung überzeugen würde. Zuerst einmal möchte ich aber über ein paar allgemeine Punkte in diesem Comic sprechen, bevor ich zum inhaltlichen Teil komme.
Ich bin fasziniert, wie gut die Zeichnungen hier sind. Wie man mit bestimmten Motiven und Co. bedrückende, spannende, gruselige und ernste Momente untermauern und sie qualitativ hochwertig wiedergeben kann. Ich bin begeistert von jeder einzelnen Zeichnung und jedem einzelnen Charakter, der für die relativ kurze Comicserie sehr interessant erschaffen und dargestellt wird.
In diesem Fall möchte ich auch gern einmal erläutern, dass die Geschichte sicherlich nichts für schwache Nerven ist. 😉 Die Story nimmt von Beginn an eine rasante, brutale Entwicklung an. Mit vielen Spannungs-, Horror bzw. Mystery Elemente kommt hier eine atemberaubende, faszinierende Story, die sicherlich dem einen oder anderen Gänsehaut beschert. Auch die Zeichnungen geben der gesamten Handlung permanent eine bedrückende, gruselige Stimmung, womit die authentische Story durchweg gelungen ist.
Ein Kritikpunkt bzw. Abzug habe ich allerdings. Ich habe mich diesbezüglich auch mit einem anderen Blogger ausgetauscht und wir waren letztendlich derselben Meinung. Unzwar geht es hier um die Dialoge. Gerade aufgrund der Länge des Comics und der relativ „wenigen“ Seiten erwarte ich eigentlich permanent einen einfachen und flüssigen Schreibstill so dass mein Lesefluss im Comic nicht unterbrochen. Doch allerdings gibt es hier gewisse Übersetzungen, gewisse Redewendungen bzw. Sätze über die ich 1-2 drüberlesen musste. Da sie sich im deutschen doch etwas seltsam anhören.
Abschließend kann ich sagen, dass für mich „a walk trough hell“ eine absolute Leseempfehlung ist und ich auch damit, gerade durch die spannenden, Horror und Mystik Elemente sehr gut in die Welt der Comics gestartet bin. Tolle Reihe, spannend, brutal, geheimnisvoll und gruselig. Eine absolute Kauf-Leseempfehlung mit 4,5 von 5 Sternen.
December 7, 2018
Vubec nevim, co o tomhle napsat... Dvojice agentu vleze do skladiste a zmizej, tak se do skladiste vydava ustredni dvojice a zacnou se dit veci. A taky se prolinat dve pribehovy linie - soucasna ze skladiste a minula, ve ktery hlavni duo vysetruje pripad unosu deti.
Soucasna linka je divna a ta minula zajimava, ale je jasny, ze jedna souvisi s druhou. Bohuzel bude potreba vic nez jeden book, aby se to trochu rozmotalo. Kazdopadne sem zvedavej, jak to bude pokracovat dal.
Soucasna linka je divna a ta minula zajimava, ale je jasny, ze jedna souvisi s druhou. Bohuzel bude potreba vic nez jeden book, aby se to trochu rozmotalo. Kazdopadne sem zvedavej, jak to bude pokracovat dal.
March 31, 2019
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.
March 18, 2019
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.
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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June 21, 2020before I read this I was like fuck, am I really gonna read a garth ennis comic, and afterward I was like, fuck, yep, I just read a garth ennis comic
March 2, 2019
'A Walk Through Hell, Volume 1' by Garth Ennis with art by Goran Sudžuka is an apt description for reading this strange graphic novel.
Two cops respond to a crime call and find themselves in a labrynthine warehouse of horrors. But before that happens, we see a shooting at a mall and the twitter output that follows. Also involved in this story is a suspect involved in the disappearance and gruesome murder of several children. The cops can't decide if they have been drugged or are dead.
What I can't figure out is why this is happening, and why it is so difficult to be interesting. The plot elements would seem to be good, but the way they fit together feels stiff and disjointed. Maybe further down the series, it becomes clear, but this one was a puzzler. Which is sad because the art by Goran Sudžuka is pretty good.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Aftershock Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Two cops respond to a crime call and find themselves in a labrynthine warehouse of horrors. But before that happens, we see a shooting at a mall and the twitter output that follows. Also involved in this story is a suspect involved in the disappearance and gruesome murder of several children. The cops can't decide if they have been drugged or are dead.
What I can't figure out is why this is happening, and why it is so difficult to be interesting. The plot elements would seem to be good, but the way they fit together feels stiff and disjointed. Maybe further down the series, it becomes clear, but this one was a puzzler. Which is sad because the art by Goran Sudžuka is pretty good.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Aftershock Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
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October 19, 2018Horror comics are hard to do right, but if you manage it, you have the extra power that comes with being monthly, lingering for ages at the back of the reader's mind. What is inside that warehouse that could be so horrific? Sorry, you'll have to wait four weeks to find out. And in the meantime, you'll be imagining... Ennis doesn't write much straight horror these days, though in a sense this hews closer to his current turf by having cop protagonists. But they're not even centre stage as the first issue opens. Instead, it begins with the sort of atrocity that's depressingly everyday in the US now, followed before the bodies are cold by the inevitable online bunfight, and the whole thing is so depressing and so plausible and hits you just like it does every week or so it seems lately...but there's something more lurking. Something we're told is even worse. Something in a warehouse that even a SWAT team leave through simple terror. And yes, at first it looks like another story about a monstrous child abuser, and monstrous as they are they have become a bit overused as epitomes of evil in edgy modern crime/horror stories, haven't they? Yet through insidious hints and ingenious subtlety, there's still the lurking sense that no, this is about something even worse than that. And the detectives are trying to approach it rationally, but how much rationality is rational when you're clearly in a realm where normal rules are suspended? Sudzuka first encountered Ennis' writing through reading his still-unbeaten Hellblazer run (as did I), and two decades later is clearly not planning to waste the chance to do something similar; I'm not going to say he's filling the gap Steve Dillon left, certainly not yet, but he doesn't disgrace himself by comparison either, and that in itself is a massive deal. A nasty, horrible series, in the best possible sense.
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