Hell Phone, Book One

by Benji Nate

Sissy and Lola are best friends, next-door neighbors, and now… murder solvers? When Sissy picks up a lost flip-phone and follows the instructions from the stranger on the other line, she and Lola are flung into an investigation of a grisly crime. With each new phone call, the girls are dug deeper into a conspiracy that threatens their lives—and possibly their friendship. But with no way to escape the dreaded calls, the only way out is to unravel the mystery.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Mystery, Young Adult, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2022

About the author

Caroline “Benji” Sweater, also known as Benji Nate, is an American cartoonist and illustrator living in the Ozarks mountains. She is best known for the comics Catboy (2017), Hell Phone (2022) and Girl Juice (2023).

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light teen mystery/horror story where bffs Sissy and Lola receive a flip phone that keeps telling them to do things in conjunction with a murder. And they can't seem to get rid of the cell phone. It's like a cell phone demon; or, a. . . hell phone!

The voice of the woman on the phone seems to be a friend's mother, who was dead and buried, so is she now. . . alive?! And what was that cult that existed during the time of his mom's disappearance? Hey, let's go full-on Scooby and dig up the grave! And what about that diary, we better read that. . . I guess it is really about 2.5, it's all right, I zoomed through 164 pages in an hour or so. I like the kind of vibe of it more than the story, which seems kinda random. It brings clue-detection to the young and clueless (Sissy and Lola).

PS This comic is available on Webtoon to read for free.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A supernatural flip-phone leads two friends on a scavenger hunt to solve decade-old connected murder and missing person mysteries. It's simple and straightforward, but engaging too. I'll be watching for the next installment.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can understand how a series wants to leave a cliffhanger, but I think there should be some payoff in each installment. Zero resolution here. Fun colors/dialogue & cute characters tho.

[Bee ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️; E-Comic; Horror; Bk 1;

Two neighbours set off on a haunting mystery driven by a lost cell phone!

Our 2 MCs are super cute and total opposites - we love the sass.
Cults, murder, ghosts - Hell Phone has it all!

Excited for Bk 2!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quirky and comedic horror charm of this one is what got me. It reminded me of the same sort of vibes of the video game Night in the Woods - which may seem like an odd comparison but I think if you've played the game and then read this it might make sense?? Either way, I really enjoyed this first volume and am looking forward to the next one.

NOTABLE LIKES:
- quirky artwork that will make a lasting impression - very memorable & distinct
- features two likable gal pals who are a bit of a mess but in true relatable fashion
- intriguing setup for a story that would appeal to true crime & supernatural story fans

PS this comic is available on Webtoon to read for free!

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Randomly picked this up at the library today & read through it all coz it was short and fun but it ends on a cliffhanger and theres no part 2 😭

[Olivia Zerger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and funny with just enough of a real mystery feeling. Hoping for a part 2

[Anna McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the camp, colourful and spooky vibes to usher in October but then I discovered that the sequel isn't out yet?? I need answers! D:

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little graphic novel sort of reminded me of what a paranormal Search Party might be like. While I enjoyed the puppet-esque old school art style, I think might even like this more as a TV show- and I seriously wish I could watch it, since there's not volume 2 to help with this cliff hanger. I do like where this is going, and I'm curious to see if it does get a chance to continue.

[olive parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

nate's comics are always such a good mix of fun, snarky, clever jokes. drawings are so real and full of life. i love them! my friends should follow her on patreon and read girl juice :o)

[Lissibith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hell Phone sees our main characters, Sissy and Lola, stuck trying to solve perhaps two long-cold crimes in their town thanks to the titular flip phone that seems to be calling from hell.

Lola and Sissy are interesting characters to follow, and for me a big part of the fun of the book was watching them bounce off one another. they get along really well, but they definitely don't always see eye to eye. At times they seem maybe a little too OK with the stuff they're being asked to do, but in general they're relatable and funny and enjoyable to be with.

The supporting cast, such as it is, isn't well formed yet. We don't meet many other people, and those we do aren't super well fleshed out. But given how book 1 ends, I suspect that will get addressed in the follow-up.

The art is a little unusual but in a good way -- it has its own personality and I think it fits the creepy-but-not-TOO-creepy vibe of the story.

The biggest problem I had was that it didn't feel like this first book was fully a complete story in its own right. Yes, I know it's only volume 1, but I still want a volume to feel like a satisfying story, even if it doesn't answer all the questions or ends on a cliffhanger. But it felt more like the story just kind of paused, rather than hitting a good, satisfying break point before volume 2. A small problem in the grand scheme of things, but it's unfortunately the last thing you experience with the story.

Still, overall it's a quick and light read and I'm looking forward to book 2!

[kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so cheesy campy cute!!! i wish i could read more!! it was so purposefully dumb in parts but i loveeeeee these little characters sissy and lola and the art style and color scheme!! the art carried this story for sure but there were humorous intriguing little parts too that made this feel so predictably enjoyable. i could tell this was a webtoon first. the story is moved along through the dialogue between these two characters, and you can really see these characters personality in their words and actions. lola is a total type B person that loves to party and avoid her problems but she’s good with people. sissy is more shy and neat and organized and type A. everything always lined up so perfectly but i really enjoyed this it reminded me of other things ive read like be kind my neighbor, the night never ends, and everything is fine

[kate j · Rating 3 out of 5]

little details i liked: i liked that the color on the pages bled all the way out to the edges!! and that the facial features were suuuuper similar and very simple and i got invested anyway. took a bit but im solidly interested in the mystery and i love messy bffs ❤️

[Emma (littledollreads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read this book for so long and I am so disappointed in how it turned out. The cover and blurb make it seem like it is going to be so much spookier than it actually turns out to be.

[chantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed with this!!!

[Maisie Iven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legitimately unsettling! A fun, lighthearted mystery with some good moments of horror! Can’t wait for volume 2!

[Fergus Nm · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I say this is cute and silly, I'm not being dismissive - there is more of an art than you might think in bringing those two traits to the page. Great autumnal colours here, too.

[Vanna Lester · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t like Lola

[Bre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this comic from start to end!! Can’t wait for the next installment

[Wilma (Enby Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I NEED a part two to this saga immediately...!!!!

[Geertje · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need book 2!

[Alicia Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a fun and super quick read. The characters are so charming. I especially enjoyed seeing their new outfits each day. The illustrations are bright and eye catching and the story is fun. I look forward to reading more from this artist!

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK 2 WHEN?

[Severind Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I thought it would end up being. And it certainly wasn’t bad, but I don't believe it was particularly memorable.

The plot was pretty solid. An interesting concept, using an old phone to further the plot of the story. It was fairly simple overall, and fast paced, which made it easy to get sucked in and follow along with. But I did have some difficulty telling the two characters apart for some reason? Which also made it hard to find much of a connection with them when I kept mistaking one for the other. Maybe that's just a me thing though? But despite the mystery, little else about the story stands out to me, and I don't think I will remember it much later on down the line.

It leaves off on a fairly major cliff hanger, and I have yet to see any sign of a sequel, so I'm not entirely sure if we're ever getting one or if it's still in the making. I'd have liked to see a conclusion, because this feels like the kind of story that could be wrapped up all in one, it would just be a little longer. But as it stands, I'm not terribly fussed about this either. I don't know if I'm inclined enough to even read a sequel if/when it does come out, because this book might be completely off my radar and forgotten by the time it does. I'm not on the edge of my seat dying to find out what happens next, so I guess it's fine I found this story to be average.

I guess my biggest gripe is with the artwork. The cover is honestly what intrigued me the most. And I know they say not to judge a book by its cover, but I can't help it! Usually they mean that about books with ugly covers, but this one is stunning. I loved the colorscheme, the character designs, the lettering. Everything. And then I started the book, having not seen what was between the pages previously, and was a bit disappointed that what it contained was not entirely like the cover. The same art style, of course, albeit a little less polished. But it was the color scheme that truly threw me off. I was hoping for a story told entirely in pastel pink and striking black, I suppose. Really this isn't the fault of anyone. It's just a personal preference that lowered my enjoyment just a bit.

That being said, nothing about this book is bad. I think teenagers would probably like this, maybe young adult readers too. It just wasn’t quite what I was expecting, and it didn’t leave a particularly lasting impression. Maybe my expectations were just a little too high.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the series has a lot of potential and I can't wait for the next one although...this one gave the readers almost nothing except the introduction of the characters and story. The ending didn't feel like a good way to leave off and wasn't much of a cliffhanger either.

[doowopapocalypse · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the material would have been better served in one volume, because this one doesn’t really have any real drama. Also, the art was not for me.

[Pa_tr0_clus · Rating 2 out of 5]

??? these characters are supposedly adults ??? how ???

[simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

〜 📁 #𝙣𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙜𝙞𝙘 ,, #𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 ,, #𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 ,, #𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙

➥ this comic book is very nostalgic for me, because my best friend and my favorite childhood cartoon is "Charlie and Lola", so i named my bird Lola and she named her cat Lola. In addition to the coincidence of the name of one of the characters in the comic being called Lola, there is another one: MY NAME IS SISSY!!!!! (ok, not actually my name, but my most common nickname, so basically: ended up becoming my name lol) and my personality is very similar to the character, and i think this amazing (ﾉ◕0◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

✿ i read this comic at first time in high school recess with this friend, we read cover to cover in 30 minutes
walking through Goodreads i saw this comic here and said: why not read it again?
and then i read and remembered how much I enjoyed this story!! this rereading was also nostalgic, because i remembered when i had read with my friend, our jokes and laughter, it made me miss that time...

✦ the story is very good, it's light and there is a suspense present, the facial expressions of the characters help to maintain the suspense, since it is possible to clearly see when they are nervous or tense and the end makes us want to keep reading and discovering more things.

♥︎ I've dreamed of a sequel for a long time, i don't follow the author's patreon (only her instagram) and i haven't checked it out for a while, but from what I've seen there is still no second volume available... i hope she someday comes back to this story, because it's my favorite of hers and i'd really like to know how it ends!!

[Abby Hargreaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Sissy discovers a random flip phone, she hardly thinks much of it -- except that she can't seem to get rid of it no matter what she does and she's starting to receive strange phone calls that lead her and her best friend Lola to a murder scene. Only -- when the police arrive, the corpse disappears as if it were never there. Now determined to get to the bottom of this paranormal activity, Sissy and Lola start investigating and there's no way they're prepared for what they're about to find.

Hell Phone: Book 1 definitely felt like just an introduction to a larger story. If you're expecting more of a format that includes a single story that moves along a larger story, you might be a bit disappointed. It approaches that, but doesn't quite get there. Still, Hell Phone starts with an intriguing premise and as the pieces start to fall together for Sissy, Lola, and the reader, it becomes a fun, Scooby-Doo-esque story with a bit of blood and guts and plenty of teen hijinks, including digging up a grave. I'm hopeful sequels will include additional world and tone/aesthetic building.

Sissy and Lola are at times a little difficult to tell apart, but I got the sense that future installments will help better define and differentiate the characters. Book 1 has a heavier focus on Sissy as the phone finder. I'll be interested to see if future volumes lean more into Lola's perspective. In many ways, these characters are typical teens -- murder investigation aside -- and I enjoyed reading about them and the people they know and encounter.

I was first caught by Hell Phone's cover. Interested in both the clever title and the art, I was excited to get more of both. I would have liked a little more in the way of cleverness and puns, though there's enough to be satisfying. As far as the art goes, I might have taken a cue from other comics I've read and known going in the interior art wouldn't be quite as detailed or styled quite the same. Still, I felt a little let down by the change.

A quick, fun read that has a lot of potential for future installments!

[Aaron (TheWeirdReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's get rid of this thing. Absolutely. Good riddance.

What's that buzzing? Is that your phone? No. My phone is in my pocket. OMG. BZZZZZZZZZ Get rid of it! I don't wanna touch it!

What the hell are we gonna do? Answer the call, I guess.

The other day I recently discovered the cartoonist writer Benji Nate with the story Lorna. Which was okay, and it originally started as a Webcomic I found out. So I also read a few of those as well.

But I immediately decided to read another one of her graphic novels because the title Hell Phone. I enjoyed and prefer this alot more over my previous story. I like Both main characters Sissy and expecially Lola lol they were relatable for different reason. The illustrations have improved (in my opinion) a bit since the 2015 Lorna. Anywho, here I was so eagered to know it's final mysterious conclusion and somehow didn't realize this is only the 1st b👀k.

HELL PH😱NE was a delightful, intriguing, fun mystery. I'll be awaiting the next installment.