Ryan Ferrier and Valentin Ramon re-team to take us on a trip to literal Hell in “Hot Damn” #1. Read on for our review but be warned, there will be some spoilers.
Written by Ryan Ferrier
Illustrated Valentin Ramon
MATURE READERSThe masterminds of D4VE reunite with HOT DAMN, and they’re taking you straight to Hell. Hard living catches up to Teddy, and eternal damnation awaits—but it’s nothing like the good book tells you. Hell is a therapy session you can never leave…
Ryan Ferrier and Valentin Ramon created “D4VE”, one of the quirkiest and most hilarious new series in recent years. There was some social commentary thrown in there, some great spoofing of big action tropes, and though Ramon’s art was definitely within the world of science fiction, it had comedic life. “Hot Damn” #1 is the start of their next project together and, with this issue, they prove that they are a creative team meant for each other. They work together seamlessly to create a new story that proves how effective they are together.
“Hot Damn” #1 introduces us to Teddy Graham (like the cracker). He’s dead and now living in Hell. Teddy has done a lot of bad things in his life and now he’s stuck here for all eternity. In Hell, Teddy has a sponsor, a demon named Costello, who takes him to his group therapy sessions with another demon. In these sessions the people in Hell are encouraged to constantly look back on the terrible things they did and suffer so they can be punished. Teddy is adjusting to things fairly well until Costello brings him along on a possession and that’s when things begin to fall apart.
“Hot Damn” #1 does a whole lot right. Knowing that this has four issues to tell a story, Ferrier expertly crafts the introduction. There isn’t a single wasted space as we get all we need to know about Teddy, this version of Hell, Costello’s role, and even the way Heaven and Hell interact with each other. Ferrier takes the chance to poke a little fun at religion — so, as a warning, if that’s going to bother you, this is not the book for you. This version of Hell is really gross in very amusing ways and that’s amplified by how Ramon brings it all to life through his art.
I love the approach taken with how Hell works. The idea of punishment coming from facing what you’ve done is pretty much perfect. Forcing people to confront their feelings for all eternity is a great punishment. As most of us can attest, doing something that’s terrible and having to deal with that isn’t easy. You’ll avoid it forever if you can.
I especially liked the details in the world building. Want a drink? You can choose from horse sperm or orange juice with toothpaste. It’s so evil in the most non-obvious way and it’s pretty clever. Hell and Heaven in “Hot Damn” also features a bureaucracy in the same sense as “The Life After” but it takes a very different approach. People work but none of them are truly invested in their work. Even the guys up in Heaven remark that they don’t get paid enough to care what happens after orders are given and it’s little details like this in the dialogue that make the series relatable without being overly obvious about it. Ferrier’s dialogue is very funny and he finds the right balance in showing and telling. There’s some voice-over happening but it’s not to the point where it’s distracting or unnecessary. Most importantly though, “Hot Damn” #1 is funny. This doesn’t take things so seriously and goes for the jokes when it can and it’s what makes it all the more enjoyable.
Valentin Ramon is an incredibly talented artist and “Hot Damn” #1 is a perfect example of why. First off, I have to mention the cover because it’s just so damn good. Teddy is falling into nothingness surrounded by his personal “demons”. It’s a perfect entry point to what Teddy’s journey looks like and it’s so perfectly detailed. That’s one of Ramon’s biggest strengths as an artist. He doesn’t skip out on a single beat and it’s an incredibly delightful thing to see in comic book art. Ramon’s design of Hell is inventive; it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in comic books. The place is gross, it’s filthy and it’s not for the faint of heart. There are people there who visibly look how they did when they died and Ramon does a nice job at bringing a horror vibe to this book without completely boxing it into that genre. The demons and creatures that live in Hell are varied. Some look friendly, some look monstrous but they all have personality. This is something Ramon is able to do all on his own as an artist and it fleshes out the world building in a way that Ferrier can’t do through art. His color work is equally fantastic as he’s able to capture a sinister darkness and combine with a feeling of despair.
“Hot Damn” #1 is easily one of my favorite debut issues of the year so far and one of the most fun you’ll have reading about characters trapped in Hell for all eternity.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – “Hot Damn” #1 does all the things all debut issues should do. It’s a winner all around.
