3 reasons we’re excited about Her Infernal Descent

A five issue comic of Dante’s Inferno meets Agatha Christie and William Blake? Her Infernal Descent has me saying “hell yeah” in all nine circles.

If you haven’t read the classic Dante’s Inferno, it is the first part of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy. If you don’t know what it’s about, you can read the Cliff’s Notes here. So, how do you make that kind of major part of Western literature interesting? One, you take Dante out of it. Two, you rename it Her Infernal Descent.

“It’s not just eternal fires and rotting bodies, but there’s a much weirder spin on this underworld as the series moves forward,” Lonnie Nadler said to CBR.

I am incredibly excited about this revamp, so I’m going to give you the three main reasons I’m excited about Her Infernal Descent!

CBR also has the summary:

"A tale of loss told in five parts. Any good mom would march through the inferno of HELL to get her family back.Unable to cope with the burden of grief, a middle-aged mom descends the nine circles of hell to retrieve her forsaken family. Guided by the ghosts of William Blake and Agatha Christie, this no-nonsense mother journeys deep into a bizarre underworld filled with celebrity sinners, surreal landscapes, and absurd tasks. Her Infernal Descent is a retelling of Dante’s Inferno that updates the themes for a modern audience."

A love letter to moms

In the original story, Dante follows the spirit of the poet Virgil through the gates of Hell in the hopes that he might be allowed to go to Paradise.

In this new story by Lonnie Nadler and Zac Thompson, Dante is replaced by a middle-aged mother who is going through hell to get her family back — something that I, and others, are always here for!

Mothers in fiction almost never get their own story, and I’m thrilled to see this come to fruition.

The team behind it

Nadler and Thompson have proven their fantastic teamwork, as they’re the authors of the critically acclaimed Black Masks series, The Dregs. They were also chosen as new incoming writers for Marvel’s Cable comic book series.

First Nations artist Kyle Charles has a stunning portfolio, and illustrated Roche Files.

The team on the page

I’m sorry, but I can’t imagine anyone thinking that Virgil of all people would be the one to lead them through to paradise.

I mean, the guy wrote the Aeneid epic poem. Snoooooooze.

Agatha Christie and William Blake will make a much better team — and a much more realistic one.  I can’t wait to see how the team characterizes Christie and Blake.

Next: 20 female masters of science fiction to add to your reading list

Her Infernal Descent will arrive in April. Will you be adding it to your pull list?