This month SLG Publishing is releasing Rebel Angels from writer/ illustrator James Turner (Rex Libris, Warlord of Io)  It is a collected edition of his web comic Hell Lost.

Rebel Angels takes place in Hell and depicts a version of the inferno that deals with many of the hot-button issues that plague our world today.  Immigration reform, civil unrest, and a disillusioned populous are all touched upon in the first issue of the series.  It draws from the classic work Paradise Lost, and reminds me of Robert Olen Butler‘s Hell: A Novel.

In Turner’s own words: (Follow the link to a downloadable copy of the book)

It seemed a natural direction for it to go in from Milton’s description of the place. He describes the Fallen Angels as having diverse beliefs, united only in their opposition to God. After the fall, some demons sit atop mountain peaks in Hell discussing philosophy, for example. Enemies with completely uniform political views only exist in propaganda based caricatures. So any charitable look at Hell would have demons asserting a diverse set of beliefs.

Not without its flaws, Rebel Angels shows a lot of promise.