A modern reinterpretation of the apocryphal tale of Christ's descent into Hell after his death, THE HARROWING OF HELL is a densely illustrated allegorical tale of the world's most famous political revolutionary.
"Jesus of Nazareth . . . art thou come to destroy us?" Over the thousands of years since Christ's Crucifixion, the original gospels detailing his life and death have been edited, sanded down, and molded into the tale millions of people know by heart today. But what if that first fevered, dreamlike writing about this moment of profound historical upheaval were to be resurrected itself, brought back to life in a haunting fable for our modern age? In THE HARROWING OF HELL, Evan Dahm draws upon a wide array of texts both ancient and modern, religious and historical, to create a brand new window into the life and death of Christ, a vision of a dying man's revolutionary drive and fervent belief in humanity's salvation from all manner of jailers. Discarding the heroic, demon-smiting Christ that has taken hold in the popular imagination, this story gives us a peaceable and contemplative Christ, defiantly at odds with the ancient and modern desires of His flock. A richly symbolic, densely illustrated allegorical tale that echoes back to us from ancient times, THE HARROWING OF HELL is a fascinating reinterpretation of one of the most important religious figures in history, before He was the god of the wealthy and powerful, before He was recast as the warrior worshipers preferred.
“"Not a simple Sunday school retelling of scripture, Dahm's ambitious graphic novel grapples with the revolutionary humility of Christ's message, envisioning the cost of fighting evil with nonviolence and compassion." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "Boldly presents Jesus's trip freeing souls between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, employing black, white, and red to dramatize the event." -- LIBRARY JOURNAL "Recaptures the moody, mystical, and mythological aspects that have been long lost in Christianity, with riveting imagery that accompanied the tales." -- COMICS BEAT”
“Not a simple Sunday school retelling of scripture, Dahm’s ambitious graphic novel grapples with the revolutionary humility of Christ’s message, envisioning the cost of fighting evil with nonviolence and compassion.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Boldly presents Jesus’s trip freeing souls between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, employing black, white, and red to dramatize the event.” — LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Deeply personal and full of profound ambiguity." — A.V. CLUB
“Recaptures the moody, mystical, and mythological aspects that have been long lost in Christianity, with riveting imagery that accompanied the tales.” — COMICS BEAT
"A very dark graphic novel that, while still religiously based, is sure to appeal to horror readers." — CEMETERY DANCE
Evan Dahm is a prolific cartoonist, responsible for the epic fantasy adventure stories Rice Boy, Order of Tales, Vattu, and Island Book and its upcoming sequels. He lives in Brooklyn, NY, and is a graduate of Appalachian State University in North Carolina. He has done work for First Second Books, BOOM!, Paradox Space, and Iron Circus Comics, in addition to self-publishing much of his own work since 2006.
PRIMED FANBASE: Evan Dahm is a seasoned small press veteran with a loyal following built over more than a decade in the business. His RICE BOY webcomic (in print and available from Iron Circus) won an Ignatz Award and currently nets over 230,000 site visitors every month. His 15,000+ social media followers have been getting teaser art from THE HARROWING OF HELL for over a year prior to pub date.SEASONAL TIMING: Presenting an apocryphal tale of the crucifixion and resurrection in a respectful and artistic way, THE HARROWING OF HELL is positioned to generate buzz leading up to the Easter holiday among radical Christians and anyone interested in alternative religious tales.MODERN POLITICAL THEMES: Described by the author as an "anti-mystical Christian anarchist comic book," THE HARROWING OF HELL deconstructs Christian theology down to its fundamental story of the world's most famous and influential revolutionary leader.INVITING ARTWORK: Dahm's signature inky brushwork brings an opaque and mysterious ancient text to life in a warmly appealing cartooning style that captures the original's mood. Spot-color red throughout adds an extra layer of symbolic meaning to a richly rewarding allegorical tale.DEEPLY RESEARCHED: THE HARROWING OF HELL draws on ancient and modern sources, including religious, academic, and literary. In an included behind-the-scenes essay, Dahm tells the story of how his version of this well-known yet still largely untold tale came to be from a lifetime of religious upbringing and studious inquiry.
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