Bill & Ted Go to Hell #1 (of 4)
Written by Brian Joines (@brianmjoines)
Art by Bachan (@bachan)
Colors by Jeremy Lawson (@impkingcomics)
Letters by Jim Campbell (@CampbellLetters)
Review by Joey Braccino
Nostalgia abounds as the most righteous dudes of San Dimas go to Hell to rescue their old pal, Death!!! Of course, Bill and Ted can’t do it on their own, so they team up with some of their most non-heinous friends, past and future, to get the job done!
Look, I’m a sucker for some Bill & Ted. A fan of both Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey, I was ecstatic to hear that Boom Studios would be bringing Bill S. Preston, Esquire, and Ted “Theodore” Logan back to the funny pages. Last year, Boom released Bill & Ted’s Most Triumphant Return (now in trade paperback!) and now we’ve got our second mini-series, this time from Brian Joines (Imagine Agents, Krampus!) and Bachan.**
[**For those looking for the Bill & Ted’s Excellent Comic Book from the early ‘90s that Marvel put out, Boom actually also just released an archive collection in full color! Most excellent!]
Unlike it’s predecessor, Bill & Ted Go to Hell leans heavily on nostalgia the old films than it does advancing any new ideas or characters. In many ways, this first issue feels like an amalgamation of the plots of those two films—the time travel and team-building of Excellent Adventure meets the trial and tribulations of venturing into the underworld from Bogus Journey. Thankfully, Joines and Bachan bring the humor and the wit as they take us through these motions, with a clever misdirection at the cliffhanger that capitalizes on that nostalgia. The book is funny and the characters are just as charming and endearing as ever, and Bachan’s dynamic artwork channels that ‘90s alternative comics aesthetic while reminiscent of the cinematic, quirky energy of artists like Skottie Young, Rem Broo, and Eryk Donovan.
For readers unfamiliar the most triumphant duo of Bill & Ted, what are you doing? Really though, Bill & Ted Go to Hell may be a bit too chock-full-of-canon for new readers, so maybe go watch the movies and then read the comic? I dunno, dude; the oddities of time travel are most non-non-complicated.
Verdict
Totally buy, especially if you’re already a fan of the B&T! Bill & Ted Go to Hell is literally filled to the brim with everything that made the original film franchise most excellent: historical dudes, time travel, Death, hilariously-dated late-‘80s Cali-slang. The only thing missing I suppose is the rock, but let’s be real, did we ever watch Bill & Ted for the Wyld Stallyns, or did we watch for Bill & Ted? Our titular dudes are in able hands with Brian Joines and Company, and I’m even more thrilled for more Bill & Ted from BOOM!
PS – Fingers crossed, dudes, for that Bill & Ted threequel, dudes!