To have and to hold. Hidden within what is widely regarded as a giving ceremony are these words that are full of covetousness. Having your cake, which in some instances is warmer even after a year in the freezer than the couple’s affections towards each other. So far with Maia and Sebastian Stone, Charles Soule is showcasing a love without a limit. In Hell to Pay #5, from Image Comics, readers finally get an understanding of how much this union really costs. Will it break the bank?
Hell to Pay #5 (of 6)
The Shrouded College – Book I
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Will Sliney
Colourist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Chris Crank
Hell to Pay #5 begins in the year 1930, the location being Capetown, South Africa. An intrepid explorer and businessman bemoans what was bought in blood; though none of it his own. And now after all his “effort” he finds himself with too much of a “good” thing. This makes his complaints, much like the trophies of the beasts that adorn his office, seem empty and hollow. And yet still the very type who expects everyone to believe his lie. His guest at least has sympathy for his particular plight. And for the price of one Qurrakh the Lady Restructuring of Under-Performing Division is ready to give us all another lesson in Deceit-conomics.
As the Hell to Pay #5 returns to the present, Mrs. Stone feels none the richer. Sebastian is in the clutches of the Poor Man and Maia is looking to recoup on that loss. Unfortunately, neither Stone, husband and wife, read the fine print. Artists Will Sliney and Rachelle Rosenberg provide excellent details during the discussion where the Shrouded College quickly reminds Maia of her “real” lifetime commitment. She has their blessings to do what she must to save Sebastian with the reminder that she is playing with someone else’s money. And clearly there is no loan forgiveness program with this college either.
With details like this, Hell to Pay constantly reminds readers of the true value of life, the price of the way we live by the words and actions of its characters. Even the Shrouded College inadvertently admits they are not holding the entire bag. So exactly what lending tree lists this institution as a borrower?
While her husband is much worse, with his soul and most of his skin gone, Maia makes a deal that certainly won’t fare better; for her or baby. We get two additional demonic entries, to add to the already revealed Lady Restructuring. There is no denying that both Sliney and Rosenberg recognize that each demon’s physical look should take into account their fiscal influence with a debonair Duke of Dividends.
While the opening meeting in this issue is story specific, there is some incidental irony to this book itself. After a short delay, writer Charles Soule brings readers back to the steps of the Shrouded College. It’s unlikely, however, that anyone would consider this series an underperformer thus far. With Hell to Pay #5 this trend continues, so this creative team clearly just wants to remind readers of rarity. A comic book that understands our existence and capitalizes on it by establishing (or exposing?) lore and mythos is truly a priceless gem.
Hell to Pay #5 ties the knot between the world of love and business. Proposals and partnerships exist in both, often allowing one party to emerge as the primary beneficiary.
The other is left to go frost themselves.
Score: 8.9