This Fall, Vault Comics is debuting Godfather of Hell, a new comic book series it describes as “Hellblazer directed by Guy Ritchie, or Lucifer meets The Sopranos, and CBR has the exclusive announcement for this new series, which is written by New York Times bestselling author, Cavan Scott, (Star Wars: The High Republic), and drawn by Pius Bak (Eat the Rich), a Bram Stoker Award-winning artist.

The series follows a mob enforcer who is murdered, but when he finds himself in Hell, he decides to make lemonade out of the Hell-lemons that he’s been dealt, and finds a way to turn his situation into a business opportunity. The first issue will feature a series of crime fiction homage covers by an excellent mixture of cover artists, including Nathan Gooden, Joshua Hixson, Chris Shehan, Jake Phillips, Corin Howell, and Conor Boyle.

What is the official plot synopsis for Godfather of Hell?

Godfather of Hell

Dario Santini has lived a charmed life as an enforcer and debt collector for mob boss Niccolò Mechini. He’s had it all: respect, power, even the love of a good woman. But everything changes when he crosses a line and is shot dead on the sidewalk.

Waking up in Hell, Dario faces a future of pain and suffering… unless he can turn eternal damnation into a business opportunity. Neo-noir hellfire from New York Times Bestseller Cavan Scott (Star Wars: The High Republic, Shadow Service, Dead Seas) and Bram Stoker Award-winning artist Pius Bak (Eat the Rich, The Magicians, Stranger Things).

The two covers we have featured today are Nathan Gooden’s Pulp Fiction homage cover for #1, and Pius Bak’s main cover for the first issue of the series.

Cavan Scott explained what readers could look forward to with this series, noting that, “Two of my favourite genres collide in GODFATHER OF HELL: gangster noir and exorcist terror. Brace yourself for visceral body horror, lashings of black humor, and moments of super-cool swagger brought to life by Pius’ neon-soaked art. It’s sexy, gritty and downright terrifying!

He added, “Most exorcist dramas focus on the human victims and their saviors, but GODFATHER OF HELL flips the script, telling the story of multiple possessions from the point of view of the demons themselves. Our guide to the ultimate criminal underworld is Dario, a mob enforcer who, after a fatal shooting, receives an unexpected business proposition from one of Satan’s lieutenants. Hell, Dario quickly realizes, is just another racket, and if there’s one thing Dario knows, it’s how to work rackets. Can he play the Devil at his own game to save those he loves from eternal damnation? Or will he finally lose his soul?”

Scott concluded by explaining, “GODFATHER OF HELL is a demonic noir where human souls are collateral and damnation lurks on every street corner: a truly twisted tale of possession, passion and powerplay. I can’t wait for everyone to meet the devil’s new debt collector!”

For his part, Pius Bak, shared, “throughout my career I’ve explored various genres, but lately I’e found myself naturally gravitating towards drawing weirder and creepier stuff. So was I thrilled when Vault approached me with a proposition to work on this unique twist of horror? And with Cavan freaking Scott? HELL yeah! The story is funny and sad, very cool and creepy, I’m genuinely enjoying Cavan’s storytelling. On my part, from designing the characters to illustrating the covers, from sketching the layouts to inking the pages, working on this book has been immensely fun!”

Godfather of Hell #1 is due out in October.

Source: Vault Comics