Humanity has long been fascinated by the concept of evil. I’m not talking about the petty crimes that mankind has long inflicted upon one another, but rather the imagined Underworld and the dark denizens that inhabit this world, waiting for the twisted souls of humanity’s worse to descend and be torn apart like carrion before a flock of crows. Legends range from the comedic to the horrific when looking upon the varied spiritual face of evil. It probably should come as no surprise that this fascination with spiritual aspects of evil has made its way to the realm of webcomics.
Maxwell the Demon takes a humorous glimpse into the Underworld, with the titular character, a demon who is in a middle-management position in Hell. Naturally enough, rather than living constantly in the depths of Hell, Maxwell commutes to work from an apartment in a city on Earth, where he lives with Claire, an attractive young lady who actually loves him and helps care for him, in sickness and in health. (And let me tell you, the thought that demons can catch colds (or their version of a cold at least) just amuses me to no end.) The comic switches between Earth and Hell, with Maxwell dealing with such things as idiot cultists, moronic demon underlings, and even his angelic counterparts.
Nor are we limited to Hell and Earth with the comic. Tonia Walden also gives us glimpses into Heaven, where the corporate culture has also caught on, and angels and saints worry about being downsized and their worship portfolios being consolidated. I mean, this is Heaven we’re talking about… and they’re worried about losing their jobs? It’s madness… and it works. MtD’s artwork works both as black and white and in color, though Walden could work a bit more on facial expressions; it seems sometimes like Maxwell has four or five set facial expressions. On the whole, MtD has a delightfully wicked sense of humor that works whether Maxwell is storming the Gates of Heaven, tormenting workers in the depths of Hell, or even kicking back with ice cream with sprinkles back home on Earth.