Hell School: Rituals Review
Hell School by Dugomier and Benoît Ers
I recieved a free eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Hell School follows the three 'bastards' of the Institute of Excellence - three first-years who refuse to take part in the traditional hazing ritual and become outcasts, bullied, and picked on by their peers. It is the first of an installment of works,
Hell School opens with a scene from the past showing a previous 'bastard' being 'punished' for not taking part in the ritual before jumping forward ten years to show us the latest batch of first years. We meet Bastien and Hina, and a few of the others, as they are welcomed into the school and told everything they need to know for their first year. Right off the bat, the two are labeled as outcasts and rebels, and it only gets worse from there as they are denied food, a place to sleep, and help from their fellow first years.
An ongoing mystery takes place as the Principal meddles with the school traditions, encouraging history to repeat itself with Bastien, wanting him dealt with in the same manner as the boy from the flashback at the beginning.
I really liked the artwork and overall vibe of this comic. Throughout the story, things don't add up and something feels very off about the school, and especially about the principal, although there is also something else surrounding Bastien. It feels especially weird that even though hazing is illegal in France, that the principal is not only allowing it but actively encouraging it and allowing students who do not take part to be punished. Finding out at the end that he is hoping for another 'accident' to punish Bastien just adds to the unsettling feeling the whole school gives off and the mystery of why. Why would the principal want another student to die? Why is he so adamant that students should take part in the hazing ritual and why is it so extreme when students refuse? Why did he have a problem with Bastien's hair when it wasn't breaking any rules? Why is Bastien seeing a therapist when he doesn't want or seem to need to? Hopefully, these questions are answered in the following installments of the Hell School series.
I really enjoyed this comic and would highly recommend to people who enjoy comics and graphic novels of the same genre.