Fantastic and hilarious as always, a second collection is a worthwhile addition to my shelf. All hail Belzebubs!

A funny tongue in cheek graphic novel, at times the jokes did seem a bit forced but overall it was humorous.
Thank you NetGalley and IDW publishing for my e-arc.

I am not sure exactly why it is I decided to--once again!--review a volume of JP Ahonen's send-up of a goth musician and his family. I am an old folkie with no connection to goth music or culture and that is the focus of this series, ostensibly. I read the first one, liked it and reviewed it, and saw this on Net Galley and decided to read it. We can alll use a laugh these days. And well, not laugh, but smile a lot, I did. It's the story of a goth couple, with all the makeup and music and inside refs to vague beliefs, raising two kids together. And after all kids need diapers, they need to eat and be entertained and they need to be parented, regardless of your musical/cultural tastes. They are still peripherally into the scene, he's making music, sorta, though its hard when you are raising a family. And that's more what the series is about, as Ahonen says; you have these rebel tastes and experiences when you are young, but then you get older, you have your own kids who rebel against you. Even non-goths like me can appreciate that. I know why I decided to keep reading the series: It's good comics!

Loved the goth vibe. I liked the short story comic strip feel. It was just fun all round. Interested in reading the first volume
now.

I loved belzebubs shorts since the first time I've seen them in Facebook. This second volume doesn't disappoint, we still see our beloved characters growing and trying their best to become the best black metal band in the world while having family and friends and work... I loved it so much!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher IDW Publishing Top Cow Productions for an advanced copy of this collection about a family that is strong in their love for each other, and their dreams of trying to make domestic bliss, and their father's dream of being a superstar in the death metal scene.

I have loved comic strips fora long time, but I haven't found many that I enjoy or even find interesting anymore. Most are single joke, or lack heart or full of tired jokes and a meanness that seems to taint everything. Seldom do I laugh while reading these, even more seldom do I remember that they exist or look for them again. There are exceptions, but they are few and far between. It has been a long time since I have been excited by a comic strip. And even longer that I ordered the first collection of a comic strip, and pre-ordered the second to be sure I get it. Even odder I did this all in the first quarter of the book. I was that hooked. In fact I called and left a rambling voice message with a friend I haven't talked to in a while, which was probably a no-no, she hates phones. I said I have read something that is so good, and so much like you I am sure you already know about it, because you are cool like that, but I can't take the chance you might miss this. I told her the title and added please don't kill me. Belzebubs (Vol 2): No Rest for the Wicked is that good, I broke etiquette laws for it. And I would do it again. Written by Finnish cartoonist, J.P. Ahonen this series sounds big overseas, and probably Japan, and Hail Satan I hope it becomes just as big here.

Sløth once had dreams of being a Death Metal God with his band, but life got in the way. Life as in his daughter Lilith, who he had with his wife Lucy. Lucy went to work for Limbo, the premiere advertising firm, and Sløth became a stay-at-home Dad, for his daughter and soon his son, Leviathan. Sløth is quite good at being a Daddy, and works nights and weekends trying to get his band, that is currently between labels going. As in any family there are problems. Lucy is thinking of starting her own firm. Lilith is acting out at school, killing a sheep in class leading to a suspension, and dating the new young drummer in her father's band. Leviathan has typical problems dealing with demons appearing, the usual kid stuff. As money gets tight, Sløth returns to the work force doing what he is best at, working at a day school, and teaching the preschoolers how to put their face paint on.

This was so much fun. Foxtrot for Cthulhu, Blondie for the metal heads. What sounds like a one-joke idea is something so much more. This is a story about a family that loves each other. Sløth and his wife support each other, love each other and pick each other up when feeling down. Sløth's dreams might have been derailed by children, but he doesn't blame them, they are the best things in his life, and he lets them know. Sure the daughter is feeling things, but in the end she still loves her parents. Cheap jokes don't exist here, the humor is real, sometimes dealing with Satan, sometimes dealing with a minor situation. The heart, the love, the emotion though is real. Shown not only in the writing but in the art. Some is cartoony but never in a bad way. This is really a epic work, like a great guitar solo that wasn't stolen from Iron Maiden. I really enjoyed this quite a bit, and want to sing it's praises in a blasted out church somewhere.

There is a lot of adult talk, so probably not for young kids, teens though will get it. And like it. One can't help but like it. Every panel has heart, hope and acceptance. Something rare in the world. Sløth and Luck might seem foolish, but don't mess with their family. The Old Ones owe them favors. I can't suggest this enough, and I can't wait to read more by J.P. Ahonen.

Ok, so this isn’t my typical genre. I thought I would give Belzebubs a try. It’s a very interesting graphic novel written and illustrated in all black and white. It’s called black metal mockmentary. But it fits into this strangely unique family of satanic worshippers. With that being said, the family is exactly what someone might consider a normal family. Sloth the dad is trying to get his metal band noticed and while doing that he is a stay at home dad. Lucyfer, mom, is an art major working in an advertising firm. They have two kids Lilith, a teen, who is dating a “normal” guy and the younger son, Levianthan, who is tackling nightmares of Jesus trying to find him and take him away.
All in all, the illustrations were great, the dialogue is appropriate in its inappropriateness. The characters were like able and the story was fun and relatable.

I was so excited to read the sequel to the first Belzebubs. It was just as fun as the first, if not more! It's a blast following this very strange metal family and all their quirks. The art is great as always and I hope to see further volumes of this come out. I will definitely be telling friends to pick it up!

Thanks NetGalley,

I just want to start with how much I love them taking simple every day tasks and situations and throwing in satanic worship from everything from dating, parenting, marriage and just being a kid. It is hilarious and i just love it sooooo much! Thank goodness I just discovered this series because I can't get enough of all the characters and can't wait to see what Sloth and Lucy and the rest of the family get in to next. It's so dark and quirky who wouldn't love this?!?! Grandma and grandpa might be my favorite if you read it you'll find out why!

Hail Satan and help with your kid’s math homework! It’s the return of everyone’s favorite demon-summoning family next door, the cartoon black-metal band Belzebubs!

Sløth is juggling his stay-at-home dad obligations with his lifelong dream of being a black metal icon. His breadwinner wife, Lucy, is fed up with her job and just one meltdown away from sacrificing her colleagues to Satan. Their teenage daughter, Lilith, is wielding the effects of her raging hormones on her boyfriend, Sam—who also happens to be Sløth’s new drummer. And then there’s Leviathan, who appears to be the only one exhibiting some sort of societal normalcy in the family. Unfortunately, he’s only nine.

Hilarious and irreverent. While the family is loveable, and the situations within the realm of normal, the presentation is wildly funny and smart. I think I smiled the whole time I was reading this.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

No matter the circumstances, family is family. Even if you’re the frontman of a Satanic metal band, there’s always room in your black heart for your loved ones. JP Ahonen’s web comic Belzebubs has becoming something of a phenomenon, spawning albums, virtual concerts, and even cute plushies. It’s easy to see why in its second collection of comics, as No Rest for the Wicked shows why love and black metal conquers all.

The family of Sløth, Lucy, Lilith, and Leviathan tackle it all as a family. Internship woes, band practice, Satanic rituals, the works. Yes, they’re quite unconventional, but as readers will come to find, even their struggles are relatable. But as their daily lives are showcased, this black metal-loving family will take on everything life tosses their way. Of course, it helps that they’ve got some literal Hellspawns to protect them when shit goes haywire.

Why Belzebubs works as a comic is showcased gleefully in this second volume. The mixture of affection and debauchery that splatters these pages is a combination that creates beautiful chaos. Sometimes it leads to a joke, like Lucy emerging as a literal demon when coming to Leviathan’s defense during a school meeting. Other times, it’s a silly school report about Sløth that leaves the black metal frontman teary-eyed.

Ahonen’s knack for character evolution is strong, and No Rest for the Wicked presents that in stride. This is shown especially when it comes to Lilith, who is in a relationship with the normal boy Sam. Although he’ll slap on the metal makeup to appease his beloved, Lilith’s means of showing that she loves him the way he is can be genuinely heartfelt. The same goes for Sam, who loves Lilith for all she is. (That includes her god-slaying farts.)

But it’s Sløth who is the star of Belzebubs. Even when dealing with band financial woes or difficult guitar licks, he always fits in time to be a great dad. So much so, that it even benefits from his current temp job, one that I’m certain most black metal-loving folks would be turned away from in an instant. Yet he marches on with gusto, bringing in dough and shockingly moral lessons that those within and outside the comic can take a cue from!

Even the blackest of metal cannot defeat parental mannerisms. Whether it’s tutoring a suspended son, making horrible food puns in public, or comforting those who have terrible nightmares, being good parents is the most important thing in the lives of Sløth and Lucy. Although their style is not of the norm, it does bring the same results: strong independent kids who’ll do what’s right, even if it requires a literal sacrificial sheep.

You don’t have to be a lover of Satan or black metal to see what makes Belzebubs great. It’s funny, earnest, and filled with more love than any Family Circus strip could even fathom. Vol. II: No Rest for the Wicked demonstrates this with the same tenacity as a Sunn O))) guitar solo. It’s loud, fast, in-your-face, and — most of important of all — a beautiful work of art that your senses cannot deny.

The family is back after a few years of quiet, but they're back and as loud as ever. Lilith is a teen struggling to tell her parents that she is dating, Leviathan is in grade school and fighting strange dreams where certain individuals keep trying to find him, Sloth is struggling with the band wanting to advance his career and get the gigs (and the pay) rolling, and Lucy is fighting with coworkers over their misogynistic views of her and her career. Mixed in with members of the band, Lilith's best friend, and Nana, this is hilarious and filled with fun quips and references to all the dark things. Sloth also does a great job being a dad and throwing all the puns and dad jokes at his kids. Well worth the read and so much fun, glad that book 2 is here.

As a long time fan of Belzebubs I just had to try and get an ARC and I was pleasantly surprised when I was approved.

This is the perfect read for all those lovers of unconventional families, picture Addams Family, and humor. If you have not read the first volume, please do so! You wont regret it.
I absolutely love the family dinamics, because it's such a fun and loving family, with layer of dark black metal in every corner, so I can truly say its a wholesome read (but worry not, it will still cater to an adult audience)

In this volume we see some more of Sloth juggling being a slay-at-home dad and lead of the band, Lilith enjoying her romance with her boyfriend Sam, who is also the drummer of the band, and some of my absolute favorite strips about Hubbath finally getting out there in the dating scene...