Dante's Inferno with Adam Williamson

In this April Fool's Month special of Play Comics, host Anthony Sitko welcomes educator and Dante enthusiast Adam Williamson to explore the bizarre intersection of Dante's Inferno, a 14th-century epic poem, and its 2010 video game adaptation by Visceral Games. The discussion begins with a deep dive into the graphic novel adaptation by Paul Brizzy and Gaten Brizzy, published by Abrams Comic Arts, which serves as a visually striking and accessible entry point to the original poem. Adam shares his experience teaching the work to dyslexic students using graphic novels, praising their ability to convey the poem’s wild imagery and themes while acknowledging the original’s dense medieval theology. The conversation then pivots to the video game, which, despite being a loose, action-packed retelling with a violent, morally ambiguous Dante, is lauded for its tight gameplay, smooth combat, and spectacle. The hosts agree that while the game has nothing in common with the poem’s spiritual and philosophical depth, it succeeds as a fun, over-the-top B-movie-style brawler that knows exactly what it is: a 'what if Dante went evil' fantasy. They conclude with playful speculation about a Muppets adaptation, imagining Michael Caine as Virgil and Miss Piggy as Beatrice, before wrapping up with a call to support the show and explore more absurd comic-to-game adaptations.