Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Graphic Adaptation

I'm reading Dante's Divine Comedy in both (translated) verse and prose text, a canto a day. Why not take a look at a graphic novel, too?

Dante finds himself in midlife alone in a dark valley and he travels to Hell with Virgil as his guide. As Dante enters Hell, he sees a sign on the entrance: Abandon all hope you who enter here. Virgil guides Dante to all the circles of hell. A newly dead is assigned to his circle by a monster who bases the assignment on the sins of the dead person. Here are the circles: 1 is limbo for those who died before Christ; 2 is for carnal sins; 3 is for the gluttonous; 4 is for the wasteful and hoarders; 5 is for the wrathful; 6 is for heretics; and 7 is for the violent. Even within each circle, there are levels and each has different levels of punishment. Virgil also takes Dante to Purgatory. In Purgatory, the dead are placed on different ledges. At the gates to Purgatory, an angel draws 7 Ps on Dante's forehead; Dante is told he must wash these away while he's in Purgatory. Dante sees the proud, the envious, the wrathful, the slothful, the avaricious, the gluttonous, and the lustful. Trembling earthquakes occur in Purgatory when a soul is purified and is ready to ascend to Heaven. Finally, Dante leaves Virgil and passes through the wall of fire into Paradise. All sins are gone and memory of sin is washed away. Dante feels God's grace and love. He sees many who he recognizes throughout Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.

Like Dante needed Virgil to guide him on his journey, I found this graphic novel to be a useful guide to The Divine Comedy.