Comics
Review: ‘Hellraiser Annual’ #1
In a single year, Clive Barker has managed to accomplish what may have been impossible for others. He, along with co-writer Mark Miller, has salvaged a formerly dying franchise and resuscitated it completely, taking it even beyond its former glory. Barker has taken us on an excursion, from the four corners of the earth to the hottest pits of Hell, where an intense battle between the two worlds presses on, with only a select few able to regain the balance.
WRITTEN BY: Clive Barker, Mark Miller, and Brandon Seifert
ART BY: Janusz Ordon
PUBLISHER: BOOM!
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: Out Now
This issue of Hellraiser opens with a familiar character, traipsing through a bloody valley in Hell. As the fires beat down on his already festered, weary skin, he begs for the light. A second chance, salvation, anything. Because God “has” to hear, right? Well, as it turns out, it’s not quite God that hears him, but not quite man, either. Captain Elliot Spencer stands there, looking down at him. He offers this pivotal character a deal: help him to fight Kirsty, the new Head Cenobite, in Hell.
Meanwhile, his human team, Tiffany and Theo, are still struggling to destroy all of the puzzle boxes and their worshippers. Spencer informs them that even if the boxes are destroyed, there’s still a way that the Cenobites’ demons can come back, and through this method, Hell can never be truly defeated.
This issue is broken up into two episodes: “Closer to God,” and “My Enemy’s Enemy.” “Closer” focuses on Hell, full of grotesque, decaying bodies and a blood-stained landscape. Jesus Hervas really mastered the human form in this installment; the different body types used in the Hell scenes are varied and real. “My Enemy’s Enemy,” illustrated by Michael Montenat and written by Brandon Seifert (of “Witch Doctor”), is definitely darker, with more black to contrast the neutral colors. However, an element that’s remained consistent throughout not only this issue, but the entire series, is that startling shade of red that never fails to give me chills.
I know that this probably goes without saying, but “Hellraiser: Annual” marks a fantastic year for this series. Clive Barker and Mark Miller have consistently delivered an intricate and engaging story that propels us between worlds with the characters. We have not just followed Kirsty’s and Pinhead’s transformations; we, as fans, have evolved with them. We’ve been placed into these new depths of Hell and Earth alongside them, experiencing their fears, and feeling their pain. After the years of lost mythology and skewed plots, the sinking ship that was once the Hellraiser franchise is now navigating calmer waters, smooth sailing.
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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