Comics
Review: ‘Hellraiser: The Dark Watch’ #1
As a new chapter begins, Hellraiser: The Dark Watch #1 expands on the mythology that was originally set forth in Clive Barker’s novella, “The Hellbound Heart.” This is a continuation of Barker’s original vision of horror and a fresh start for the “Hellraiser” franchise. New readers are about to discover the mass of terror that happens when you solve the puzzle box.
WRITTEN BY: Clive Barker and Brandon Seifert
ART BY: Tom Garcia
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: February 20, 2013
Dying from liver cancer, a lonely man seeks salvation from death and buys a mysterious puzzle box from a dealer. After solving the puzzle box, the dying man wonders why there is no welcoming party for him. Hell isn’t what it’s supposed to be as a civil war is brewing in the underbelly. The demons that have previously supported Pinhead are now rebelling against the Female Cenobite. Because Pinhead and Kirsty Cotton no longer want to be part of the unholy throne, Hell is under new management. This dying man will soon discover why the juiciest sinners deserve the most attention.
Barker and co-writer, Brandon Seifert, have given old familiar faces from the mythology a brand new role. Still hurt from the betrayal, the Female Cenobite no longer sees Elliot Spencer as her grand savior. She is now in charge of the Cenobites and has her own ideas of what Hell should be. Harry D’Amour, the occult detective, has returned but looks completely different.
Artist Tom Garcia delivers a dark and gritty look to Hell and the Cenobite army. Hell is always in never-ending darkness and the sky is washed in blood-red tones. Garcia gives a slightly different design to familiar characters, such as the Female Cenobite.
Two scenes from Garcia’s illustrations really stand out. During the climax, one of the Cenobites is brutally stabbed. With maximum force, the knife is plunged straight through his head. In the climactic last page, a dealer suddenly turns into a demonic monster. At the start of the transformation, his two eyes pop out and blood gushes into the air.
“Hellraiser: The Dark Watch” #1 goes into a different direction in this promising new beginning. With the creative team-up of Barker and Seifert, they breathe new life into the franchise that has lasted after many disappointing sequels. While this re-imagination is geared to bring in new readers, longtime fans will be pleased the comic is close in tone to the first two “Hellraiser” movies.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
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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