Comics

Review: ‘Hellraiser: The Dark Watch’ #1

Published

11 years ago

February 21, 2013

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

Lonnie Nadler

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

6 days ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.