Comics
Review: ‘Hellraiser: The Dark Watch’ #3
Hellraiser: The Dark Watch #3 brings in such fresh energy and original ideas into the long-lasting mythology. In a bold move, Clive Barker and Brandon Seifert’s reboot of the “Hellraiser” franchise will please longtime fans, while newcomers will be able to catch up with the history. Aimed as a standalone issue, if you haven’t read any of “The Dark Watch” issues, this is definitely the one to pick up.
WRITTEN BY: Clive Barker and Brandon Seifert
ART BY: Tom Garcia
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: April 17th, 2013
When it really matters, Hell isn’t all about hooks and chains. Sometimes, the most eloquent tortures are about the prisoner not realizing they are trapped in Hell. Elliot Spencer used to be a solider of Earth and Hell, but now, he is lost without any purpose. Since their first confrontation, Kirsty Cotton has dedicated her entire life in hunting down Pinhead and the Cenobites. But, with Spencer standing right in front of her, why doesn’t she have the courage to kill him? Trapped inside the Leviathan’s orb, Kirsty and Spencer are at odds with each other. Spencer still wants the world to bleed at his hands, while Kirsty wants a chance to earn her freedom.
Barker and co-writer, Brandon Seifert, analyze what really is the relationship between Kirsty and Spencer. The writers even play around with fan’s suggestions that Kirsty and Spencer represent a Beauty and Beast theme. In interesting ways, readers will question whether Spencer is the protagonist or the antagonist. If you have seen the movies, you know that Pinhead didn’t kill Kirsty’s father, her Uncle Frank did. So, why is Kirsty trying to kill him if he had nothing to do with her father’s death?
What I really enjoyed about this issue is how Barker and Seifert bring in slasher elements into the story. Inside Kirsty’s home, Spencer stalks closely behind his female prey. Instead of a knife, Spencer uses his bare hands against Kirsty. Even though he is in human form and without his supernatural powers, we see Spencer for who he truly is; a cold-hearted menace.
Artist Tom Garcia perfectly illustrates the disturbing tone of the “Hellraiser” series. In the opening pages, Garcia doesn’t hold back as Spencer swallows a whole human heart into his mouth. After Spencer has finished eating, his face begins to melt and his skin rots away. Garcia captures the incredibly gruesome transformation in a graphic splash page.
If that’s not enough, Garcia continues the disturbing imagery with Kirsty. In her introduction, three tentacles have attached themselves onto Kirsty’s head, sucking the brains out of her. When the tentacles release her, readers see the top of her bald head soaked in blood. In a close-up, Garcia adds a bit of morbid humor by adding a pin to her bloody head.
Highly recommended for horror fans, “Hellraiser: The Dark Watch” #3 breathes new life into the franchise, while welcoming in newcomers. I’m definitely interested in seeing what direction “The Dark Watch” series will take after this.
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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