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Review: ‘Hellraiser: The Dark Watch’ #10

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10 years ago

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While continuing to horrify fans with its disturbing imagery, “Hellraiser: The Dark Watch” #10 lets loose on an all-out battle between two demonic races. The previous installments have been foreshadowing an upcoming Demon War and now, the “Hellraiser” series delivers on that gory promise and more as the action kicks in.

WRITTEN BY: Clive Barker and Brandon Seifert
ART BY: Tom Garcia
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: November 20th, 2013

Finally freed from an orb, Kirsty Cotton has reunited with her long-lost “daughter,” Tiffany. After years of being separated, Kirsty and Tiffany are now working together, side by side, on bringing down Elliot Spencer and Abaddon’s army. The Cenobites are no longer safe in Hell as Abaddon has ordered Spencer, the former Pinhead, to lead the slaughter. Kirsty and Tiffany have to decide whether or not they should choose sides in this Demon War. Will they help Harry D’Amour lead the charge against Abaddon’s growing army?

Though I previously thought of Kirsty and Tiffany more as “sisters,” I really like how Clive Barker and co-writer, Brandon Seifert, have explored it as a mother/daughter dynamic. Notice how Kirsty listens to Tiffany’s exploits as if she were a surprised and proud parent. While worrying about her safety, Kirsty knows Tiffany can definitely handle herself in the end. Like an obedient child, Tiffany even stays put when Kirsty tells her too. I enjoyed the dialogue between Kirsty and Tiffany when they shared scenes together. I really hope Barker and Seifert continue with this in later issues.

War is brewing in Hell and it’s interesting to see how characters are strategizing their attacks. As the detective, Harry D’Amour searches for meaning behind every clue before planning his next move. Leviathan even has plans for the Female Cenobite, Spencer’s Ex, but whose side is she really on? The subplot in this installment also ties itself together to “Hellraiser Annual 2013,” and brings back a character from Ben Meares’ short segment, “Something To Keep Us Apart.”

Artist Tom Garcia delivers such stylized demon vs. demon attacks throughout the narrative. In the opening pages, Garcia introduces a member of Abaddon’s army, which is a giant bug with hairy claw-like arms. With a human head placed on top of the bug’s body, Harry drags the corpse across the floor by its tongue. In a big panel, Garcia focuses on the pained expression on the dead bug’s face, as if the creature died screaming.

Mid-way through the narrative, readers get an epic attack between the Cenobites and Abaddon’s army. Garcia illustrates a swarm of giant flies circling around, taking a nosedive towards Harry and Kirsty. While Harry and Kirsty are in the middle of a conversation, notice that there are dead bodies falling in the background. Spencer even makes a grand entrance in his new demonic form.

The first battle in the Demon War takes place in “Hellraiser: The Dark Watch” #10. The Cenobites face a dangerous adversary who’s willing to wipe out their entire race. When the Demon War is finally over, who will be left standing?

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

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Comics

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

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7 hours ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

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.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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