Comics
Final Issue Review: ‘Hellraiser: The Dark Watch’ #12
The epic-sized final issue of “Hellraiser: The Dark Watch” #12 ends with a spectacular conclusion. This is an all-out monster-extravaganza as the war for Hell between Elliot Spencer and Kirsty Cotton spreads to Earth. The “Dark Watch” series takes the Hellraiser franchise to new depths that horror fans will enjoy.
WRIITTEN BY: Clive Barker and Brandon Seifert
ART BY: Tom Garcia
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: Jan. 15th, 2013
In order to stop Elliot Spencer and beat him at his own game, Kirsty Cotton has to make tough choices, even as she is exhausted from fighting. She has already sacrificed her own soul and lost her long-lost “daughter,” Tiffany, in the process. To help her mother, Tiffany made a deal and became a Cenobite to join Harry D’Amour and his army. But even with all his demonic powers, Harry does not have enough strength and Cenobites to take down Spencer. With one more sacrifice left to make, will that be enough to save Earth from the wrath of Spencer and his vicious breed of demons?
As the series progressed, Clive Barker and co-writer, Brandon Seifert, focused on the mother/daughter relationship between Tiffany and Kirsty. They both share a feisty attitude and have bonded over their strong personalities. One of the highlights for me in this issue is watching Tiffany and Kirsty fight side by side. It makes me wonder why no one had thought of this before as a sequel to the “Hellraiser” movies. Barker and Seifert have to cram so much exposition and action in this final issue, that not a single page is wasted.
What I think made “The Dark Watch” work so well is how Seifert injected his brand of witty humor into the dialogue. Even though he became the new Pinhead, Harry is still the everyman caught in an extraordinary situation. Harry fights back the only way he knows how; by throwing in some sarcastic remarks. The relationship between Kirsty and Tiffany comes alive as they banter back and forth. I believe it was this sense of comic relief that rejuvenated the Hellraiser series and made the franchise feel fresh again. Seifert knows how to add some comedy and go really dark at the same time, especially in the last pages.
Artist Tom Garcia definitely knows how to illustrate the power-hungry mind of Spencer. As Pinhead, Spencer was serious and calm, as if he felt superior than everyone else. Spencer, in his new monstrous form, has more freedom in his movements and facial expressions. In his close-ups, Spencer has a maniacal smile on his face, as if he is relishing every moment. Spencer seems to be having fun as he is torturing Kirsty.
In the climactic battle between Spencer and Kirsty, Garcia focuses on their body poses and facial expressions. Garcia portrays Kirsty and Spencer as if they are the same person, as if they were born warriors at heart. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but the last pages are definitely Garcia’s best work. Hellraiser fans are going to love what Garcia does with the character designs of the core cast members.
Though this is the final issue of the “Hellraiser: The Dark Watch” series, the last pages will leave readers wanting more. A clever nod to Hellraiser fans, a central character promises he will see you soon. How soon can that issue get here?
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by Jorge Solis
IDW Dark and Paramount recently joined forces to launch limited comic book tales set in the worlds of Smile and A Quiet Place, and we’ve learned today that they’ll continue hanging around in those franchise universes with two brand new limited series tales.
Entertainment Weekly has exclusively revealed this afternoon that IDW Dark’s Any Given Smile debuts in September, while A Quiet Place: Rising Tides arrives in November.
First up, from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Pablo Collar, Any Given Smile puts a football-themed twist on Parker Finn’s successful Smile movie franchise.
The five-part limited series is “set in January 1995, during the American Arena League football championship game in St. Augustine, Florida. The rising superstar of the Sharks, backup quarterback Dupree, is feeling the pressure from his teammates, the fans, and also the city’s gambling underworld, to whom he owes a considerable debt. Meanwhile, a sports journalist investigates a string of suicides that may be connected to the big game. At the very least, they are connected to a sinister entity that preys on the minds of its victims.”
From writer Declan Shalvey and artist Luke Sparrow, A Quiet Place: Rising Tides will also be a five-issue limited story. The comic book tale “brings the creatures to the Florida Keys, where a father-daughter duo attempt to survive on water in a houseboat.”
EW further details, “This tense family reunion coincides with the arrival of the vicious creatures that hunt through sound. Grace and her dad find safety on the open ocean, but she’ll have to make landfall sooner or later; the father’s oxygen tank and their supplies are running low, while a hurricane swiftly approaches.”
Learn more about both comic books over on Entertainment Weekly.
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