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Clive Barker's Hellraiser (2011) #3

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Vol. 3

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Clive Barker’s shocking return to Hellraiser continues! Pinhead, Hell’s priestly servant, has grown bored with his position in Hell. He needs to find a replacement before he can leave Hell, and chooses the only human to defeat him and his Cenobite followers - Kirsty Cotton. Kirsty accepts Pinhead’s offer, and descends into Hell to reunite with the loved ones Pinhead killed - and to rid humanity of Pinhead’s evil once and for all. Now, with their arrangement set, Pinhead and Kirsty Cotton begin a new battle - but is it too late for either to find salvation?

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

59 people are currently reading
700 people want to read

About the author

Clive Barker

704 books15.1k followers
Clive Barker was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Joan Rubie (née Revill), a painter and school welfare officer, and Leonard Barker, a personnel director for an industrial relations firm. Educated at Dovedale Primary School and Quarry Bank High School, he studied English and Philosophy at Liverpool University and his picture now hangs in the entrance hallway to the Philosophy Department. It was in Liverpool in 1975 that he met his first partner, John Gregson, with whom he lived until 1986. Barker's second long-term relationship, with photographer David Armstrong, ended in 2009.

In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.

Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.

Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.

Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.

Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.

A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,

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Community Reviews

5 stars
234 (36%)
4 stars
251 (38%)
3 stars
139 (21%)
2 stars
13 (2%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Jules.
1,077 reviews233 followers
June 18, 2018
I'm absolutely loving this Hellraiser series in graphic novel format. Due to the cliffhanger ending, I was dying to read volume 4, but managed to resist, so I can save that pleasure for another night. The temptation was so strong though!

I borrowed this through Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
Profile Image for Lukas Sumper.
133 reviews28 followers
September 24, 2020
Volume 3 has a lot of interesting things going on, the majority of them happen on the side lines including some twists that really work. Reading this I can't shake the feeling that it was an attempt to mask a problem, the same I had with both books before. The set up! It is hella weak, and has a predictable pay off in this volume ...(pinheads obvious plan) and thats why all the twists and turns as a distraction fall short for me.

That doesn't destroy the great mood it creates leading up to that, it just takes away from the overall experience.

Its not bad.. I still like it! But it would be even better if its taking a heavy turn in the next book, with a new fresh set up one that doesn't leave you feeling kind of empty.
3.5 of 5 stars
Profile Image for Kris43.
122 reviews54 followers
June 30, 2012
While i love this whole series, i think this one is the best one jet.

IF YOU DIDN'T READ THE 1-ST 2 VOLUMES, THIS HAS SPOILERS!!

Ever wondered what Pinhead does while he is not being summoned? Or what it is really like in hell?
Now you get to find out. This volume gives a intriguing inside into inner workings of Cenobites.

For me it was a thought-provoking experience, because we get to see it from a perspective of Kristy who spent years fighting them. And now she gets to rule in Hell. And forsakes all of her glorious ideals for it, for a chance to be with her people again. Somewhere down the line, the unthinkable happens and Kristie comes to the conclusion that maybe there is more to Cenobites than she thought. Maybe they are not just plain evil, but necessary evil, as a way to keep things in balance? Hell says that all things happen for a reason. And the ones who summon them do tend to be the worst kind of people.

Meanwhile Pinhead is back on earth, has all new set of friends and is keeping secrets:))

Artwork is still beautiful and full of exquisite details. Still enough blood and mutilated body parts to give a train pathologist nightmares:)) And the story is only getting better. I loved this!
Profile Image for Dave Farrance.
185 reviews1 follower
September 30, 2022
Yeah, not bad. Wasn’t expecting it to end with a “to be continued!” though.
The trilogy of first books here ends with us discovering original Pinhead is trying to open the doors to Hell on Earth. Kirsty Pinhead is swanning around in Hell not really doing much, whilst her crap Cenobites float bang each other, and then she gets all upset when she realises she’s actually not as powerful as she thought she was.
Not entirely sure how I felt by the end of this? The Captain Spencer side of the story is much more interesting than the Kirsty side. Hopefully her story will come back stronger later down the line?
Profile Image for Carlos J. Eguren.
Author 21 books154 followers
April 17, 2020
107/365

¿No es maravilloso cuando te lees unos cómics basados en una licencia sin esperar nada bueno de ellos y rápidamente te das cuenta de que te están encantando?
15 reviews
August 4, 2019
Exciting and Riveting

The action has really picked up, events are starting to gain dread and momentum as both the heroine and the villain (if that's indeed what they are) move closer towards whatever their true goals are, ending on a cliffhanger that would be true Hellraiser-level torture if we still had to wait a month to see what happens next. This chapter explores the rules of hell and the boxes just enough to tempt the mind while leaving enough mystery that nothing is yet predictable. Spencer's end goal remains a real mystery, while Kirsty's fate swings surprisingly from what we'd been led to expect. The art is still fantastic, the mysticism intriguing. This story just needs to nail the landing after the build up it's served.
Profile Image for Gavin.
284 reviews37 followers
February 4, 2021
Things are really ramping up now.

Incredibly, Kirsty is starting to discover that the Cenobites are the cruel demons she believed them to be. She is coming round to the idea of their order.

The writing must be commended for making me, an avid Barker fan, believe that is possible.

We find out more about Hell and Lemarchand's creations in a twisty turny, double crossing epic tale that is screaming to be adapted into a movie/TV series.

The previous volumes has me convinced a Harrowers movie, if done respectfully, could be box office gold.

I'm loving this series from Boom so far.
17 reviews
April 27, 2021
Just an amazing sequel...

Thank you Clive, and thank you ML Miller. The art is fantastic, the story is amazing, and those of us who LOVE the aesthetic of the original Hellraiser and Hellraiser 2 and who love Clive’s storytelling DESERVE to have this after all these years of mediocrity. These are worthy sequels....

DO NOT MISS!
Profile Image for The Geeky Viking.
709 reviews5 followers
October 26, 2021
Artwork lets this one down as there's a noticeable drop between volume 2 and volume 3. The story more than makes up for the artistic shortcomings as ulterior motives are revealed and the characters are put into place. I'm a huge fan of the film series and this series of graphic novels are perfect for die-hard fans like me.
Profile Image for Drew Cannon.
147 reviews1 follower
November 24, 2023
Barker continues to impress in volume 3! I can confidently say that this universe just works in graphic novel format. The art style that's presented here truly highlights the dark and gritty nature of the Hellraiser universe. With that said, the story continues to impress. This series is turning out to be majorly bingeable. 5/5
3 reviews
Read
May 4, 2022
But wait, there's more.

Twists and turns. More knowledge and lore. The story continues to keep you invested but constantly guessing. What else do you need? You've read it thus far, keep going!
1,232 reviews5 followers
November 7, 2022
Epic battle between Kirsty and Pinhead to the controle of Hell. Kirsty renew her friendship with her lost friends and Pinhead search a way to remember who he really was and regained controle of the Cenobites. Grusome and action packed, this thrid volume in the series is intriguing.
Profile Image for John.
444 reviews4 followers
August 7, 2017
Loving the series. Looking for more.
Profile Image for Tanesha.
82 reviews
July 8, 2018
Holy Hell!

This is getting so good! The twists and turns! Excitement on energy page! Basically, everyone has lost their hellish minds!
Profile Image for Nicole.
3,616 reviews19 followers
August 13, 2021
Really good...over way too fast. On to the next one! Free with Comixology Unlimited.
Profile Image for April Taylor.
Author 10 books117 followers
September 11, 2021
This was the best volume so far of the story. I love the feminization of the Hellraiser mythos. And of course he was going to cheat you.
Profile Image for TwoTonYoda.
85 reviews4 followers
October 23, 2021
Skip this entry in tHe series

The Cover Gallery was the best artwork in the volume.

Poorly written and executed.

It was Free on Kindle unlimited but I would still skip it.
Profile Image for lina.
251 reviews15 followers
May 17, 2022
Damn wow

Sorry for the swear. Just shock that I am liking this series. I would suggest this to a true horror fan.
Profile Image for The Smoog.
521 reviews2 followers
May 31, 2022
Like the previous books in this series it features some fantastic artwork and a deeply engaging plot.
Profile Image for Deshawn Vasquez.
412 reviews1 follower
June 22, 2022
The advantage of this being a comic is that the scale would be too large for them to get any decent money to pull it off in live-action, even with Hellraiser being a known property.
16 reviews
September 23, 2022
Continuous excellence!

The story has a major twist that should resolve in the next book. I can't wait to read it! The storyline great and the artwork is gorgeous!
Profile Image for Mel.
3,519 reviews213 followers
June 23, 2015
It's hard to comment on this without giving much away. Everything changed in this issue. What seemed to be happening was totally turned around, much more is going on and it is much more complicated than it originally seemed. Kirsty makes a great pinhead, and I'm really interested to see how this story resolves itself.
Profile Image for David Agranoff.
Author 31 books208 followers
December 5, 2012
What I like about this series is it is a direct sequel to the OG novella and film. Barker probably outlined this with the other writers doing the script but he has co-writing credits. Great artwork and some shocking twists as Kirsty helps Pinhead escape Hell, by taking his job. Crazy.
Profile Image for Natalie.
29 reviews
August 26, 2015
I don't normally like sequel, especially in the horror genre, because they seem to lose their steam and scariness. However, this volume of the Hellraiser series is just as good as the first 2 books. I highly recommend the entire series for anyone who wants to be scared to death!
Profile Image for Sylvester.
1,355 reviews32 followers
April 29, 2016
The plot is a little loose here, Elliot is trying to destroy the Lemarchand boxes in the world, meanwhile Kirsty is struggling to reign with her new status. The story was getting weak but the gore was spot on.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews

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