Clive Barker's Hellraiser: The Dark Watch Vol. 1

Clive Barker's Hellraiser: The Dark Watch #1

by Clive Barker, Brandon Seifert, Tom Garcia (Illustrations)

It's Pinhead vs Pinhead in Hell!

A new ongoing HELLRAISER series! The showdown every fan has been waiting for! As promised, Clive Barker did not only return to the Hellraiser universe, he re-imagined it! Nothing is as simple as it seems - the old ways have been destroyed and a dangerous new world lies in its wake. Where are Elliott Spencer and Kirsty Cotton? Who will rule and who will serve? Rising star Brandon Seifert (WITCH DOCTOR, HELLRAISER: THE ROAD BELOW) joins forces with legendary master of horror Clive Barker, with art by rising star Tom Garcia, to begin this amazing new chapter in the history of one of horror's greatest franchises.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2013

About the author

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,

Reviews

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was only my second graphic novel ever, so my opinion may not be worth much. That said, I'm going to give it to you anyway.

I liked this tale, I found it imaginative and interesting. I know there is more backstory to Mr. D' Amour because I've read most every door stopper written by Mr. Barker. Problem being I read them so long ago, I don't remember much about this character. The good news is you don't have to remember! This is a completely new story, with Mr. D' Amour in a completely new environment, so you don't need to know much going in.

I thought the artwork was excellent and engaging. Since this graphic novel came from a Humble Bundle, it wasn't subject to the Kindle panel limitations I've run into in the past. I could stretch out the page, (after double tapping it), so that I could linger on the beautiful, detailed views of hell. I had a total blast with this!

I would recommend Hellraiser: The Dark Watch to fans of Clive Barker. I may be a novice when it comes to graphic novels, but I know what I like and I liked this. A lot.

Another thanks goes out to my friend Kate, who just opened a whole new world to me with her generous gift. Thank you, Kate!

[Lukas Sumper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting, again a mix of genres, as this was a full on crime mystery just set in hell. But it kind of justifies itself since we see most of it through a cenobite who was a detective in his human life. Overall it was not bad but nothing too original neither, filling some plotholes and giving more context to the overarching story, it still just felt a little bare.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars

[Mirnes Alispahić · Rating 2 out of 5]

It may say that this is Clive Barker's Hellraiser and that it's (co)written by him, but there is nothing here other Barker's name and mythos. This is a sequel of previous series, Clive Barker's Hellraiser Vol. 1 with bad, forced story and art to match.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

This was part of a Humble Bundle some time ago and that's basically why I picked it up even though I was completely unfamiliar with the Hellraiser franchise.

At the beginning it was very confusing since I didn't know who everyone was and what was happening, however I was able to immediately see it was a very interesting story. I certainly wanted to know more about it. It has been said that it brings quite a few changes to the existing Hellraiser universe, about which I'm not able to judge of course, but either way I liked it a lot. I found this to be one of the most engaging graphic novels I've read to date.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what to think about this...I feel like I'm missing a huge part to this story such as how events lead up to this? Was it filled out in later movies? Was their another comics series before this one?

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the last “Hellraiser” graphic novel I read, Kristy became the new Pinhead and the real Pinhead returned back to his mortal self, a man named Elliot Spenser.

A lot of stuff happened in between that and “Hellraiser: The Dark Watch, Volume 1”, written by Clive Barker and Brandon Seifert, that I am unaware of because I missed a lot of issues. Most of it I was able to glean from context.

Apparently, Tiffany (the main character from the second film, “Hellbound: Hellraiser II”) has taken over for Kristy, assembling a team that hunts down the evil puzzle boxes in order to destroy them.

The new leader of Hell is a former detective named Harry D'Amour. Kristy and Spenser have been trapped in some kind of torture bubble, forced to eternally live out the same scene, over and over. They have begun to suspect, though, that their present condition is some kind of prison devised by Leviathan, the God of Hell. Breaking out seems impossible, unless they work together.

Meanwhile, Harry discovers a tear in the fabric between our world and Hell, which Leviathan plans on utilizing to send an Army of Hell’s forces to take over our world.

[Cucky Rainbowhell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un clásico del cine. Rápido, simple y espeluznante, como los cuentos que te asustaban de niño.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glorious and perverse. This detective type spin on the Hellraiser universe is really excellent. I often enjoy the Hellraiser comics as much or more for their visuals than their stories but this one really delivers on both. The story is fascinating and engaging and the art is fantastic--one of the hell-creatures delivered on the pages is probably one of the most disturbing, twisted humanoid forms I have seen in horror comics. As is so often the case, the covers are real works of art here--they are gathered in the back and are quite varied in their style, even using digital artwork for a few which are really interesting--sort of gives you an idea of what a "real" cenobite might look like. I have to say my favorite part is the color--drenched in a coppery, warm and hellish glow on every page and in the cover art as well. Really great, and looking very forward to the next installment.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tbh, agak lost sebenernya sama karakter D’Amor karena gw gak inget dia muncul kapan pas run sebelumnya wkwk. Tapi okedeh pura2 aja tau gw siapa karakternya wkwk. Desain dia sebagai Pope of Hell menurut gw klasik sih, tapi MATANYA ANEH BJIR. Dia napa dah?

Artnya jujur bagus sih, walau gak sebagus volume pertama run sebelumnya. Desain karakternya juga unik baik dari Cenobites yang muncul, kemudian Abomination dari neraka lain juga menarik.

Dari segi cerita, well i’m invest wkwk. Ternyata di Hellraiser neraka bukan hanya Labyrinth yang dikuasai oleh Leviathan. Ternyata (gak kaget sih) Leviathan menguasai dosa kardinal nafsu, like duh?? Jelas banget dari filmnya doang juga wkwk.

Okee kemudian Tiffany yang berusaha membantu D’Amor untuk melindungi Leviathan dari serangan hamba Abaddon (penguasa neraka dosa kardinal amarah), dan setelah itu mengkhianati D’Amor untuk membebaskan Kirsty dari penjara siksaan mental Leviathan, namun akibatnya Spencer ikut terbebas dan setelah itu terjadi perpecehan di neraka dan pasukan Abaddon yaitu, para Locust Abomination, menyambut Spencer dan menjadikannya pemimpin pasukan mereka.

AND THEN BOOM PERANG! Perang antara neraka wkwk. Gila sih turn ceritanya wkwk. SO yeah menurut gw jauh lebih menarik, walau penutupnya kinda suck karena ngereset semua ceritanya.

[Zoë Birss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this is pretty gross.

I've read The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, and watched the first Hellraiser. This is the extent of my exposure to the world of Pinhead and Cenobites.

When I allowed myself to be as immersed as I could in this book, it did effectively give me a similar gross and chilling feeling to Barker's original book. However, it didn't have quite the same substance. A few of the earlier chapters used the medium of comics well to put the reader off centre in their hellish tortuous reality. Good impact. But for someone without a previous understanding of the world it is portraying, I did find myself a little lost more than once. This was obviously written for fans who are following the franchise. As it is, it might satisfy them. For this reader, I'll admit it has thrills, but they come cheap.

There really isn't much here.

I'm going to look further for a Clive Barker graphic novel of similar quality to Hellbound Heart, but this isn't it.

[Leila Anani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry D'Amour is chief cenobite now, but is clueless as to why, and why a freaky cenobite army is amassing. Kirsty (now a cenobite) is trapped in a bizarre reality with Eliot (Pinhead) - where sometimes they're playing happy families, other times at each other's throats.

This one's super freaky weird with lots of cenobite action and depictions of Leviathan and the Labyrinth - Heavily referencing Hellraiser II and to some extent III - Tiffany makes a welcome appearance.

Collecting together Dark Watch 1-4, this also has a gallery of the cover art at the back which is well worth checking out. For me this is pretty much everything you could want from a Hellraiser graphic. It's full of gore, has an intriguing plot and brings in Lord of Illusions - all with super freaky art.

[Josh Burkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Watch definitely feels like the No Way Home of Hellraiser universe. I love that Barker is exploring the politics of Hell to expand the lore of this mythology. While the movies definitely brought lore to the real world, these comics work as a great companion piece to show the other side of that world. Barker teases just enough within these four issues to breathe life into one of the most epic stories we've ever seen the cenobites embark on yet. I can't wait to see how this ends.

[Drew Cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clive Barker is all hands on deck once again. The Dark Watch is essentially a sequel to the BOOM comics, and picks up right where they left off. Art style is great, but similar to the last two volumes of its predecessor, Dark Watch Volume 1 is way over the top. The pace is done well, but for those of you that enjoyed the seriousness of the original novella, it is lacking here. Still a fun ride, but lacks what made me fall in love with the franchise in the first place. 3.5/5

[Francesca Giardiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'inferno è in tumulto, la Terra anche.
Le "solite" torture non bastano e il piano dei Leviatani è fumoso. Il libero arbitrio? Ogni scelta è già stata prevista da qualcuno più in alt0?

Un primo volume preparatorio ma molto coinvolgente che apre le porte a una succosissima trilogia accompagnata da disegni disturbanti ed evocativi dell'inferno tipico di Hellraiser.

[Elias Sakellaris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The quality of the novel continues in the same level as the previous one. I think that they overdid it with the fantasy elements and despite some martial battles do not alter it in a bad way, they make it for sure go far from the original film. What I did not like most, was the new pinhead. Despite being funny and more familiar, it was like a parody from the original one.

Score 3/5

[Sylvester · Rating 4 out of 5]

D'Amour now leads the army of hell, but an assassin is sent to hell to kill him, he has to figure out what is happening. Meanwhile, Kirsty is trapped inside a mind prison with Spencer.

Not exactly sure what is going on but it provided expansion for the Hellraiser universe.

[BozCitac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually rather good and nicely drawn! Unfortunately, Dark Watch is a direct sequel to the abysmal 2011 series, so it needs to drag the story out of the pile of manure in which its predecessor left it, which is not an easy task.

[quincy jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a change from old Hellraiser yet with some familiar things .The story is strong and twisted as ever.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picks up pretty much right after the last series ended. Interesting start but curious where it is going. Free with Comixology Unlimited.

[Alexander Bane · Rating 4 out of 5]

El inicio del final de una saga de años, se nota el toque de Clive Barker en el cierre, un poco flojo al retomar la historia, pero un ritmo y un final en suspenso que lo dan todo por la historia.

[Felipe Catalán cifuentes · Rating 5 out of 5]

entre a un especie de infierno adictivo y necesario

[Steven Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good in it's own way, but it definitely strays quite a bit from the atmosphere of the movies, so much so that knowing this comic is canon makes the movies less scary.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I missed a book. So I looked it up, and I did. Don't read this until you've read the Scarlet Gospels, as this follows up on the events of that novel (I'm assuming), bringing back characters like Harry D'Amour and Kirsty from other Barker books, going all the way back to Cabal. The new lord of the Cenobites nearly assassinated, and the survivors of the previous volumes gather together to learn a secret of Hell, which puts them on a new path. This is definitely the beginning of a new realm of stories, but it seems like it offers up conclusions for several previous characters. The art is worthy of the Hellraiser series; dark, bloody, and disturbing in innumerable ways. The cenobite mythology is expanded here in interesting ways, but all of it really comes together just to set the stage for further adventures.

[Jobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this though I feel I actually need to find any earlier Hellraiser graphics novels. It seems a lot has happened to Kirsty and Elliot (Pinhead) since the original films! This graphic novel is filled with flashbacks which hint at what had occurred but I was still left with a lot of questions at the end.
As for the artwork? Well, that is beautiful! It was the main reason I picked this up off the shelf to buy it. It nice to see all those horrific ideas that fascinated me when I was younger are still there. The cenobites still have metal push through improbable places, their skin is peeled back to reveal glistening muscle and some have machinery working in them. Great stuff!
So I'm now off to find out if there are previous Hellraiser works that I need to read...

[Emma Alice Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hellish, Convoluted Mess

I stopped reading the new series because the covers all look the same and the story seemed to be going around in circles. I bought this because I thought that, since it's a collection of a four issue miniseries, it would stand alone. Not at all. There's no start. There's no end. It's fun, but all of the political back and forth of who rules hell and why doesn't actually seem to be going anywhere. I think Barker is trying to be a little bit too epic and the story has gotten lost.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit I missed the part in the previous comic with the creation of the new Pinhead. But I really liked the dream parts in this with Kirsty and Elliot and their new version of Hell to go through. I also liked the parts with Tiffany, and how they reminded people who she was (something they really needed to do in earlier issues when she first arrived). I liked the fact that this wasn't as large as the previous series. Though I am a bit concerned that if the army goes back to hell it will be just as annoying again.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic novel creating a new story of the cenobites and hell where as Kirsty Cotton and the occult detective Harry d'Amour, from of Barker's short story The Last Illusion, are now cenobites themselves, priests of Hell. This is the first in the series. Lovely saturated colours though the story is a little choppy but if you know Barkers work and these characters you'll enjoy the ride.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clive Barker reimagina su universo literario en esta nueva etapa de su franquicia, la que continúa los acontecimientos presentados en el volumen anterior. Desatada la guerra en el Infierno, las diferentes facciones buscan imponerse utilizando todos sus peones en una miniserie atractiva, pero que puede extraviar al no iniciado en el mundo de los cenobitas.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really a good place to jump in if you haven't refreshed your memory of any of the events of the Hellraiser franchise. I've seen the first five films, so it's not like I'm going in blind. I was pretty lost through the whole thing. Doesn't mean it's not good, just that I didn't get anything out of it personally.

[Myk Pilgrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd read:
Still great fun.

1st read:
The trouble with Hellraiser comic books is once you're done reading them, you have to read the next one. It's a good problem to have, although I must be honest the various timelines between books, movies & comics are getting my brain all tangled up in knots.
Anyone else found that?