Hellraiser: Bestiary #1
"Symphony In Red"
Written by: Ben Mearnes & Mark Miller
Art by: Conor Nolan
"Desert Fathers"
Written by: Victor LaValle
Art by: Colin Lorimer
"The Hunted, Part One"
Written by: Ben Meares & Mark Miller
Art by: Carlos Magno
As you can tell already, this was a comic split up into separate stories with the last story having a cliffhanger that will lead to the next issue. I really enjoyed this one since I'm a fan of the film series and Clive Barker personally signed off on this comic book. You can feel the eerie nature of the movies seeping into this book. Pinhead is as vicious as ever and the simple-minded folk who find his puzzle box are just as gullible as ever. The destructive natures of hell and Pinhead's bloodlust show themselves beautifully in "Symphony In Red." A pair of wayward drug addicts find the puzzlebox after a mysterious death at a hotel and bite off more than they can chew in "Desert Fathers." Pinhead makes a fatal mistake in "The Hunted, Part One." All three stories are great, with "Desert Fathers" being the strongest of the three because of its foreboding narrative.
Meares & Miller are a great writing team, who definitely know how to bring the gore into the story. I was also very surprised at the lack of swearing in this comic. The blood and gore made up for the swearing of course, but it was a bit odd seeing all the limbs and blood shooting everywhere and not reading angry words along side it. That is the main appeal of Pinhead though, he destroys and never loses composure. LaValle's one-off was masterful. The narrative that floats in the background slashed through the main story like a personal message from Pinhead, even though he never appears on the page. All in all, amazing writing and I'm excited to see it continue.
The art from all three artists was great, with Lorimer slightly edging out the other two because of the setting. Not to say the other settings weren't as rich, I mean the setting for Nolan was hell itself, but Lorimer just made it feel cozy and uncomfortable all in one pencil stroke. Magro's art reminded me a lot of old Star Wars comics, which isn't a bad thing, but it was a tad gritty. I did like Pinhead in Nolan and Magro's pieces. He was drawn just as I remember him from my youth.
This comic is a testament to Barker's genius and the future of Hellraiser. If you're a fan, read it.
Written by: Ben Mearnes & Mark Miller
Art by: Conor Nolan
"Desert Fathers"
Written by: Victor LaValle
Art by: Colin Lorimer
"The Hunted, Part One"
Written by: Ben Meares & Mark Miller
Art by: Carlos Magno
As you can tell already, this was a comic split up into separate stories with the last story having a cliffhanger that will lead to the next issue. I really enjoyed this one since I'm a fan of the film series and Clive Barker personally signed off on this comic book. You can feel the eerie nature of the movies seeping into this book. Pinhead is as vicious as ever and the simple-minded folk who find his puzzle box are just as gullible as ever. The destructive natures of hell and Pinhead's bloodlust show themselves beautifully in "Symphony In Red." A pair of wayward drug addicts find the puzzlebox after a mysterious death at a hotel and bite off more than they can chew in "Desert Fathers." Pinhead makes a fatal mistake in "The Hunted, Part One." All three stories are great, with "Desert Fathers" being the strongest of the three because of its foreboding narrative.
Meares & Miller are a great writing team, who definitely know how to bring the gore into the story. I was also very surprised at the lack of swearing in this comic. The blood and gore made up for the swearing of course, but it was a bit odd seeing all the limbs and blood shooting everywhere and not reading angry words along side it. That is the main appeal of Pinhead though, he destroys and never loses composure. LaValle's one-off was masterful. The narrative that floats in the background slashed through the main story like a personal message from Pinhead, even though he never appears on the page. All in all, amazing writing and I'm excited to see it continue.
The art from all three artists was great, with Lorimer slightly edging out the other two because of the setting. Not to say the other settings weren't as rich, I mean the setting for Nolan was hell itself, but Lorimer just made it feel cozy and uncomfortable all in one pencil stroke. Magro's art reminded me a lot of old Star Wars comics, which isn't a bad thing, but it was a tad gritty. I did like Pinhead in Nolan and Magro's pieces. He was drawn just as I remember him from my youth.
This comic is a testament to Barker's genius and the future of Hellraiser. If you're a fan, read it.
A Look Inside
