Written by Guest Contributor: Jordan North I actually really liked this issue of Hellraiser The Dark Watch. I normally enjoy the series, but I really liked this one. Abandoning its traditional formula of narrator-less third person storytelling this issue went for a different approach. Following Cenobite high priest and former hell fighting detective Harry D'amore as he puts his old real world detective skills to use, trying to piece together some bits of his existence in hell that just don’t make sense. Why does he have human memories? Why did HE, an enemy of hell in life get chosen as its high priest? He may want the answers, but he may not at all like what they are. This formula was neat and pretty original stuff and it was cool to get to “hear” the thoughts of a cenobite.
Let’s me just say I still find it really silly that many of the citizens of hell just kind of seem to be normal people. Harry, his lieutenant, some of the lesser converts the encounter; all just seem to be fairly normal people who just got wrapped up in hell’s goings on. It feels goofy that the process of becoming a GENERAL OF HELLS ARMY doesn’t in some way make you particularly evil or that they don’t select those that are evil in the first place. End tangent.
Some great stuff happens this issue particularly high priest D'amore fighting his way through hell towards the truth and one great encounter with a cenobite Franken-beast that sees two cenobites going all out before it falls. Another cool point was seeing a skinless man leading a low-level mutiny against the cenobites and talking big game against them and then realizing that, oh, there’s one of them right there a second before he’s disemboweled by some sentient barbwire. In short this book would make a darling bedtime story.
There are two artists this time, I’m not sure if they’re the regulars but I enjoyed this issue more than most art wise. Some of the gore and creature design was top-notch. Try not to wince when a well-placed question from Harry prompts a sewn together monster to literally tear itself apart. Cool business. Writing was fresh too and gave me something this week that I was interesting in reading. It was awesome to see a cenobite take on an almost anti-hero role. Harry D'amore just became without a doubt Hellraiser: The Dark Watch's coolest protagonist.
Score: 5/5
Writers: Clive Barker & Brandon Seifert Artists: Tom Garcia & Korkut Oztekin Publisher: Boom Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 5/22/13