Tag Archives: clive barker

Pinhead Returns in November with the Ultimate Hellraiser Collection!

Hellraiser Omnibus Volume 1

The legendary horror visionary returns to the dark, twisted world of Hellraiser with the release of Hellraiser Omnibus Volume 1, an expansive new edition published by BOOM! Studios. This essential collection spans over 500 pages, offering fans and collectors a definitive continuation of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser saga and bringing fresh life to the iconic Cenobites and the enigmatic Pinhead.

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Barker introducing the world to The Hellbound Heart, the original novella that spawned the Hellraiser film franchise, this omnibus assembles the complete 2011 Hellraiser #1-20 comic series and the Hellraiser Annual #1, all created under Barker’s close guidance and creative oversight. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the original story, forever redefining the legacy of the Hellraiser mythos in a richly imagined, meticulously crafted horror narrative.

The franchise has a broad and devoted fanbase, spanning Hellraiser novels, comics, films, merchandise, and more. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the original story, forever redefining the legacy of the Hellraiser mythos in a richly imagined, meticulously crafted horror narrative.

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Barker introducing the world to The Hellbound Heart, the original novella that spawned the Hellraiser film franchise, this omnibus assembles the complete 2011 Hellraiser #1-20 comic series and the Hellraiser Annual #1, all created under Barker’s close guidance and creative oversight. The series was written by Barker, Mark Miller and features art by Janusz Ordon.

Clive Barker is an internationally acclaimed English writer, filmmaker, and visual artist who rose to prominence in the 1980s with his groundbreaking short story collection Books of Blood, which established him as a leading figure in horror literature. His work has been adapted into numerous films, most notably the Hellraiser series as well as the Candyman series.  

The franchise has a broad and devoted fanbase, spanning Hellraiser novels, comics, films, merchandise, and more. Hellraiser Omnibus Volume 1 is distributed by Penguin Random House and available for preorder anywhere books are sold ahead of its release on November 24, 2026.

BOOM! Studios Reveals its “20 For 20” Slate Ahead of its Milestone Anniversary Year

BOOM! Studios

BOOM! Studios has revealed the entire “20 For 20” slate: 20 iconic titles from the publisher’s storied past, celebrating 20 years of adventure, horror, thrills, and fun!

Each of these 20 hand-picked selections will collect the entire series for the very first time in new and exclusive editions, making them the perfect introduction to these modern classics from some of comics’ greatest storytellers, or the ideal way to experience them all over again!

This legendary line-up of books will be kicked off with Harvey Award-nominated writer Justin Jordan and artist Ariela Kristantina’s conspiracy thriller, Deep State, in January; followed by Mech Cadets creator Greg Pak and illustrator Giannis Milonogiannis’s historical epic Ronin Island, and the fan-favorite Sam Humphries and Caitlin Rose Boyle beloved BOOM! Box classic Jonesy, in February.

In the following months, readers can look forward to even more acclaimed stories from Stan Lee, Mark Waid, Chad Hardin, James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh, Matt Kindt, Tyler Jenkins, Clive Barker, Mark Alan Miller, Haemi Jang, Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Joe Abraham, Cullen Bunn, Jonas Scharf, Sina Grace, Jeremy Haun, Danny Luckert, Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Marcus To, Pamela Ribon, Veronica Fish, Carly Usdin, Nina Vakueva, Noah Hayes, Steven Grant, Mateus, Santolouco, Sina Grace, Siobhan Kennan, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Kiwi Smith, Kurt Lustgarten, Naomi Franq, BOOM! Studios’ own Matt Gagnon and Bryce Carlson, Brian Stelfreeze, Vanesa Del Rey, and many, many more!

All 20 of the books in the “20 For 20” line will be priced at $19.99, and will be available for pre-order at your local comic book store or bookstore.

JANUARY 2025

Deep State Complete Collection

There are some things the government doesn’t want you to know about. John Harrow’s one of them. Together with his partner, Agent Branch, Harrow operates missions to keep the state’s secrets exactly that—secret. From the real story behind the assassination of JFK to MK ULTRA and advanced military technology, black-book agents Harrow and Branch are determined to make sure the public only knows what it needs to know. Everything else, horrifying or innocuous, is their problem. But when your life is covering up other people’s secrets, how many must you keep from those close to you? Collects the complete series by Harvey Award-nominated writer Justin Jordan (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, John Flood) and artist Ariela Kristantina (InSEXts, Wolverines) in a single volume for the first time! Collects Deep State #1-8.

Deep State Complete Collection

FEBRUARY 2025

Ronin Island Complete Collection

Together in strength. When the Great Wind devastated Japan, Korea, and China, survivors found refuge on what they came to known as Ronin Island. Now, too young to have known any other world, Kenichi, son of a samurai, and Hana, daughter of farmers, must work together to stop a mutant plague that’s consuming the mainland and quickly advancing on their home! In this serpentine ride through the 19th century where not all is what it seems, follow Kenichi, Hana, their friends, and their foes from Ronin Island to the mainland and back again as they search for a way to protect all that they know from the forces of the mutated byōnin and shogunate alike. Collecting the complete series from The New York Times best-selling author Greg Pak (Star Wars, Mech Cadet Yu) and artist Giannis Milonogiannis (Future State: Gotham, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe) in a single volume for the first time! Collects Ronin Island #1-12.

Ronin Island Complete Collection

Jonesy Complete Collection

Jonesy will make you fall in love! Seriously, it’s her special secret power—she can make you fall in love with anyone or anything else… except herself! But Jonesy knows what’s cool… and her power definitely is! A laugh-out-loud high school comedy with sick zines, cute ferrets, and donuts to die for! Follow Jonesy through the life of a disaffected teenager in bummer high school and all the trouble that comes with being a human cupid’s arrow! Collecting the complete series by Sam Humphries (Harley Quinn, Dial H for Hero) and Caitlin Rose Boyle (Frankie & the Creepy Cute Critters) in one volume for the first time! Collects Jonesy #1-12.

Jonesy Complete Collection

MARCH 2025

Bone Parish Complete Collection

“The Ash”, which lets you connect to the memories of the dead, is the drug du jour in New Orleans. That’s good news for the Winters family, the only ones who know how to produce it, except that it puts them in the crosshairs of much more dangerous criminal syndicates. Under siege by rivals on all sides and the dark secrets of The Ash itself, can the Winters family survive? And what does survival mean when resurrection is only a hit away? The complete run of Eisner Award-nominated writer Cullen Bunn (Harrow County, The Empty Man) and illustrator Jonas Scarf (Basilisk, Dark X-Men)’s critically-acclaimed series blends horror, crime, and family drama, collected in a single volume for the first time! Collects Bone Parish #1-12.

Bone Parish Complete Collection

APRIL 2025

Joyride Complete Collection

Steal a spaceship and leave Earth behind. A simple plan made much more complicated by the fascist World Government Alliance that has put the planet on lockdown underneath an artificial sky. Still, that won’t stop Uma Akkolyte, her best friend Dewydd, and their would-be-captor Catrin from embarking on a joyride unlike any other! Joyride is a gleeful mix of the thrill of exploration, the importance of friendship, and the fight against authoritarianism, with a cast of wild and gripping characters, human and alien alike! From writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and artist Marcus To of the Eisner award-nominated Star Trek and Guardians of the Galaxy comes the definitive, complete collection of a truly unique and adventurous love letter to science-fiction! Collects Joyride #1-12.

SLAM! Complete Collection

From Fresh Meat Orientation to becoming leaders on-and-off the track, follow Jennifer “Knockout” Chu and Maisie “Can-Can” Huff on their journey to roller derby domination! Messy lives, complicated friendships, and new romance blossom as they learn to take their hits, get back up, break some bones, take on adult responsibilities, and jam on their competing teams in the Eastside Roller Girls league! From bestselling novelist, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, actress, and former Los Angeles Derby Doll Pamela Ribon (My Boyfriend is a Bear, Why Moms Are Weird), illustrator and painter Veronica Fish (Archie, Spider-Woman) and acclaimed artist Marina Julia (Lumberjanes, Adventure Time) comes the definitive collection of the beloved derby dramedy, Slam! Collects Slam! #1-4 and Slam! The Next Jam #1-4.

MAY 2025

Hit Complete Collection

Los Angeles in the 1950s is a place of contrast. It’s home to the bright lights and movie stars of Hollywood’s golden age… and a hotbed of organized crime muscling in on Mickey Cohen’s turf. But LAPD has a plan—Harvey Slater, a detective authorized off-the-books to take care of “untouchable” criminal problems. The criminals aren’t the only untouchable thing Slater’s going after, though. When his captain’s absent daughter returns, Slater quickly finds himself entangled in the trouble she brings with her… and her ties to his other cases! From writer Bryce Carlson (Zombie Tales) and artist Vanesa Del Rey (The Creeping Below), experience the entire dark, violent, and sensual look into corruption on both sides of the law, inspired by the true history of LA and collected into one volume for the first time! Collects Hit: 1955 #1-4 and Hit: 1957 #1-4.

Avant-Guards Complete Collection

Charlie was determined to leave sports behind when she transferred to the Georgia O’Keeffe College for Arts and Subtle Dramatics, but perky and very cute barely-a-basketball-team captain Liv has other ideas! With a ragtag crew, a persistent streak, and the future of the whole league on the line, Charlie and the Avant-Guards must come together to figure out who they are on-and-off the court! Charming and hilarious characters with a lot of heart shoot their shots until the final buzzer in this hit series about love, teamwork, and basketball! Collects the complete series by acclaimed writer Carly Usdin (Heavy Vinyl) and artist Noah Hayes (Wet Hot American Summer) in one volume for the first time! Collects The Avant-Guards #1-8 and The Avant-Guards: Down to the Wire.

JUNE 2025

Black Badge Complete Collection

Willy was the first boy scout to get every merit badge offered… except one. The one you don’t get, the one you become: The Black Badge, a top-secret branch sent off to accomplish missions that adults never could. Kenny, Cliff, Mitz, and Willy may look like scouts who lost their tour group, but they’re actually one of the most elite teams working for the government. But there are many secrets kept from them: the location of a long-presumed dead former member, the roles of the other Rainbow Jamboree participants, and ultimately the murderer of one of their own! Intrigue abounds as the kids have to pick up a world made a mess by adults. Experience the complete series by the Eisner-Award nominated creative team of New York Times bestselling writer Matt Kindt (BRZRKR, Mind MGMT), and illustrators Tyler Jenkins and Hilary Jenkins (Peter Panzerfaust, King of Nowhere), in one volume for the first time! Collects Black Badge #1-12.

Heavy Vinyl Complete Collection

Chris has the perfect job at Vinyl Destination. Her boss and fellow employees are all super rad. They all love music, love fighting the patriarchy, and love kicking her out when they close for some reason?! When their favorite singer, Rosie Riot, mysteriously disappears, Chris is let into a secret that’ll change her world: her coworkers are a teen girl vigilante squad! With the coolest job and friends in the world, Chris spends her day selling records and making music, and her nights solving mysteries and fighting for justice! From investigating vanishing musicians like the lead singer of Stegosour to taking on the shadowy corporate masters behind a suspicious battle of the bands, and with plenty of laughs, bonding moments, and jam sessions in between, the vinyl’s never been heavier! Collects the complete series by acclaimed writer Carly Usdin (The Avant-Guards) and artists Nina Vakueva and Irene Flores in one volume for the first time! Collects Heavy Vinyl #1-8 (originally published as Hi-Fi Fight Club #1-3 and Heavy Vinyl #4-8).

JULY 2025

Zombie Tales Complete Collection

The ultimate zombie anthology has risen from the grave… and it’s still hungry! From deeply disturbing tales of terror to gut-busting laughs, this collection has something for every type of zombie fan. Featuring work from the likes of industry legends Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, Steve Niles, Joe R. Lansdale, Karl Kesel, Andy Kuhn, Tom Peyer, Ming Doyle, William Messner-Loebs, Tom Fowler, Ron Lim, J.K. Woodward, and Eisner-Award winning artist Fábio Moon among a host of other horror heavies, this new collection re-assembles the complete series in a single volume for the first time! Collects Zombie Tales, Zombie Tales: Oblivious, Zombie Tales: The Dead, and Zombie Tales: The Series #1-12

AUGUST 2025

Day Men Complete Collection

The powerful vampire covens known as the “50 Families” control the world at night. In the light of the sun however, they rely on human enforcers called Day Men to maintain their grip. David Reid is their latest fixer, but when he becomes caught in the crossfire of a war between Shakespearean rival houses… he must find a way to not only survive, but uncover who has been pulling the real strings of power all along! The complete series by writers Matt Gagnon (Freelancers) and Michael Alan Nelson (Supergirl, Hexed), and Glyph Award-winning industry legend artist Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther) is now available in a single volume for the very first time! Experience this bold reinvention of the classic vampire mythos in a story that blends the best of horror and crime. Collects Day Men #1-8.

SEPTEMBER 2025

Clive Barker’s Next Testament Complete Collection

God has returned, God help us all. The entire Harvey Award-nominated saga from visionary horror author Clive Barker is collected here for the very first time. Julian Demond, captain of industry, has left behind everything to begin a walkabout — he believes he’s on a mission from God. While in the wasteland, he comes across a figure unlike any other, who calls himself Wick…and claims to be God.  Their journey will span the globe, as neither man merely wants to make a mark on a world, but a scar…  Clive Barker, along with internationally acclaimed artist Haemi Jang (Hellraiser: The Road Below) come together to create a legendary work in the canon of one of the great writers of our era. Collects Clive Barker’s Next Testament #1-12.

The Backstagers Complete Collection

There’s magic in the theatre—when the crowd hushes, the lights go up, the curtain opens—but for Jordy and the Backstagers, the real magic’s behind-the-scenes…literally! Monsters, spirits, and an entire magical world are waiting just off-stage and the Backstagers are the only ones who know!  Join the stage crew on fantastic adventures as they deal with troublesome tool mice, fierce phantoms, and finding love and friendship despite feeling like outcasts at their all-boys school!  From GLADD, Prism, and Eisner award-winning writer James Tynion IV (WYND, Batman) and artist Rian Sygh (Adventure Time, Munchkin), plus shorts by James Tynion IV and Sam Johns with artists Brittney Williams (Goldie Vance), Caitlin Rose Boyle (Jonesy), Katy Farina (the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series), and more! Collects The Backstagers #1-8, The Backstagers: 2018 Valentine’s Intermission, The Backstagers: Halloween Intermission, and the The Backstagers story from The BOOM! Box 2016 Mix Tape.

OCTOBER 2025

The Red Mother Complete Collection

The last thing Daisy saw was her boyfriend disappearing into the darkness. The first thing Daisy saw with her new prosthetic eye was red. And she’s seeing more and more… It starts with lost love and as Daisy’s new eye shows her more of the red-hued world—people and things that aren’t otherwise there—she gets dragged into a mystery far bigger than she ever imagined. What can she do in the face of the Red Mother? A haunting series from Jeremy Haun (Haunthology, The Beauty) and Danny Luckert (Regression, Shock Shop) about the unseen horrors that surround us! Collects The Red Mother #1-12.

Hero Squared Complete Collection

In the breadth of the multiverse, you could be anything! Even Captain Valor, the legendary superhero, could be a simple slacker named Milo in our world! And is he ever?! When Valor finds himself shunted a universe over and living with his pathetic parallel, it’s a team-up for the ages! Together, can they save the world from Valor’s arch-enemy, Calignous, who just so happens to be the variant version of Milo’s girlfriend, Stephie? Maybe! A superheroic farce from the Bwa-ha-ha boys, two of the greatest writers of all cape comics, Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis with artists Joe Abraham, Nathan Watson, and more! The ultimate collection of powered hijinks, multiversal metaness, and complicated love triangles! Collects the Hero Squared X-Tra Sized Special one-shot, Hero Squared (2005) #1-3, Hero Squared (2006) #1-6, Hero Squared: Love and Death #1-3, and the Planetary Brigade spinoff series, Planetary Brigade #1-2 and Planetary Brigade: Origins #1-3.

NOVEMBER 2025

2 Guns Complete Collection

It shouldn’t be complicated, it’s just robbing a bank. Unfortunately for Trench and Steadman, neither knows that the other is working undercover. Even more unfortunately, the $50 million that they’re stealing doesn’t actually belong to the mob and has set them in the sights of an even greater threat!  The ultimate team-up between two loose cannons for the DEA and Naval Intelligence that has them blasting their way through the Southwest looking to clear their names! But when they can’t trust anyone else, can they trust each other? And what happens when it’s not just the mobs and the Feds after them, but the Russians and a mysterious Third Gun after them too? The twisty, turny, buddy-cop-gone-wrong crime romp by Steven Grant (The Punisher) and artists Mateus Santolouco (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Emilio Laiso (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra) in a complete collection for the first time! Collects 2 Guns #1-5 and 3 Guns #1-6.

Ghosted in L.A. Complete Collection

Daphne Walters’ Los Angeles story seems pretty common—she followed her high school boyfriend to college only to be immediately and unceremoniously dumped a thousand miles away from home. Her roommate doesn’t want her around either, but fortunately one heart-broken night brings her to Rycroft Manor, an apartment complex with more roommates and drama than she had ever bargained for—and they’re all ghosts! While helping out the long-lingering and new residents of Rycroft, Daphne has to deal with everything from angry spirits, the mystery ghost behind the basement door, and her college roommate Michelle trying to exorcise her new friends out of their own home! All while dealing with a complicated love life, a more complicated best friend-ship, and learning her place in LA! GLADD Award-nominated Sina Grace (Iceman, Superman: The Harvests of Youth) and illustrator Siobhan Keenan (Jem and the Holograms, KFC Presents I Love You Colonel Sanders) present a thrilling and fun tale about friendship, romance, and living your best (after) life that you won’t want to leave on read. Collects Ghosted in LA #1-12.

DECEMBER 2025

The Traveler Complete Collection

From the minds of comic book legend Stan Lee and Eisner Award-winning writer Mark Waid (Kingdom Come, Daredevil), Tom Peyer (The Wrong Earth), and artist Chad Hardin (Harley Quinn) comes the greatest hero of all-time! When quantum scientist Ronald Lessik’s experiment went wrong, he was transformed into the time-manipulating superhero, the Traveler! Now, he seeks to find his true love, herself lost in time and space, and defend the world from threats like the Split-Second Men, temporal ghosts, the time-lost planet Anachronopolis, and even comes face-to-face with fellow hero Soldier Zero! A gripping sci-fi superhero adventure by industry legends and from the mind of one of the most prolific creators in all comic history, Stan Lee! Collects The Traveler #1-12.

Misfit City Complete Collection

Everybody’s seen The Gloomies, it’s a real cult-classic from the ‘80s! Unfortunately for the residents of Cannon Cove, covered in fog 287 days of the year, things aren’t quite as exciting as the movie…or are they? When friends Wilder, Macy, Karma, Dot, and Ed end up with the map of the recently-departed Captain Denby, that may lead to real treasure from real pirate Black Mary, they’re thrust into an adventure worthy of an irresistible pop theme! But they’re not the only ones who want the treasure. Can they solve the mysteries of their formerly-dreary town and grab the booty before the baddies? The adventure worth its weight in pirate gold by award-winning screenwriter Kiwi Smith (Legally Blonde, Trinkets), Kurt Lustgarten, and illustrator Naomi Franquiz (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) in a complete collection for the first time! Collects Misfit City #1-8.

HELLRAISER’s new Pinhead looks ready to deal her own kind of Hell while honoring legacy

Pinhead is the kind of horror icon that is recognizable even to those who might not have seen a single Hellraiser movie. A head full of nails and an elegantly dark and leathery costume design that finds a sense of twisted beauty in pain and suffering proved the right combination to achieve this during Doug Bradley’s tenure as the Hell priest.

Now it’s actress Jamie Clayton’s turn to push the iconic role into new territory in the David Bruckner-directed Hellraiser reboot set to premier on October 6 on Hulu. It’s not an easy task, that which lies ahead of the movie, but the recent teaser and photo reveals show considerable promise.

Hellraiser
Jamie Clayton as the new Pinhead

Created by master of horror Clive Barker, and based on his 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser is a story of power and pleasure and the horrors they create when absolute self-indulgence and sexual greed lead people to worship at the altar of terrible things. Pinhead is the head of the Cenobites, demons that reward those seeking to experience a higher form of physical gratification through delicately intricate sessions of pure suffering for all eternity.

The Cenobites have been portrayed as living tributes to sadomasochism that are terrifying pieces of art unto themselves. You can’t quite stop looking at them and the ways they embody pain. Of course, there’s an erotic energy coursing through them that makes their brand of suffering unique. So far, their designs combine flayed flesh wrapped over leather and plastic, making it seem as if the mere act of existing comes at the price of a chunk of flesh for even the smallest movement. Wrapped inside all that is the idea that pain equals pleasure, which turns Hell into a place of decadent torment.

Based on the new images published through Entertainment Weekly and Clayton’s social media, the new Hellraiser seems to be doubling-down on the flayed flesh aspect. Clayton’s Pinhead carries the classic full head grid cut with long thin nails sprouting from its cleanly segment sections, but her neck is peeled back and held in place via strips of flesh organized into gruesome patterns.

Like Doug Bradley’s Pinhead, Clayton’s has black eyes, but they hold a deeper stare that clearly unsettles given how much darker they are than the original’s. These changes, nuanced in parts but still clearly identifiable already add a considerable amount of character and presence to the new Pinhead, things that I believe must be present to guarantee the success of this reboot. So far, looks like we’re on the right track.

Hellraiser
The Masque, Hellraiser (2022)

Another Cenobite was revealed called The Masque, a pale white being with a human face stretched over a metal frame with flaps of skin and carefully placed cuts adorning the body and creating their own violent patterns. If The Masque is indication of anything it’s of the care and thought that’s also gone into Pinhead’s band of deranged demons (or angels to others). The original movies featured this as well, with The Chatterer, Butterball, and Angelique among the most beloved by fans. That’s another box the reboot seems to be ticking as well.

The only teaser that’s been released reveals very little, but it does show a bit of Clayton’s Pinhead in the flesh (no pun intended). Will the Lament Configuration (the box that allows the Cenobites to crossover in search of whoever opened it) get its own redesign? Will the story journey into the Cenobites’ realm as it did in Hellraiser II or stay mostly within our reality as it did in the first movie?

These are all questions that a forthcoming trailer will surely shed more light on, but for now we have a genuinely unsettling and creepy new Pinhead to enjoy along with a glimpse of the other horrors that’ll accompany her. The sights provided do more than enough to peak anyone’s curiosity. We’ll soon know just how many nightmares they’ll inspire in an eager audience.

Start your Halloween reading list with Hellraiser/Nightbreed Jihad

Hellraiser/Nightbreed Jihad

If you’re like me, then you treat Halloween as a year-long affair, a way of life, that requires a special read or movie to open the best month of the year: October. Some people have a kind of ritual, something they repeat year in and year out to mark the occasion. For some it’s watching John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), others might prefer a candlelit reading session composed of classic horror short stories from authors that are synonymous with the season (be it Poe, Stephen King, or Lovecraft).

I start October by reading something I’ve never read before, be it a comic or a short story. Last year it was a short story written by Scott Derickson and C. Robert Cargill called “A Clean White Room,” about an Iraq war veteran that becomes a sin-eater in a building that lays atop a crack in the world that has a straight line to Hell. It’s included in The Blumhouse Book of Nightmares: The Haunted City (2015) anthology, a great option for those who prefer their horror to have been published more recently.

This year, Halloween begins with a crossover horror comic that features two uniquely terrifying worlds created by legendary author Clive Barker and it’s called Hellraiser/Nightbreed Jihad. It was published in 1991 by Epic Comics but those interested in it can find it in the Clive Barker’s Nightbreed Archive published by BOOM! Studios, along with a comics adaptation of the movie by Alan Grant, John Wagner, and Jim Baikie.

Hellraiser

Hellraiser/Nightbreed Jihad is written by D.G. Chichester and illustrated by Paul Johnson and it centers on a war Hellraiser’s cenobites want to wage on the Nightbreed given the latter’s existence threatens Hell’s eternal mission of bringing agony and suffering to the souls of the damned.

The Nightbreed, a race of magical creatures that live in an underground city called Midian away from humans, are apparently disrupting the balance of chaos in the world by merely existing. A purging seems the only sensible way forward for the tortured lords of Hell, although there are different schools of thought as to how to deal with the problem.

At a glance, the story carries the look and feel of a Clive Barker tale. It’s ambitious in its worldbuilding and it fuses dark fantasy elements with dangerous magic to dive into taboo topics and subvert them. As is characteristic of Barker’s work, sex factors into the story and is presented as a kind of transcendental experience that courts pain to repurpose pleasure as a ritual that both punishes and rewards.

Paul Johnson’s art is exquisite, leaning heavy on the fantasy elements of its already dream-like worlds to establish a sense of danger and wonder that’s unique to these licenses. This carries over in the new creatures and monsters accompany the already well-established characters seen in the film adaptations of Barker’s books. They expand upon the possibilities of the horrors they embody in each world and give Johnson ample space to experiment with design.

Hellraiser

Chichister’s writing is finely tuned to the sights, sounds, and voices of both sides of the war, relying on the complex vernacular of each world’s reality to provide a very lived-in sense of story early on. It captures the constant state of violence that governs the two groups quite well and it sets up some wonderfully macabre moments that show no intention of holding back on the bloodletting.

Based on what I’ve already read and seen throughout the pages (I couldn’t help myself), Hellraiser/Nightbreed Jihad looks like it will set quite the tone for this year’s Halloween season. The challenge, then, will lie in trying to find something that compares or surpasses this horror comic. It’s a hard one, but there are 31 days-worth of opportunities to indulge in the search.

Preview: Clive Barker’s Next Testament Omnibus SC

Clive Barker’s Next Testament Omnibus SC

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer:  Clive Barker, Mark Alan Miller
Artist: Haemi Jang
Colorist: Vladimir Popov
Letterer: Steven Wands
Cover Artist: Goñi Montes
Price: $29.99

Finally collected in one complete volume, experience the terrifying madness of Master of Horror’s first original comic book series

Julian Demond is a captain of industry who left behind everything and began a walkabout, believing himself to be on a mission from above. He soon discovers a figure unlike any other, one who calls himself Wick…and claims to be God.

Bestselling author Clive Barker, co-writer Mark Alan Miller (Clive Barker’s Hellraiser), and internationally acclaimed artist Haemi Jang (Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: The Road Below) come together for a thrilling story not of this world, collecting all twelve issues of the Harvey Award-nominated horror epic.

Clive Barker's Next Testament Omnibus SC

Preview: Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show Deluxe Edition

Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show Deluxe Edition

Clive Barker, Chris Ryall (w) • Gabriel Rodriguez (a & c)

Clive Barker’s sprawling epic begins inside a Nebraska dead letter office, where Randolph Jaffe’s quest to possess the Art sets into motion a battle between the forces of light and dark. This lushly illustrated tale is equal parts horror, fantasy, and love by one of the masters of the genre. Also included is the horrific standalone tale, “Seduth,” as well as annotations by writer Chris Ryall and artist Gabriel Rodriguez.

TPB • FC • $29.99 • 336 pages • ISBN: 978-1-68405-489-3

Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show Deluxe Edition

Preview: Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Omnibus Vol. 1 SC

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Omnibus Vol. 1 SC

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writers: Clive Barker with Mark Miller, Christopher Monfette, Robb Humphreys, Anthony Diblasi, and Brandon Seifert
Artist: Leonardo Manco, Jesús Hervás, Stephen Thompson, Janusz Odon, Michael Montenat, Ibrahim Roberson, André Stahl Schmidt, Giovanni P. Timpano, Marcio Henrique, Tom Garcia
Cover Artist: Tim Bradstreet
Price: $39.99

Clive Barker returns to tell a new chapter in the official continuity—a trajectory that will forever change the Cenobites… and Pinhead!

Dark Horse Ventures Into “The Dark North”

Dark Horse and Charles Wood Publishing AB are excited to terrify more readers with The Dark North! Originally crowdfunded for publication in 2016, this illustrated prose-art book fusion features five unique tales ranging from Norse mythology to apocalyptic science fiction to fantasy.

Writer Martin Dunelind composes The Dark North’s five enthralling tales. The Dark North showcases artwork by Scandinavia’s leading illustrators and concept artists—including Peter Bergting, Henrik Pettersson, Joakim Ericsson, Magnus Olsson, and Lukas Thelin. Lukas Thelin also creates the beautiful cover. With a foreword by author and filmmaker Clive Barker, this anthology is sure to delight and terrify any horror fan in equal measure.

The Dark North goes on sale September 27, 2017.

Preview: Clive Barker’s Nightbreed Archive Vol. 1 HC

Clive Barker’s Nightbreed Archive Vol. 1 HC

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writers: Clive Barker, D.G. Chichester, Alan Grant, John Wagner
Artists: Jim Baikie, Paul Johnson, Martin Emond, Jackson Guice, Alfred Ramirez, Bret Blevins, Mike Manley, Ricardo Villagrán
Cover Artist: Mike Mignola
Price: $44.99

Explore horror master Clive Barker’s ’90s cult-classic Nightbreed series like never before in this comprehensive hardcover archive collection.

Features the adaptation of Clive Barker’s original screenplay; year 1 of the original ’90s Nightbreed Epic comic run; and theHellraiser/Nightbreed crossover, all remastered and collected for the first time.

First appearing in the cult classic 1990 film, the Nightbreed is a tribe of monsters and outcasts who hide out from society in an underground community called Midian.

Features a Foreword written by D.G. Chichester.

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Preview: Clive Barker’s Next Testament Vol. 3 TP

Clive Barker’s Next Testament Vol. 3 TP

Writers: Clive Barker & Mark Miller
Artist: Haemi Jang

In the final chapter of the Harvey Award-nominated epic, Tristan and Elspeth desperately race to a library in Providence, Rhode Island, where their only hope of defeating Wick awaits. Meanwhile, Wick finds a new apprentice and Julian’s final fate is revealed. Collects issues #9-12.

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