First published back in August of 1991, the eighth issue of Epic Comics’ original ‘Hellraiser’ offshoot series contained another five short stories designed to expand upon Clive Barker’s Hellraiser mythos. Although Barker didn’t write any of the stories contained within the original Epic Comics ‘Hellraiser’ series, he did however act as a consultant for each issue.
Homecoming – 8 Pages
John Rozum (Writer) – Mark Texeira (Artwork) – Phil Felix (Letterer)
It had been many years since Adam made a pact with the cenobites. Instead of him, Adam sacrificed his brother – Christopher – to be sent to hell. Over the years that followed, Adam’s sibling had been transformed by the demons. Now, the beast that was once Christopher, is clawing to go home. Returning to its brother, so that they can be reunited again…reunited in hell…
Kicking off this eighth issue we have a short and nasty little tale about a cowardly guy who’ll sacrifice anyone to save his own skin. Yeah, this Adam fella’s a traitorous bastard aright! He’s already cast his brother to hell just to save himself, and now that the cenobites are back Adam’s eyes have turned to his young son, Benjamin. The whole thing’s very ‘Hellraiser’, with the dialogue perfectly in keeping, as well as the miserableness of our yellow-bellied target. The plot is simple, but the lead up to the outcome is where the brutality lies. His young son thrown to the proverbial wolves?! Jeez, Rozum didn’t pull any punches when writing this nasty little treat! Quality artwork illustrating the story too. It all makes for a solid start to the comic.
Devil’s Brigade: Part Two: Haven on Hell Street – 15 Pages
Ron Wolfe (Writer) – John Van Fleet (Artwork) – James Novak (Letterer)
All Leo Shabel wanted was to build a shelter to save the homeless. It’d been a dream of his since he was young. Somewhere he could look after and protect those in need. Which is why the death of a homeless man just twenty yards from the door to The Street Haven hit Leo hard. Frozen to death in the cold winter. However, with funding for the haven now running low, Leo knew more deaths would likely follow. How could he look after the homeless without the resources to do so?
When everything seems set to fall apart, an opportunity suddenly presents itself. The Pulitzer prize-winning playwright, Garrison Elliot, has requested a workshop staging of his latest play just three blocks away from The Street Haven. It would undoubtedly bring a transfusion of life to the whole neighbourhood – his haven for the homeless included. As head of a theatrical workshop production team, Lisa Ann Mercer was at the forefront of the liaisons. She had the play script. An original, handwritten script, full of mysteries to solve. A prize that was hers to unlock…
For this second instalment in the sixteen-part ‘Devil’s Brigade’ story, we’ve now moved away from the sketchy opening piece that we had in ‘Hellraiser – Issue 7’ (1991), where we were introduced to the grotesquely fat demon, Flagellum. Indeed, there’s no mention of any of those curious opening sequences within this second instalment, but instead we have what feels like the start of a slightly more straightforward storyline.
Although it’s less ambiguous than the opening piece, there’s still plenty of mystery within these early pages. The brief mention of an elfin man leaving child-sized footprints in the snow, leading away from the homeless man’s frozen corpse. A script which seems to draw parallels to the lament configuration in design – akin to the knotted string within Barker’s ‘The Inhuman Condition’. This again, all feels like the start of something darker. A mystery that we’re only just beginning to edge into. It’s certainly intriguing. There’s also a purposefully gloomy atmosphere to it, which complements the enticing intrigue. A sense of quiet dread which captures our attention and imagination. Atmospherically it works well. Damn well, in fact. Like the stage is set…and it’s time for the drama to commence.
Losing Herself In The Part – 15 Pages
Doug Murray (Plot) – Dwayne McDuffie (Script) – Grey Morrow (Artist) – Tom Vincent (Colour Artist) – Bill Oakley (Letterer)
Janice Baur, the greatest actress of our day, laughed when film director, Steven Sigourney, invited her to the press screening. Although horror wasn’t a genre she would normally embrace, she found Sigourney’s latest film, and the prospect of working on his next one, intriguing. She also didn’t mind admitting she was equally attracted to both Sigourney and his project. Janice Baur had been drawn in by the concept. The LeMarchand Puzzle Box that formed the central image of all Sigourney’s films. The physical manifestation of desire, obsession, confusion and pain. Each of which Janice would need to embrace and succumb to, to take on her role in Sigourney’s next film – ‘The Shape Of Pain’…
Doug Murray’s offering is a textbook ‘Hellraiser’ story. Essentially, a young actress who’s drawn to a horror director and told she must solve the puzzle box before she can appear in his next film. What then follows her desire is absolute obsession, followed by confusion and finally pain. Yep, pain delivered by our favourite black leather-clad friends! However, where the story’s strength lies is more with its depiction of Janice Baur’s escalating obsession. How she becomes increasingly intoxicated with the lure of the puzzle box. Losing track of time, slicing up her fingers, sleepless nights spent working with the box trying to uncover its secrets. An excellent story with superb illustrative artwork companying it.
Devils Brigade: Part Three – Inside The Laager – 16 Pages
Larry Wachowski (Writer) – Joe Barruso (Artist) – Joe Costanza (Letterer)
Volksland’s Prime Minister, Michael Decourcy, was trying to gain the support he needed for his reform policies. But the violence enacted by the Africans was making it difficult. They were fighting to be free of the white man, to be rid of the Afrikaner and his laws forever. Apartheid had created a hatred so raw it cared nothing for life. Decourcy now faced a new generation, a different kind of movement. Volksland was now a ticking bomb, set and primed to go...
Oddly, on the first page of the comic story, it declares it as ‘The Devil’s Brigade: Part 2’, whereas it’s in fact the third instalment within the sixteen-part story (although the second instalment within this particular comic). Anyway, it’s also a bit of a strange choice of a story to be included within the ‘Hellraiser’ comics. Admittedly, the ‘Devils Brigade’ stories thus far had been somewhat fuzzy and obscure. However, this next story doesn’t really seem to fit in with the whole ‘Hellraiser’ theme.
Essentially, it deals with Apartheid and a new, younger generation who are fighting back against the Prime Minister’s attempts to bring about reform. A politically and racially focused story tackling a difficult and complex subject. Then quite oddly, we have a handful of short scenes which pretty much shoehorn the female cenobite into the storyline – as a sort of promoter of order to Volksland. It’s all a tad out of place and I’m not 100% sure it works that well in the context of the wider comic. Although damn, is it a brave subject to give a ‘Hellraiser’ edge. The illustrative artwork’s damn good though!
The comic runs for a total of 64 pages.
© DLS Reviews
