BOOM! Studios will continue down the road to Hell in February with Hellraiser: The Dark Watch, an ongoing series co-written by Hellraiser creator Clive Barker and Witch Doctor's Brandon Seifert, with art by Tom Garcia. Barker first explored the world of Pinhead, the Cenobites and the mysterious puzzle boxes in the novella The Hellbound Heart, which later spawned a series of films.
In a press release sent out today, BOOM! notes, "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?"
Seifert told USA Today earlier this month he plans to build his stories from the first two Hellraiser movies. "Hellraiser is about the Cenobites and the Cotton family, sure — but it's about other things too. It's about the people who escape from Hell, just like it's about the people who put them there." Seifert is also the writer of Hellraiser: The Road Below, a spinoff miniseries that kicked off this month and tells the story of Kirsty Cotton's first "call to Earth" after she became the new Pinhead. So no doubt we'll see some Pinhead-on-Pinhead action in the new series.
BOOM! picked up the license to make Hellraiser comics at the end of 2010 and launched an ongoing series in March 2011 that lasted 20 issues. It wasn't the first time Hellraiser found its way into comics, as Marvel published a Hellraiser anthology series under their Epic banner in the late 80s/early 90s that BOOM! republished in a collection last year.
The complete press release, along with variant cover art, can be found below.
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November 29, 2012 - Los Angeles, CA – This February, BOOM! Studios will relaunch the HELLRAISER franchise with HELLRAISER: THE DARK WATCH, an all-new ongoing monthly series. The relaunch of this incredibly popular series will be co-written by creator Clive Barker and Brandon Seifert (WITCH DOCTOR, HELLRAISER: THE ROAD BELOW) and illustrated by newcomer Tom Garcia (HELLRAISER).
NEW ONGOING SERIES! THE NEW ERA OF HELLRAISER BEGINS! 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 joins forces with the legendary Clive Barker, with art by Tom Garcia, to begin this amazing new chapter in the history of one of horror’s greatest franchises.
"I grew up with Hellraiser and Clive's novels — so it's a huge, surreal honor to be collaborating with him on The Dark Watch! Under Clive's direction, the Hellraiser ongoing series has gone in some radically different directions over the last two years. I'm really excited for what's next — and even more excited that I get to be involved!," said Brandon Seifert.
HELLRAISER: THE DARK WATCH #1 ships in February with main covers by Tim Bradstreet (28 DAYS LATER, STAR TREK) and Nick Percival (HELLRAISER, 2000 AD) as well as incentive covers by Frazer Irving (HIGHER EARTH, BATMAN INCORPORATED) and Bradstreet. The first issue is a 32 page, full color issue that retails for $3.99 and is available for order under Diamond Code DEC120913.