Hellraiser: Resurrections – New Wounds #1 is written by Mike Costa and published by BOOM! Studios. Illustration is by Paco Camallonga, colours by Andrew Cramer and letters by Ed Dukeshire. Main cover art (left) is by Martin Simpson.
Hellraiser: Resurrections – New Wounds #1 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
In this first one-shot, writer Mike Costa and artist Paco Camallonga draw readers into the hedonistic world of Hellraiser when an investigation into the mysterious Puzzle Box goes sideways, and the gateways to Hell open anew.
From the darkest corners of Rio de Janeiro’s criminals to the underbelly of the untouchable elites in Europe, this Alpha issue twists and turns its way through a story that teases and delights right up to its surprising finish. If you want the earliest glimpse of what’s to come in the new Hellraiser series, then get your hands on this comic and see if you can unlock all its secrets!
Review
40 years after the release of Clive Barker’s The Hellhound Heart and 39 years after Hellraiser first stalked cinema screens the franchise returns with a new event series from BOOM! Studios starting with today’s Hellraiser: Resurrections – New Wounds #1. The first of five new stories set in the twisted world of Clive Barker’s Cenobites arrives in stores today as a bold mission statement for what BOOM! has planned in the coming months.
The book opens in Rio, setting the scene in a dingy bar with links to Nazi Germany. Costa opens the story with a strong sense of the kind of shady characters we’ve come to expect from the Hellraiser franchise, teasing that the kind of settings where the LeMarchand’s Box will be showing up. The opening moments also tease our lead for this story, Barrow, first seen infiltrating the club in order to obtain the box and then masquerading as a podcaster in order to obtain more information about the Cenobites and the world beyond this one.
Costa’s understanding of the world created by Barker is evident from the outset. There’s a subtle yet very present understanding about the kinds of subject matters a Hellraiser story can (and should) tackle. The narrative being built here is one of intrigue around the Cenobites and the world they inhabit which is beyond ours. Barrow represents an unhealthy version of fans fascination with Barker’s world, a figure whose obsession is understandable but whose methods are nothing short of questionable.
Refreshingly, Costa’s narrative is pretty simple to understand. There’s a satisfying twist (or two) in the third act after Barrow returns to his boss. But for the most part everything is constructed to bring readers back into Barker’s world with enough intrigue that I’m sure anyone new to Hellraiser would be able to pick this up and follow the events. It would be easy for a Hellraiser story to overcomplicate itself by reaching deep into the complex and somewhat convoluted lore which lies across the films and Barker’s two books. Avoiding that works in Hellraiser: Resurrections – New Wounds‘ favour, especially for the first issue in this event.
Where New Wounds surprised me the most was in its restraint. There are a couple of character decisions which forced a sharp intake of breath as I was reading. But importantly the most boundary pushing moments happen off-page to avoid any pushback from more conservative readers. This is something the franchise hasn’t shied away from in the past so it’s interesting to see that kind of restraint employed here. It may alienate some die-hard fans but conversely it helps to open up the world to potential new fans without relying on shock value alone.
Paco Camallonga and Andrew Cramer bring a fitting visual style to New Wounds. It looks as though each issue will feature a different creative team so it will remain to be seen how this plays out across the series. But for this issue and this story there’s a synergy between themes and visuals which works well. There’s a general level of grit and grime which feels natural to the Hellraiser franchise. It’s also murky and dark exactly where it needs to be, it feels like Costa’s story was born and belongs in the darkness and that’s spot on to the audience this book is for.
This first chapter leaves us with plenty of intrigue. I find myself wondering what the connections between stories will be and whether any of the questions New Wounds leave open will be answered in the future. Though I’ve seen all the films I wouldn’t call myself knowledgable enough to recognise every character and so the flaming villain who appears from the LeMarchand’s Box is new to me. I’d have liked a little more in those final moments to bring us to a conclusion. But I’m certainly on board to see where this series will go next.
Verdict
Hellraiser: Resurrections – New Wounds #1 is a confident, controlled opener which trades shock value for genuine intrigue while staying true to Barker’s world. Costa and Camallonga strike a real balance between accessibility and atmosphere, even if the ending leaves a little too much unresolved. A strong start to what could be a genuinely compelling event.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We are also members of the Forbidden Planet Affiliate Program.
