Scan barcode
skipbassman's review
4.0
Picking up an indefinite amount of time after the second Hellraiser movie, we are thrust into the terror that made the original movies so amazing.
The series then takes a step further into the macabre and insanity that I can only compare to the upped ante we received every new season of Supernatural.
Eventually, the series reaches End of Evangelion levels of wtfkery that brings you a bonkers fantasy Hellraiser story.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a Hell of an entertaining ride.
4/5
The series then takes a step further into the macabre and insanity that I can only compare to the upped ante we received every new season of Supernatural.
Eventually, the series reaches End of Evangelion levels of wtfkery that brings you a bonkers fantasy Hellraiser story.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a Hell of an entertaining ride.
4/5
hhlovecraft's review
4.0
A really good horror comic with great illustrations, I am taking one star away only because the plot can get a little confusing at times, especially if you haven't recently seen the first and second Hellraiser movies. Overall, I would love to read more from this series.
octoberrust1108's review
4.0
This is an excellent continuation of the Hellraiser story (really picking up years after Hellraiser 2 I believe) and really delves deeper into the mythos of the Cenobites. This book is a massive win because ultimately the Cenobites were the most interesting thing about the Hellraiser story! It was awesome to see the story really follow Kirsty’s battle with the Hell Priest (Pinhead) continued and greatly expanded in all sorts of crazy, engaging directions. The art was also downright breathtaking for the first 60% of the book, but then the artist’s changed and the visual quality of the book really dropped.
The story itself also grew to be too expansive in the last 5 or 6 issues I’d say, switching between too many perspectives and moments in time, whereas the beginning really only followed two perspectives at once which was much more digestible. If the art quality kept up the whole way through and the story didn’t start to falter towards the end this would’ve easily been a 5 star book. Even still, I am so glad I tried it out because it was quite a fun ride all in all.
The story itself also grew to be too expansive in the last 5 or 6 issues I’d say, switching between too many perspectives and moments in time, whereas the beginning really only followed two perspectives at once which was much more digestible. If the art quality kept up the whole way through and the story didn’t start to falter towards the end this would’ve easily been a 5 star book. Even still, I am so glad I tried it out because it was quite a fun ride all in all.
jobinsonlis's review against another edition
3.0
This starts off strong in the beginning but really shits the bed as it goes on, especially in terms of its artwork and story.
diamandis1's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely love this compilation. I ate it up. Clive Barker is amazing, all the artwork is gorgeous. The storyline can be a tiny bit hard to follow because some of the characters look really similar in the form of the comic/graphic novel. There were a few parts where I thought to myself, “which man with brown hair is this supposed to be again?” But this is perfect and I love every second of it. Kristy is such a dynamic character in these comics. I’ve been searching high and low for the second volume. I’m reading the hellbound heart now!
kratositaly's review against another edition
3.0
Earlier this year, I became a fan of Clive Barker, THE HELLBOUND HEART, and the HELLRAISER films. I decided to check out this omnibus that collects the five volumes of Barker's 2011 return to the series, a legacy sequel of sorts that picks up 25 years after the 2nd movie. The first two volumes are quite strong, with terrific artwork, disturbing imagery, and a compelling narrative of Kirsty Cotton hunting down cenobites and Lemarchand boxes, with Pinhead trying to become human for a nefarious purpose. However, this REALLY loses focus in the second half, and ends up being messy, dull, banal, and nonsensical. Worth it for the first two parts and the art, otherwise it was ultimately a disappointment.
merricatct's review against another edition
3.0
The art was great, and certain beats of the story were awesome ... but overall I was a little let down. The plot went for weird and twisted, and landed somewhere closer to just confusing and odd.
teaxmillions's review
4.0
This one was good! As a continuation from the Hellraiser movies (one and two), you'd need to be familiar with them to fully grasp this one, but as a fan of the movies, I really enjoyed it! The art is actually really pretty. I also love a complicated storyline, which I feel that I don't get a lot in graphic novels/comics as much as I'd like, but this one delivered. My only gripes with it are that the last quarter became difficult to follow, especially as I didn't know who certain characters were, as they were introduced pretty rapid-fire. But overall? A great comic continuation. I'd recommend to any Hellraiser fans, and maybe anyone who enjoys horror and is looking for a horror comic to get into. I really enjoyed this one!
gothamgal's review
3.0
I was tasked to read about a classic monster.
Hellraiser fits the bill.
This was a great collection, and really humanized pinhead (without giving too many spoilers).
Clive Barker is still great.
Hellraiser fits the bill.
This was a great collection, and really humanized pinhead (without giving too many spoilers).
Clive Barker is still great.
captainfez's review
4.0
I guess I must be a glutton for punishment? I mean, I recently reread The Hellbound Heart (and found it wanting, alas) after forcing myself to sit through all the movies in the Hellraiser series. So of course, it was only natural that the next cab off the cultural rank was almost 600 pages of comics set in the same world, eh?
Thankfully, this collection wasn't a waste of time or good suffering, which is probably a better deal than you'd get from a Cenobite drop-in.
It's pretty coherent, which is a bit of a novelty for the setting. Many adaptations have seemed to focus on the hellish BDSM tones and throw in schlock and whack a Hellraiser stamp on things. The story seems to follow on from the second movie. It largely revolves around two people: Kirsty Cotton and Pinhead (well, Elliott Spencer if we're being truthful), though other favourites do make random appearances. (Hey there, Frank!)
The key thing to realise is that the story stays pretty accessible for the most part - Kirsty's involved in with a crew travelling the world, attempting to destroy Lemarchand's creations whenever they can, while Pinhead et al are in hell, bored - but by the end it will make fuck-all sense. I mean, it sort of does, but it's a very comic-book kind of universe-explodin' finale. By the end of it, I was pretty nonplussed, but it still made more sense than a lot of other stories involving the undead pincushion, so I let it ride.
What's good about this is that the art is stellar, the script isn't that clunky, and there's a real sense of dedication to the characters. We learn a lot more about Kirsty and about Pinhead/Spencer - particularly his talent for deception and his plans for something more. There was plenty of stuff in here to keep my interest, and it was a lot funnier than I'd expected. It also doesn't rely solely on gore and face-peeling grimness to create mood - though obviously there's a copious amount of blood to be found here, if that's your jam. I mean, in amongst the conspiracy theories, escapes from hell and try-outs for head underworld honcho, that is.
(Yeah, there's a lot going on.)
If you're a fan of the Hellraiser world, it's likely that you'll enjoy this collection a lot more than most of the films made since the early days of the series. It's aware of its own silliness, actually has decent writers attached - not only Barker, mind - and seems appropriately weighty. It's stupidly enjoyable, and as long as you take it on those terms, is a wild ride.
Thankfully, this collection wasn't a waste of time or good suffering, which is probably a better deal than you'd get from a Cenobite drop-in.
It's pretty coherent, which is a bit of a novelty for the setting. Many adaptations have seemed to focus on the hellish BDSM tones and throw in schlock and whack a Hellraiser stamp on things. The story seems to follow on from the second movie. It largely revolves around two people: Kirsty Cotton and Pinhead (well, Elliott Spencer if we're being truthful), though other favourites do make random appearances. (Hey there, Frank!)
The key thing to realise is that the story stays pretty accessible for the most part - Kirsty's involved in with a crew travelling the world, attempting to destroy Lemarchand's creations whenever they can, while Pinhead et al are in hell, bored - but by the end it will make fuck-all sense. I mean, it sort of does, but it's a very comic-book kind of universe-explodin' finale. By the end of it, I was pretty nonplussed, but it still made more sense than a lot of other stories involving the undead pincushion, so I let it ride.
What's good about this is that the art is stellar, the script isn't that clunky, and there's a real sense of dedication to the characters. We learn a lot more about Kirsty and about Pinhead/Spencer - particularly his talent for deception and his plans for something more. There was plenty of stuff in here to keep my interest, and it was a lot funnier than I'd expected. It also doesn't rely solely on gore and face-peeling grimness to create mood - though obviously there's a copious amount of blood to be found here, if that's your jam. I mean, in amongst the conspiracy theories, escapes from hell and try-outs for head underworld honcho, that is.
(Yeah, there's a lot going on.)
If you're a fan of the Hellraiser world, it's likely that you'll enjoy this collection a lot more than most of the films made since the early days of the series. It's aware of its own silliness, actually has decent writers attached - not only Barker, mind - and seems appropriately weighty. It's stupidly enjoyable, and as long as you take it on those terms, is a wild ride.