Ever reminisce about a long out-of-print comic book series and say, “Damn, someone should collect that in a trade paperback,” but you know it’ll never happen, because the company that published it no longer exists? Well, don’t despair - Checker Book Publishing Group just might make your dreams come true. They’ve set out to re-release comic book stories by top talent that were originally published by now-defunct companies, like Alan Moore’s SUPREME, and Clive Barker’s Epic Comics work. CLIVE BARKER’S HELLRAISER: COLLECTED BEST presents tales that haven’t seen the light of day in a dozen years, rendered by A-list names like Alex Ross, Mike Mignola and Neil Gaiman.
Even the most rabid fans of these people might not have seen these stories, because issues of the original HELLRAISER comics are hard to find. They were released in the expensive Prestige Formant, with a hefty price tag, back when Alex Ross was “who?” and Neil Gaiman was just getting his feet wet on a cult favorite comic called THE SANDMAN. Not surprising a lot of folks passed them up. Well, thanks to Checker Books, now you can see what you missed, and they’ve been kind enough to pick out the best of it so you don’t have to wade through the crap!
So, how are the stories? Well, to be honest, given the talent attached, I was hoping for better. But I think that’s more the fault of the inherent limitations associated with doing a Hellraiser story. They nearly all have the same basic formula: a hapless human encounters a mysterious puzzle, becomes obsessed with it, and ends up unleashing the wrath of the demonic Cenobites on him or her self. No matter how nicely drawn or skillfully written, it feels like you’re reading the same yarn over and over again.
The best tales focus on the people involved, like Frank Lovece and Bill Koeb’s “For My Son,” about an illegal immigrant who works in a sweat shop and struggles to make a life for his young boy despite nightmarish conditions. Or they transcend the formula through the skill of the creators, like Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean’s “Wordsworth,” a horrific gem about a crossword puzzle fanatic who will literally do anything to get the answer to a clue. Some writers prove quite inventive; D.G. Chichester and... (read more)
