The stories in this uneven anthology come from the Epic comics series of a decade ago, which was inspired by a continuing series of horror movies, all of which originated in Barker's novella The Hellbound Heart. Though the stories are set in different times and countries, they all show human encounters with the Lament Configuration. People who succumb to temptation and manage to solve the puzzle enter the domain of the Cenobites, hideously deformed creatures who inflict eternal suffering on anyone handy. So the fundamental subject throughout each tale is mutilation and pain, not simply death. Superficially, some of the stories resemble the gruesome 1950s horror comics that EC Comics produced with disturbing excellence. A few try to do more by exploring the attraction of s&m themes for a mass audience of Cenobite wannabes. Unfortunately, most of the contributors veer toward gross-out techniques. There is some good art here, as well as some interesting scripts, but they're seldom in the same story. The most successfully unified pieces are "Pleasures of Deception" (script by Phil Nutman; art by Bill Koeb), in which an artist is inspired by the Cenobites to discover a wonderfully new way of seeing reality; and "Cenobite!" (script by Nicholas Vince; art by John Van Fleet), which shows episodes in the life of the kind of man who'd be a willing recruit for this squad of master torturers. Those also, not coincidentally, are among the collection's least clinically graphic. They give readers a chance to reflect on what's going on, not just flinch.
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Checker Books continues in it's tour de force of reprinted material in the Universe of Clive Barker's Hellraiser franchise. These collected works were originally published by Epic comics between 1990 and 1993. At 196 fullcolour pages it's one of the smaller collections but don't let that stop you from putting this in your library of fear.
Once again a stunning group of illustrative and writing talent have been collected up to run those chills up and down your spines. Talented folks like John Bolton, Larry Wachowski, Dave Dorman, Ricardo Villigran, Tim Conrad and Laurene Haines have put forth thier very best visions of our friends (?) the Cenobites and all the madness that comes with them.
Across the spans of time from the Dark Ages in "Canons of Pain" to the musical lamentations of a mad composer in "Songs of Metal and Flesh" they come bearing the gifts of Leviathan. You'll soon learn that gates come in all sizes, shapes and forms.
This collection comes with a warning to those that are of a senstive nature; it would be best if you went and read something safer.
