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The law of diminish returns comes for most revulsion franchise , withHellraiserbeing its most notable victim . After the masterpieces that were its first two films , the earth of the Cenobites began to lose its luster as each unexampled installment took it deeper and deeply into the pit of hell ( and not in a proficient means ) . Meanwhile , from 1989 to 1992 there was a comic serial explore the Lament Configuration ’s mythology in way that were far bloodier and more interesting than anything see in the silver medal filmdom sequels . Published by the now - defunct Marvel imprint Epic , Clive Barker ’s Hellraiserwas an anthology with tooth ( and draw ) that countersink out to pushthe bound of revulsion storytelling in comicsand succeeded with gut - ripping gusto .
Untethered from any picky timeline or character group , you never quite acknowledge what kind of story you ’d get on an yield to egress ground . Lemarchand ’s puzzle box could set down into the lap of anyone anywhere , be it a poker game player in the baseless Occident ( “ Dead Man ’s Hand ” ) , an jailed revolutionary freedom fighter in Latin America ( “ The Vault ” ) , a king during the Crusades ( “ The Canons of Pain ” ) or a present - day television kid ’s entertainer ( “ Clowning Around ” ) . “ We have such sights to show you ” utters Doug Bradley ’s “ Pinhead ” in the dealership ’s first motion picture , andClive Barker ’s Hellraiserdefinitely deport on that hope with each installment .
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What made the series so interesting was the freedom that was given to the creator involved to explore or study any nook of theHellraisermythology . A narration could be position in any time period , adhere to whatever musical style the author desire , feature whatever visual insanity the artist could think of . Gone were budgetary constraint or special force limitation , as were studio executives with their unwanted “ suggestions ” regarding how to make the level more marketable to all-embracing audiences . The Cenobites and that dastardly little mystifier boxful had intact universes really open to it for the first time , and the event were tales that really tug the gasbag in both imagination and corruption .
And talk of our favorite leather , string , and scar - tissue paper - sporting hurting practitioners , in a very real wayClive Barker ’s Hellraiserbecame the revulsion equivalent ofDC ’s Green Lantern Corps . From a optical standpoint , one of the highlight of that particular superhero group has always been getting to peek at all the strange and wacky extra - terrestrial phallus of the famous space constabulary squad . This too was a highlight ofHellraiser , as the series presented to audiences more than just the iconic four Cenobites seen in the early films . A overplus of satanic baddies of all shapes , size , and ominous specialties were presented so that each issuance kept you question with anticipation what kind of ghoul you would see next .
It should be said that some of the stories boast inClive Barker ’s Hellraiserhave not aged well . As is the case reading books from the early ’ 90s ( especially those of the non-white and granulose variety ) a slight cringe factor can be felt . It ’s mentioned a twain of times in the serial ’ introduction that the creator of the book were doing their best to move the horror funny into dark lands and were especially seek to outdistance themselves from the “ campiness ” seen inlandmark books likeTales From The CryptandVault Of Horror . While it ’s shirking of the classic anthology normal was by all odds ground - breaking , its ride for disquietude ( which confessedly was the style of the time ) gives it a dated calibre today .
Though it may frisk a few warts ( both figuratively and literally),Clive Barker ’s Hellraiseris a strong series that push both the cinematic belongings and the writing style of repulsion cartoon strip itself into terrify new soil . It ’s a must - learn for those tracing the chronicle of spooky storytelling in this medium and for any Cenobite disciples who are face for an alternative to some of the less than stellar film entrance in their beloved enfranchisement .
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