Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Issue 3 Retro Review
The third issue only features three stories, but that just gives them more pages to tell a better tale. [Click the link to continue]
The first story, “The Crystal Precipice,” Features the return of writer Jan Strnad (Hellraiser #1) and his Cenobite creation, Face. Artist Steve Buccellato has been a mainstay in the Industry for years, working on titles such as Generation X and Firestorm. He is the brother of Brian Buccellato, who currently works on The Flash. This story is a little different from the others we have seen so far, because it takes place on another planet. A lifeless planet. Four Human explorers are stranded on it. The only thing other than a desert-like landscape that they notice is these Crystalline structures in the distance, and some that float in the sky. These explores are also being watched by one other…The Cenobite known as Face! One of the crew members, Ernest, gets thrown out of the crashed ship after raping one of the other Crew Members. Ernest essentially sells his soul to Face, to get revenge. The remaining three hope that the Crystlline structure on the horizon is a City of some sort so they head out for it. Face captures the rape victim from earlier and lets Ernest have his way with her before killing her. The remaining two struggle on and arrive at the Crystals. A firefight ensues that causes the destruction of some of the Crystals. This upsets Face. This planet represented Perfect Order, without any Lifeforms to cause any chaos. Ernest has upset that Order and must now be punished. The surviving two crew members get turned into the flying Crystal things and will remain on the planet forever, but Ernest gets reassembled as a Pet for the Cenobites. This was in interesting story showing that Leviathan’s reach extends beyond Earth. It makes total sense that a lifeless planet would be seen as a Paradise of sorts.
The Middle story is titled “The Blood of a Poet.” The writer, R. J. M. L’officier, has done work for Moebius, as well as the Hellraiser Summer Special and countless other Marvel and DC titles. John Ridgway has drawn for 2000 AD, Judge Dredd, and Hellblazer. The story reminds me a lot of Barker’s “Valerie Under the Stairs” for The Masters of Horror. But imagine Lovecraft adapting the story for the Hellraiser Universe. That is what this story is. It deals with a young poet in Paris looking for a place to stay while he hones his craft. He discovers a house, Pension Veneur, that offers free room and board for artists, as long as they work on their art. Other residents include a scupltress, a painter, a musician, and an engineer/tinkerer. At dinner the first night, the Tinkerer mentions Lemarchand, but is quickly hushed by the others. Our Poet has horrible nightmares that night, but it inspires his poetry. As time passess the descent into madness continues, yet creates some amazing work. He learns that the House was once owned by Lemarchand and that something called Cenobites would be summoned to judge the art, to make sure it was “of so horrifying a nature that few but those hellish creatures could even manage to stand its sight.” The Cenobites do get summoned, including the Female, Chatter, and Pinhead, along with some of the aforementioned “pets.” They are impressed with the Poet, and he survives while all the other residents are made victims. The next day Our Poet discovers that it was not a dream and that he is destined to become the new Master of Pension Veneur. This was a fascinating story that I can’t help wonder if it was an inspiration of sorts for “Valerie Under the Stairs.”
Finally, we have one of my favorite stories of the Series, and my favorite of this issue. Peter Atkins, the screenwriter for Hellraiser II and III, gives us “Songs of Metal and Flesh.” The artist is one well know to me, at least for his work on Star Wars, Dave Dorman. It is the story of a musical prodigy, Jason, who went blind at an early age. His other senses compensated, and he discovered a love of music shortly there after. In College, he came across a rival student, who maimed one of his hands by putting Razor Blades in between the Piano Keys. Jason redirected his focus to composing. His studies lead him to discover that the right musical score could unlock the worlds secrets, but the only way for him to get it out of him self is to literally Get it Out of himself. So, he puts together a door that is covered in Razor Blades, and crawls over it. Then he starts to dance around letting blood droplets fall on his sheet music. He then turns those blood drops into music notes. He arranges for his old College Rival ro play his masterpiece. The Performance summons Cenobites, which destroy everybody except Jason. But Jason’s Joy is shortlived. All his other senses go away and his eyesight returns to this Hellish Nightmare :
Three very different stories that demonstrate what a broad Canvas the Hellraiser Universe can work with. From a distant, Lifeless planet, to Paris Circa 1925, to the world of music, The Cenobites always find a way to demostrate their “Art”
Join me next week as I bring you Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #4, in which we get a story written by The Chatterer himself, Nicholas Vince!
