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Clive Barker's Hellraiser (2011) #4
Clive Barker's Hellraiser Vol. 4
Hell has come home as Clive Barker returns to writing his signature creation!Clive Barker has “touched” Hellraiser only twice before: once to write The Hellbound Heart, and once more to write and direct the original Hellraiser film. With the HELLRAISER ongoing series, witness Barker’s long-awaited return to tell a new chapter in the official continuity — a trajectory that will forever change the Cenobites…and Pinhead! So prepare your soul for an epic journey into horror from one of the medium’s greatest voices, and starring one of the medium’s greatest characters, in an unforgettable new chapter of Hellraiser. Story by Clive Barker, Mark Miller, & Brandon Seifert Art by Janusz Ordon, Stephen Thompson, Jesus Hervas, and Michael Montenat.
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 13, 2012
48 people are currently reading
651 people want to read
About the author
Clive Barker
734 books14.9k followersClive Barker was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Joan Rubie (née Revill), a painter and school welfare officer, and Leonard Barker, a personnel director for an industrial relations firm. Educated at Dovedale Primary School and Quarry Bank High School, he studied English and Philosophy at Liverpool University and his picture now hangs in the entrance hallway to the Philosophy Department. It was in Liverpool in 1975 that he met his first partner, John Gregson, with whom he lived until 1986. Barker's second long-term relationship, with photographer David Armstrong, ended in 2009.
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 31, 2018
I enjoyed this, but not as much as the first three volumes. This felt more choppy, so I didn't sink into the story as well. Looking forward to reading the next one though.
December 5, 2022
The story itself gets more insane by each volume and just when you think Clive can't go any further, he takes it up a notch. It's more in the line of movies, not the novella as it really differs from latter. Art was subpar, unfortunately. Too messy. Lazy drawn. Five different artists were working on this volume, some from before, some new and it took it's toll. Can't take Pinhead seriously even when he tries to take Leviathan himself, when he looks like a evil version of Elmer Fudd.
February 6, 2021
My rating is based purely on the story. The artwork had as beautiful as ever.
Adding an additional writer to this series has killed the momentum massively.
The overall arc/idea is incredibly interesting but it is surprisingly dull in its execution.
I shouldn't be bored with these epic catastrophic events.
This is almost Dexter becoming a lumberjack bad.
Still, 4 more issues to try and save the day. I'm not holding my breath. I have read The Toll after all. 😐
EDIT: A complete car crash.
Adding an additional writer to this series has killed the momentum massively.
The overall arc/idea is incredibly interesting but it is surprisingly dull in its execution.
I shouldn't be bored with these epic catastrophic events.
This is almost Dexter becoming a lumberjack bad.
Still, 4 more issues to try and save the day. I'm not holding my breath. I have read The Toll after all. 😐
EDIT: A complete car crash.
April 29, 2016
Elliot is bring hell on earth (literally), it's up to Kirsty to stop him. It's becoming too confusing for the story to make sense.
August 18, 2016
This was interesting but not brilliant. The story needs to be smaller in scale as it got lost in its own plot and unfortunately the art style is very uneven in this volume.
August 4, 2019
A weird turn (even for Hellraiser)
Well, the one thing you can't say about this story is that it doesn't have stakes. It might even have too high of stakes. For a franchise that is typically marked by intimate, personal stories of sin and debauchery, it is very odd to suddenly find it taking place half in war rooms and on military posts. Kirsty undergoes some deep personal analysis that holds a lot of potential, but the rest of it feels like someone changed the channel. Given the build-up leading up to this point, the story is definitely delivering on the menace it threatened in a world where heaven and hell are the board the pieces are moving through, but the feel of it is very different from past stories. A bit of multiple personality disorder, tonally, though your mileage may vary with how well it works for you.
Well, the one thing you can't say about this story is that it doesn't have stakes. It might even have too high of stakes. For a franchise that is typically marked by intimate, personal stories of sin and debauchery, it is very odd to suddenly find it taking place half in war rooms and on military posts. Kirsty undergoes some deep personal analysis that holds a lot of potential, but the rest of it feels like someone changed the channel. Given the build-up leading up to this point, the story is definitely delivering on the menace it threatened in a world where heaven and hell are the board the pieces are moving through, but the feel of it is very different from past stories. A bit of multiple personality disorder, tonally, though your mileage may vary with how well it works for you.
September 4, 2019
An average addition to what promised to be an epic story
I know that the Hellraiser universe is, by nature, totally far-fetched; however, the ending of this addition to the series was too far for me. Without offering too many spoilers, my main issues were 1. The military / government is now involved and 2. The story seems to be getting bigger, but with not enough attention to detail, so it seems stretched thin. At this point, I’m only reading it to get to the end of the series and say I’ve finished it. My heart isn’t in it anymore, though.
I know that the Hellraiser universe is, by nature, totally far-fetched; however, the ending of this addition to the series was too far for me. Without offering too many spoilers, my main issues were 1. The military / government is now involved and 2. The story seems to be getting bigger, but with not enough attention to detail, so it seems stretched thin. At this point, I’m only reading it to get to the end of the series and say I’ve finished it. My heart isn’t in it anymore, though.
November 25, 2023
Unfortunately, I feel like this is the weakest volume so far. Some parts of the story have gotten a tad silly; certain aspects are so over the top that they are almost comical. It was still a lot of fun, the art style is still solid, and I'm still dying to know what ultimately happens to these characters.
Also, some of the scenes between the government officials slowed down the pace quite a bit. There were a few exchanges of dialogue that I felt dragged on; was just ready to get through them. Overall, I'd still give this a solid 3.75/5.
Also, some of the scenes between the government officials slowed down the pace quite a bit. There were a few exchanges of dialogue that I felt dragged on; was just ready to get through them. Overall, I'd still give this a solid 3.75/5.
May 31, 2022
Whilst I somewhat enjoyed this - and the artwork is as fabulous as ever, it’s the weakest in the series so far. A lot of the plot is just plain messy, and a lot of things happen for no particular reason, and the reader is simply expected to say "oh, ok." I’m hoping the final part of the series provides better than the buckshot writing in this effort, as it really deserves it.
October 9, 2022
idk
This story is getting a bit wild and not in a good way. As soon as Elliot turned into Captain Planet, I lost a bit of interest in what started off as a good horror. The whole taking over the world thing and Kirsty as a good pinhead just seems weird and wack tbh. But, I’ll just have to continue reading to see where this ridiculousness goes.
This story is getting a bit wild and not in a good way. As soon as Elliot turned into Captain Planet, I lost a bit of interest in what started off as a good horror. The whole taking over the world thing and Kirsty as a good pinhead just seems weird and wack tbh. But, I’ll just have to continue reading to see where this ridiculousness goes.
October 25, 2021
Uninspired Drivel.
When people criticize comics and say they are the lowest form of the written word they are referring to this type of nonsense.
A travesty that this is associated with one of the best writers of my generation.
When people criticize comics and say they are the lowest form of the written word they are referring to this type of nonsense.
A travesty that this is associated with one of the best writers of my generation.
October 27, 2021
A big let down after the third volume, Hellraiser Vol. 4 progresses the storyline but not sure I'm on board with where it's going. The artwork is also a massive disappointment. It looks sloppy and extremely rushed. I've got the fifth volume up next but expectations have been lowered.
November 7, 2022
Not as good as the three last volumes in the series, the story takes a weird turn here and goes all the way down the hall with a grand scale eco, religious, BS. Almost superheroes flick. Please return to Barker's original world and ideas for the last volume...
February 20, 2018
I enjoyed the first three volumes of this series, but the story becomes confusing and uninteresting as it stretched on.
July 9, 2018
Hell!!!!
This is getting intense! Hell is coming to earth! I can't wait to see what happens in Vol 5! Oooh the suffering!
This is getting intense! Hell is coming to earth! I can't wait to see what happens in Vol 5! Oooh the suffering!
May 6, 2019
The government angle, build up, and exposition slows this down significantly.
January 26, 2020
Very enjoyable
April 27, 2020
114/365
El declive de la serie. Se nota que Barker o quiso mezclarlo con superhéroe o dejó a los mandos a otras personas.
El declive de la serie. Se nota que Barker o quiso mezclarlo con superhéroe o dejó a los mandos a otras personas.
May 14, 2020
This is probably the poorest so far of this series. It seems like this a lot of filler before for the final volume.
December 10, 2020
Was this some kind of a dadaist experiment in which various unrelated messy drawings were combined into a collage, after which text bubbles containing random quotes were placed in equally random places on top of this incomprehensible collage?
August 13, 2021
I cannot wait to see how this all comes together. Free with Comixology Unlimited.
September 11, 2021
This series is what should have been filmed for the later Hellraiser films. It’s a bit grandiose at times, but that’s also exactly why it’s successful.
June 25, 2022
As the climax ramps up I do think it bites off a little more than it can chew and the art is admittedly not as strong as it was in the earlier volumes, but it's not a dramatic fall.
June 25, 2015
I have to say I think the direction of these took a rather disappointing turn in the last two volumes. I think Hellraiser works when it's individual horror. When suddenly Armageddon happens, and the US military becomes involved, it doesn't feel as much like a horror story. I was quite disappointed in how the hordes of damned souls came, but did virtually nothing and were hardly pictured. I did like the bits with Kristy and the lady cenobite. But overall I didn't enjoy this as much. I had hoped Elliot would have a better plan!
October 26, 2014
Hmm... Elliot Spencer (Pinhead) starts to bring about Armageddon but Leviathan has other ideas for him. Once again, though, I think I've been shown that I need to read these in order! oh where is volume 1?
August 26, 2015
The madness continues in volume 4....
Nothing short of great!
Nothing short of great!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews