BOOM! Studios; $4.99 

I know I'm a little late getting to Hellraiser: Resurrections – New Wounds #1, especially since I started this series with the Chatterer one-shot and then read the Butterball story before going back to this one. I actually read New Wounds and Hell's Council on the same day, so I'm working my way backward through these. Better late than never. 

After reading it, I can understand why this was chosen to kick off the Resurrections series. This feels like the book that establishes the kind of direction this new Hellraiser run wants to take. It's nasty, uncomfortable, and filled with the kind of human depravity that has always worked so well in this universe. 

It's been a long time since I've watched the Hellraiser movies, but I was really into them when I first discovered the series. The first three films are still the ones that stand out for me, although I ended up watching all the later sequels too. New Wounds brought back some of that same feeling. You know the Puzzle Box is going to be involved, but the interesting part is watching the situation develop around it and seeing what kind of person ends up getting pulled into the nightmare. 

Mr. Barrow was probably the biggest surprise for me. I don't want to get into the specifics because that would ruin some of the fun, but following his increasingly disturbing behavior kept me interested from beginning to end. We don't often get a story that spends this much time inside the mindset of someone who is genuinely twisted, and that gives this issue a different flavor from a lot of traditional Hellraiser stories. 

I also liked that the book doesn't spend a lot of time explaining every piece of Hellraiser history. As a longtime fan, I appreciated being able to recognize the references without having everything spelled out. At the same time, I think someone coming into this without having memorized the movies could still understand what is happening. 

The artwork from Paco Camallonga works especially well during the darker parts of the story. There are some really creepy images here, and the book has an unsettling atmosphere that fits the franchise. I did notice some panels that looked a little more rigid than others, but that's a personal preference and didn't take me out of the story. 

I also liked the way the story moves through different worlds, from the criminal underworld of Rio de Janeiro to the wealthy European characters. It gives the issue a bigger scope than simply having someone open the Puzzle Box and immediately unleash hell. 

The story does follow some familiar Hellraiser territory, but there are enough changes along the way to keep it interesting. The final turn caught me off guard, and that's exactly what I want from a horror comic. 

More than anything, New Wounds #1 feels like an invitation into the next chapter of Hellraiser. It establishes the tone, introduces some very questionable people, brings the Puzzle Box back into play, and leaves you wondering what this new series is going to build from here. 

As someone who has been a fan of Hellraiser for years, I had a really good time with this one. It feels like a proper horror comic, and I think it sets a strong tone for this new chapter of the franchise. 

–Scott Schlazer