*Dark Regards* stands out as one of the most captivating new indie comics to hit the scene in recent years. With a backstory as wild and crazy as the comic itself, it's a must-read that you can preview exclusively right here. Dive into our slideshow gallery below for a sneak peek at *Dark Regards #1*, but be warned—mature language awaits!
Oni Press' Dark Regards #1: Preview Gallery
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Dark Regards is the creative brainchild of the multifaceted Dave Hill, known for his work as a comedian, writer, and musician, alongside the talented artist Artyom Topilin, acclaimed for his work on Cruel Universe and I Hate This Place. This four-issue series draws inspiration from Hill's own bizarre journey of forming a fictional Satanic metal band named Witch Taint and the ensuing chaos.
Here's the official synopsis from Oni Press:
Two decades ago, Dave Hill and his first band set out to rock their high school auditorium in a fury of heavy metal hellfire. They failed miserably. Years later, Dave has made a new life for himself as a rising star in the New York comedy scene—a career where getting laughed at on stage is the entire point and not just a tragic consequence. But when Dave's metal ambitions are re-awakened by the über self-serious, “Satanic” genre of Norwegian black metal, Dave creates a ridiculously hyperbolic alter ego and a band to match that, together, reignite the spark of his forgotten rock 'n roll fantasy. But when Dave's internet-fueled rumors of Witch Taint—a metal band “so extreme that you must remove all sharp objects from the immediate area” when their music is played—spreads all the way to Europe, his story will spiral dangerously out of control as Norway's most extreme black metal butchers come to reap their revenge . . . and put everything and everyone Dave holds dear in the crosshairs (of their axes, which, truth be told, don't actually have crosshairs, but, hey, it's a metaphor).
In a statement, Hill shared the origin of this unique tale: “A few years back, I sat down in my underwear late one night and decided to let my obsession with Norwegian black metal run wild by emailing a Norwegian black metal record label, telling them all the bands on their label sucked despite the fact that I had never listened to any of them, and suggesting they sign my extremely extreme black metal band Witch Taint, which had yet to record any music and didn't even exist beyond the band name I'd just made up on the spot. This first email led to months of correspondence with the record label that I never intended for anyone to see. But the Internet being the Internet, eventually a lot of people saw it and things got nuts. Now, beyond my wildest dreams, this story has become my first comic book series Dark Regards, written by me and illustrated by the amazing Artyom Topilin. If you don't devour every single issue, you are basically insane.”
*Dark Regards #1* is priced at $4.99 and will hit the shelves on May 13, 2025.For more thrilling comic book previews, don't miss the final issue of TMNT: The Last Ronin II and the The Dark Knight Returns-inspired Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell.
