Dark Regards emerges as one of the most captivating new indie comics in recent times, boasting a backstory as wild and unpredictable as the comic itself. Dive into our exclusive preview of Dark Regards #1 and decide for yourself what you think of this intriguing new series. Just a heads up: the preview contains some NSFW language, so viewer discretion is advised!
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, and the talented artist Artyom Topilin, who has previously worked on Cruel Universe and I Hate This Place. This four-issue series draws its inspiration from Hill's own adventures in forming a fictional Satanic metal band named Witch Taint, which unexpectedly led to a whirlwind of 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 carved out a new life as a rising star in the New York comedy scene – a career where being laughed at on stage is the goal, not a tragic mishap. But when Dave's dormant metal ambitions are reignited by the über self-serious, "Satanic" genre of Norwegian black metal, he invents a ridiculously hyperbolic alter ego and a band to match, sparking a revival of his long-forgotten rock 'n roll fantasy. However, when Dave's internet-fueled rumors about Witch Taint – a band "so extreme that you must remove all sharp objects from the immediate area" when their music is played – spread to Europe, his tale takes a dangerous turn. Norway's most extreme black metal butchers come to seek vengeance, putting everything and everyone Dave cherishes in the metaphorical crosshairs of their axes.
In a statement, Hill shared, “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 exclusive comic book previews, don't miss out on the final issue of TMNT: The Last Ronin II and the Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell, inspired by The Dark Knight Returns.
