Clive Barker’s Hellraiser is a case of retroactive sequels with potential. So what happens when something going so well takes a nosedive? Barker himself is one of this comic series’ co-writers and has support from his usual editor. That’s probably why first three-fifths of the series do so well. As for the other two-fifths, it flips from a horror-thriller to an apocalyptic story. All of it surrounds the dynamic between two of the franchises’ main characters: Kirsty Cotton and Elliot Spencer. Was this change inevitable, or is this a case of corporate greed and burnout?
Introduction to Clive Barker’s Hellraiser
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser is a sequel to the first two films of the Hellraiser franchise. What makes this franchise special is how it dives into the psychological nature of obsessions; anything from love, sex, pain, and purpose are drivers that can lead to salvation or damnation. Because the lines between them are practically nonexistent. Hence the existence of the cenobites, formerly human demonic entities who in their quest for gratification turn to sadomasochism. The cenobites in this case represent the highest forms of schizophrenia, depression, addiction, and chronic pain. Hellraiser’s struggles against the cenobites are practically metaphors for dealing with mental illness.
Barker Goes Boom!
This brings us to Boom! Studios. Twenty years after being a consultant to the movies, comics, and novels, Barker comes back into the fold. Working with two consultants of his works Christopher Monfette and Mark L. Miller, Barker decides to redirect Hellraiser away from studio interference.
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser follows the dynamic of the Pope of Hell and Kirsty Cotton. “Pinhead” per his popular epithet seeks to regain his original form of Elliot Spencer. This is actually a clever way of looking at burnout where the mind rewires itself to back to basics. Plus, it’s a meta-textual commentary on Barker wanting to fix the franchise. It’s relied so heavily on Pinhead being an advertising piece, that he’s become a shell of his former self.
As for Kirsty, she’s basically a stand-in for fans frustrated that Hellraiser went on for longer than it should. She works with some people including her betrothed and cenobite survivors to destroy the their gateways. The Harrowers are all people who after being at the mercy of these Lament Configurations seek both redemption and retribution. Like how Alex, after preserving his brother’s soul for so long, wants to ensure no one goes through his mistakes. But this cabal’s focus on the symptoms leave them vulnerable to the people obsessing over them. These cults systematically attack the Harrowers with Kirsty the only survivor. Thus, her final deal with Pinhead… taking his place. Kirsty gets her Harrowers back, but as her Cenobium; kind of like Pinhead’s entourage of Butterball and Chatterer.
Would’ve Been A Good Ending
That is where things probably should’ve ended. It’s a fitting tale about the nature of obsessions where Kirsty and the Harrower’s shared obsession twist them into the very thing they hated. Far be it from a simple “gaze into the abyss” scenario, becoming a Cenobite is both a breakthrough and a depressive indulgence. As the new Pinhead, Kirsty has the authority to change how Cenobites run things with a greater understanding of them. The only thing she’s going to miss is her daughter figure Tiffany.
Where Did Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Go Wrong?
So what does Boom and Barker do after… they literally raise Hell. In the final two sagas of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, Elliot’s character expands. After he goes through steps to reclaim his memories as Pinhead, he joins Tiff’s new Harrowers including Barker’s occult detective Henry D’Amour, in destroying the remaining Lament Configurations. He and Tiff have an uneasy relationship stretching back to Hellraiser II, one of the few times that Elliot kept his humanity as Pinhead. Only for a few issues to reveal Elliot’s sinister nature. I don’t even wanna provide context to how demented he really was because I need a shower after reading it.
In any case, that’s not even what really gets under most readers’ skins. It’s taking away the spirit of psychological issues. While you can argue that Elliot Spencer remains in character as some dark cult figure, trying to bring the apocalypse takes away thrills. Hellraiser at its best confronts the boundaries of pain and pleasure, internal troubles that have a way of affecting others around you. But apocalyptic and its post variant stories are about the world(s) and how characters reflect it. In this case, Barker and his cohorts were trying to make Hellraiser bigger than it actually is.
Why Is That Bad?
Again, Elliot relapsing into his desires as Pinhead is fine, it says a lot about the themes of addiction and schizophrenia. But in trying to force the world to be like the Hell he thrived in, the narrative changes into an invasion. There’re no psychological thrills anymore, just increasing the spectacle.
But why did Barker and Mark Alan Miller go in this direction? The followup Hellraiser series practically implies that this section can be entirely skipped. …Except for the Henry D’Amour context.
To be honest, there are a number of reasons. Maybe Barker and co. came up short of a contract; maybe Boom extended the contract/license. Or maybe Barker and Miller like other writers were experiencing burnout and trying to end on a high note. Even the original creators don’t always know their franchises best. Just look at how George Lucas or Ridley Scott went back to their franchises. Maybe that’s why Barker just provides the outlines from then on.
Remember Clive Barker’s Hellraiser
In any case Clive Barker’s Hellraiser isn’t just a return-to-form after some disappointing sequels; it’s a metaphor of trying to reach new highs. Just because the original creators can get their IPs on the right track, that doesn’t mean they know where to go from there. It’s one of the reason Barker keeps himself open to help from outsiders. Because sometimes fans know a franchise better than they do. Just look at Dark Watch to see what I mean. In my opinion it touches upon how finding higher forms of physical pleasure and pain are found in clinical trials. If not there are plenty of other series.
Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.