Dark Regards is quickly emerging as one of the most captivating new indie comics on the scene, boasting a backstory as wild and engaging as the comic itself. Dive into our exclusive preview of Dark Regards #1 and see for yourself.
Explore the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive peek into the new series, but be warned: there's some NSFW language included!
Oni Press' Dark Regards #1: Preview Gallery
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Dark Regards is the creative vision of comedian, writer, and musician Dave Hill, brought to life with the artistic talents of Artyom Topilin, known for his work on Cruel Universe and I Hate This Place. This four-issue series draws its inspiration from Hill's real-life adventure of forming the fictional Satanic metal band Witch Taint, leading to an unexpected whirlwind of chaos.
Here's how Oni Press officially describes the series:
*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 path as a rising star in New York's comedy scene—a career where being laughed at on stage is intentional, not just a tragic outcome. But when Dave's dormant metal ambitions are reignited by the ultra-serious Norwegian black metal genre, he invents an over-the-top alter ego and forms a band to match, reigniting his long-lost rock 'n roll dream. But as Dave's internet-spun tales of Witch Taint—a band "so extreme that you must remove all sharp objects from the immediate area" when their music is played—spread across Europe, his story spirals out of control. Norway's most extreme black metal enthusiasts come seeking vengeance, putting everything Dave holds dear at risk (albeit metaphorically, since axes don't really have crosshairs).*
Hill shared his story's origin in a statement: “A few years back, I sat down in my underwear late one night and let my obsession with Norwegian black metal run wild. I emailed a Norwegian black metal record label, claiming their bands were subpar despite never having listened to them, and suggested they sign my non-existent, ultra-extreme band Witch Taint. This led to months of unexpected correspondence. Thanks to the internet, what started as a private jest turned into a widely seen saga. Now, beyond my wildest dreams, this story has transformed into my first comic book series, Dark Regards, co-created with the phenomenal Artyom Topilin. Missing out on any issue would be sheer madness.”
Dark Regards #1 is priced at $4.99 and is set to hit shelves on May 13, 2025.
For more exclusive comic book previews, take a look at the final issue of TMNT: The Last Ronin II and the Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell, inspired by The Dark Knight Returns.
