Dark Regards is a truly captivating new indie comic, easily one of the most intriguing releases in recent memory. Its backstory is as wild and unpredictable as the comic itself. See for yourself with this exclusive preview of Dark Regards #1.
Explore the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive look inside the new series. Fair warning: there's some NSFW language.
Oni Press' Dark Regards #1: Preview Gallery
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Dark Regards is the brainchild of comedian/writer/musician Dave Hill and artist Artyom Topilin (Cruel Universe, I Hate This Place). This four-issue series draws inspiration from Hill's own experiences forming a fictional Satanic metal band, Witch Taint, and the ensuing, unexpected chaos.
Here's Oni Press' official description:
Two decades ago, Dave Hill and his first band attempted to rock their high school auditorium with heavy metal fury. They failed miserably. Years later, Dave finds success as a New York comedian—a career where on-stage laughter is the goal, not a tragic consequence. But when his metal ambitions are rekindled by the intensely serious world of Norwegian black metal, Dave creates a ridiculously hyperbolic alter ego and a matching band, reigniting his rock 'n' roll dreams. However, when internet rumors of Witch Taint—a metal band "so extreme that you must remove all sharp objects" when their music plays—reach Europe, his story spirals dangerously out of control. Norway's most extreme black metal musicians seek revenge, putting everything Dave holds dear in their crosshairs (of their axes, which admittedly lack crosshairs, but hey, it's a metaphor!).
“A few years ago, I impulsively emailed a Norwegian black metal label, criticizing their bands despite never having heard them, and suggested they sign my extremely extreme black metal band, Witch Taint, which didn't exist beyond the name,” Hill stated. “This email led to months of correspondence I never intended anyone to see. But the internet being what it is, it went viral. Now, beyond my wildest dreams, this story is my first comic book, Dark Regards, co-created with the amazing Artyom Topilin. If you don't read every issue, you're insane.”
Dark Regards #1 is priced at $4.99 and will be released on May 13, 2025.
For more exclusive comic book previews, check out the final issue of TMNT: The Last Ronin II and the Dark Knight Returns-inspired Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell.
