DC Announces More Before Watchmen

With Before Watchmen climbing up the comic book sales charts, it's no surprise that DC Comics has unveiled plans for yet another Before Watchmen mini-series -- this time focusing on that creepy old baddie, Moloch. The announcement was made at DC's All Access panel at Fan Expo Toronto.

Before Watchmen: Moloch will only run two issues, written by Nite Owl and Dr. Manhattan scribe J. Michael Straczynski, with art by 100 Bullets' Eduardo Risso. Moloch #1 will hit on November 7 with issue #2 to follow on December 26. It's unknown if the series will include pieces of the Crimson Corsair back-up stories that have been running throughout the Before Watchmen titles.

Moloch has made appearances in other Before Watchmen books thus far, including Comedian and Ozymandias. Could there be more Before Watchmen on the way?

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

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The Huntress is Coming to Arrow

Arrow is gaining yet another DC Comics character. EW.com reveals that the new CW series, based on Green Arrow, will be introducing Helena Bertinelli, AKA The Huntress, for a multi-episode story arc. Australian actress Jessica De Gouw will play the character, who will be introduced as a vigilante and a potential love interest for Oliver Queen.

The official character description says Helena is “set on destroying her father’s organized crime empire. But Helena’s blind pursuit of revenge will put her on a collision course with the Arrow.”

Jessica De Gouw will play The Huntress in Arrow

EW says Huntress will likely first be seen in the sixth episode of Arrow, on the heels of the introductions of China White, Deadshot and the mysterious character played by Torchwood’s John Barrowman.

The Huntress was previously played by Ashley Scott in the TV series Birds of Prey.

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Doctor Who, Hellraiser Comics Find New Blood

Last year, Image Comics launched a great new series called Witch Doctor, which we adored here at IGN Comics. Now, Witch Doctor scribe Brandon Seifert is prepping the second volume of the series alongside tackling the comic book adventures of some iconic genre franchises: Clive Barker's Hellraiser and Doctor Who. We caught up with him to see what he's unleashing on us this fall.

IGN Comics: First, congrats on all the new work. We’ll talk about this again closer to release, but what’s the status of the next volume of Witch Doctor?

Brandon Seifert: Witch Doctor: Mal Practice #1 (of 6) goes on sale November 28! I’m excited to finally be back — it’s been a little while since we did Vol. 1, but we wanted to make sure to “come correct” on this. So the whole mini-series is already written, and issues #1-3 were all drawn before we even announced the release date!

IGN: That's great to hear. Now, how did the Hellraiser and Doctor Who gigs come about?

Seifert: If we’re going to be perfectly honest, they came about because of Allison Baker — the co-publisher of MonkeyBrain Comics, and wife of writer Chris Roberson. Allison and Chris have always been super supportive of me and my work. Chris has written for both BOOM! and IDW, and Allison put in a good word for me at both of those companies. In the case of BOOM!, it led to them offering me a writing gig on the Hellraiser Annual that came out in April. In IDW’s case, I got in touch with them about something unrelated — and found out that Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall had read Witch Doctor and thought my handling of that eccentric doctor character and his weird sci-fi adventures would translate well into me doing something on Doctor Who. And it so happened that I’d already pitched some ideas to Who editor Denton Tipton a few months before, because Doctor Who is one of my favorite things ever!

So — Allison, thanks again!

IGN: I’ll admit that I’m not a Hellraiser fan. Like, at all. So to that end, what would you tell someone like me – who loves your work on Witch Doctor – is a reason to pick up Hellraiser?

Seifert: I feel like the Hellraiser comics are very different from the movies. The movies are very self-contained, like horror movies tend to be — they have to be, if they’re going to give you any real sense of peril for the characters. When you’ve got a horror franchise that’s based on a hero rather than a villain, like Scream or something, that’s different because you’ve got a protagonist who you can reasonably expect is going to survive the movie — because they’re survived the past ones. The Hellraiser films aren’t like that.

But the comic series is about both the villain — Pinhead — and about the heroine — Kirsty Cotton. Kirsty’s been the heroine throughout the comic series — which kind of makes it less of a straight-up horror story, and more of a multi-genre piece. The Hellraiser comics have horror, but they’ve also got action and drama — same as Witch Doctor. So when I sit down and write a Hellraiser comic set in this universe, I’d argue it’s honestly more like Witch Doctor than like a Hellraiser film — although without the sci-fi element, and with way less humor.

As a writer, I like exploring the ramifications of things. In Witch Doctor, that shows up as we examine classic monsters you feel like you know, but then reveal there’s lots more going on with them than you expect, and it’s all tied into the darkest corners of real-world biology. In Hellraiser: The Road Below, I’m doing the same kind of exploration, but it’s with Kirsty Cotton, the choices she’s made and the power she now has.

IGN: What’s the general plot of Hellraiser: The Road Below?

Seifert: In the last couple years of the Hellraiser ongoing comic, Kirsty Cotton has gone from being the “final girl” of the first two movies, to being a Cenobite-hunter — and now, to being a Cenobite herself! Pinhead stepped down — and convinced her to become his replacement, so she could “change the system from the inside.” But when Kirsty became the new Pinhead, she realized that if Hell is evil, it’s a necessary evil.

Hellraiser: The Road Below is a sort of “year one” story, picking up really early in Kirsty’s time as the new Pinhead. This is Kirsty still really committed to carrying out Hell’s work, catching the people who deserve to be punished and bringing them back to Hell. She’s really convinced she’s doing something good for the universe... but there’s ramifications for her actions she’s not expecting. And when she’s summoned by a frightened mother who wanted to make a deal with a devil to save her child from a blood feud that’s almost wiped out their family, Kirsty’s going to learn just how true that whole thing about Hell and good intentions is!

IGN: While I’m not one of them, Hellraiser has a very passionate fanbase. How do you balance bringing your own vision to the story while staying true to what the fans want/expect from a Hellraiser story?

Seifert: That’s honestly hard, because I can’t really guess what Hellraiser fans “want,” and it’s easy to second-guess myself if I start doing that. At the end of the day, with Hellraiser or anything else, the only thing I can do is make sure I’m telling a story that I want to tell, and a story that I, as a reader and fan, want to read. And I’m doing stuff in The Road Below that I’ve wanted to read since I first got into Clive Barker back in high school — so I think that part is going well!

IGN: How involved is Clive Barker in the ongoing work of the Hellraiser comics?

Seifert: Hellraiser is definitely still Clive’s baby, and even in Hellraiser books like The Road Below that he’s not actually co-writing, he’s still there behind the scenes reading and vetting everything, and bringing things back onto the track he wants them on if they wander off it. And the ongoing Hellraiser title — that’s Clive. He’s co-writing it, and the other people he brings on are there to help implement his vision for the world and the characters.

IGN: Which Hellraiser movie is your favorite and why?

Seifert: I think the first one is still pretty unmatched — but I’ve got a lot of affinity for Hellbound: Hellraiser 2. This is the one where you got to see Hell, where you got to see people turned into Cenobites and where you got to see the Cenobites’ god, Leviathan. That’s my jam, right there. One of my favorite things about Clive’s work, the thing I found more inspiring when I got super-into his writing when I was in high school and my brain was all squishy and influence-able, was his worldbuilding and the scope of his vision.

The original Hellraiser is great, and it’s definitely the scariest movie in the series — but it doesn’t have the scope or the depth of Hellbound. Hellbound actually gets into the world of the Cenobites, who they are, where they come from and what they do — and that’s the sort of thing that interests me, as a fan and a writer.

Head over to Page 2 for some Doctor Who and Witch Doctor goodness!

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Comic Book Reviews for 8/1/12

This week in comics: Avengers vs. X-Men gets its groove back, the Swamp Thing/Animal Man crossover begins, iZombie comes to a close at Vertigo, Deadpool kills the whole Marvel Universe, Marvel goes all "Before X-Men" with The First X-Men mini-series, and Hawkeye gets a brand new solo series.

DC COMICS

Action Comics #12

Written by Grant Morrison | Art by Various

"Grant Morrison recently confirmed that he won't be continuing his Action Comics run beyond his initial 16-issue plan. That news casts a large shadow over issue #12. Like the rest of this story arc, there are both successes and missteps to be found, but the prevailing question now becomes 'How can Morrison properly wrap up such a wide-reaching story in a mere four issues?'" -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.0

Animal Man #12

Written by Jeff Lemire & Scott Snyder | Art by Steve Pugh

"With any episodic story there inevitably comes the 'recap' installment where the characters spend a majority of the issue reflecting on the past and little else. Luckily, Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder sidestep the painful parts of this necessary evil and add in just enough new content to set up for the long-brewing Rotworld storyline." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.5

Batwing #12

Written by Judd Winick | Art by Marcus To

"Hit the panic button, folks, because Batwing is officially in trouble. I get the idea. Really, I do. Justice League International could benefit from tapping into other books’ readerships. David Zavimbe is from Africa. Stick the JLI into Batwing, and both titles do better, right? Not really." -Poet

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

5.5

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #2

Written by J. Michael Straczynski | Art by Andy & Joe Kubert

"Aside from Silk Spectre, Nite Owl might be the Watchmen character best suited for an extended origin treatment. After all, Nite Owl is essentially equal parts Blue Beetle and Batman held together by a glue of sexual dysfunction. Unfortunately, issue #1 did too little to realize that potential, as it powered through Dan Dreiberg's early years and all the way up to his early team-ups with Rorschach. Where is there left for the series to go from there?" -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.5

Detective Comics #12

Written by Tony Daniel | Art by Tony Daniel

"Way to prove me wrong, Mr. Daniel. In my review for Detective Comics #11, I expressed my satisfaction with the depth given to Mr. Toxic. I was hopeful for a closer look at the emotions driving Mr. Toxic’s desperate quest in issue #12. I was expecting an open-ended portrait of a conflicted new villain. I was wrong." -Poet

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

4.5

Dial H #4

Written by China Mievelle | Art by Mateus Santolouco

"One of the goals of the New 52 relaunch was to offer more bold and unique series outside of the usual superhero crowd. For whatever faults it might have, Dial H is never guilty of being familiar or formulaic. If anything, its weirdness has been a hurdle to overcome. Luckily, China Mieville's opening arc has progressed to the point where it's easier to see past the surreal nature of the writing and appreciate the characters." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.5

Earth 2 #4

Written by James Robinson | Art by Nicola Scott & Eduardo Pansica

"The most alluring feature of Earth 2 is how it continues to build its unique world and introduce old characters in new ways. I never thought the Atom would win me over, but here I am rather impressed with his impactful debut. While there are a few other good moments in this issue, a lack of elegance in the transitions and dialog stop this from being the standout title it could be." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.0

G.I. Combat #4

Written by Various | Art by Various

"For better or worse, G.I. Combat #4 offers little change over the previous issues. The series is still you best outlet for man vs. dinosaur mayhem, and its revamped take on Unknown Soldier is becoming comfortably decent, if not spectacular. As far as whether this book has more long-term potential than Men of War, that still remains to be seen." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.0

iZombie #28

Written by Chris Roberson | Art by Mike Allred

"After just over two years, it’s time to say goodbye to Gwen, Spot, and the rest of the inhabitants of Eugene, Oregon. This issue marks the conclusion to iZombie, and rather surprisingly, Chris Roberson and Mike Allred manage to wrap up the many plot threads and deliver a satisfying, if bittersweet, end. Though the arc has felt somewhat truncated over the course of the last few issues, this installment takes its time to deliver the necessary send-off to the many characters we’ve come to love over the course of 28 issues." -Joey

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

8.0

Red Lanterns #12

Written by Peter Milligan | Art by Miguel Sepulveda

"This issue of Red Lanterns looks amazing thanks to Miguel Sepulveda’s incredible artwork along with Rain Beredo and Santi Arcas’s superb coloring, but Peter Milligan’s script is all over the place. He has a compelling story that has the characters in interesting situations -- Atrocitus faces his vengeful first Red Lantern and Bleez is tempted to become a Star Sapphire -- but his overdone dialog makes it an ungraceful affair. If anything, Milligan provides several large plot twists that bring the first year of Red Lantern stories to a mostly solid conclusion." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.0

Stormwatch #12

Written by Peter Milligan | Art by Will Conrad & Julio Ferreira

"When the New 52 revamp of Stormwatch was revealed, many fans questioned the purpose of including Martian Manhunter. Was this series anything more than a consolation prize for J'onn losing his Justice League founder status? Flash forward a year, and now the thought of J'onn leaving this quirky team is a depressing one. Issue #12 serves as a proper sendoff for the hero even as the book looks forward to the future." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

7.0

Swamp Thing #12

Written by Scott Snyder & Jeff Lemire | Art by Marco Rudy

"Forget Avengers vs. X-Men and forget Trinity War. The only crossover I’ve genuinely been looking forward to (post-Omega Effect, that is) is Rotworld. Animal Man #12 kicked off the prologue chapter that continues here in Swamp Thing #12, and the two issues rely on one another pretty heavily. If you’ve been reading both books, I would say Animal Man #12 is less important to the Rotworld story so far, though it does depict the first meeting of Buddy Baker and Alec Holland. Swampy #12, however, holds the fun stuff as we get to see just what kind of desperate scenario these two characters have gotten themselves into." -Joey

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

8.0

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