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, and 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 chaos.
Here's Oni Press' official description:
Two decades ago, Dave Hill and his first band attempted to rock their high school auditorium in a blaze of heavy metal glory. They failed spectacularly. Years later, Dave has carved a successful niche for himself in the New York comedy scene—a career where on-stage heckling is the norm, not a tragic byproduct. But when Dave's metal aspirations are rekindled by the intensely serious world of Norwegian black metal, he creates a ridiculously over-the-top alter ego and a band to match, reigniting his dormant rock 'n' roll fantasies. However, when internet rumors of Witch Taint—a metal band "so extreme that you must remove all sharp objects from the immediate area" when their music plays—reach Europe, his story takes a dangerous turn. Norway's most extreme black metal musicians arrive to seek revenge, putting everything and everyone Dave holds dear in their crosshairs (of their axes, which, admittedly, lack crosshairs, but it's a metaphor!).
"A few years ago, I impulsively emailed a Norwegian black metal record label late one night, criticizing their bands despite never having heard them and suggesting they sign my extremely extreme black metal band, Witch Taint, which didn't exist beyond the name I'd just invented," Hill stated. "This initial email sparked months of correspondence I never intended for anyone to see. But the internet being what it is, it went viral. Now, beyond my wildest expectations, this story has become my first comic book series, Dark Regards, illustrated by 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.
