"Dark Regards: A Comic's Outrageous Origin Story"

Dark Regards is undoubtedly one of the most captivating new indie comics to hit the scene in recent times. Its backstory is as wild and unpredictable as the comic itself, and now you can dive into the chaos with our exclusive preview of Dark Regards #1.

Explore the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive sneak peek into the series, but be warned—there's some NSFW language ahead!

Oni Press' Dark Regards #1: Preview Gallery

13 Images

Dark Regards is the brainchild of the multifaceted comedian, writer, and musician Dave Hill, collaborating with artist Artyom Topilin, known for his work on Cruel Universe and I Hate This Place. This four-issue series draws inspiration from Hill's own escapades as he forms the fictional Satanic metal band, Witch Taint, and the ensuing whirlwind of chaos.

Here's Oni Press' official synopsis of the series:

Two decades ago, Dave Hill and his first band set out to rock their high school auditorium with a fury of heavy metal hellfire. They failed miserably. Years later, Dave has carved out a new life for himself as a rising star in the New York comedy scene—where getting laughed at on stage is the goal, not just a tragic outcome. But when Dave's metal ambitions are reignited by the über self-serious, "Satanic" genre of Norwegian black metal, he creates a hilariously hyperbolic alter ego and a band to match, reigniting the spark of his forgotten rock 'n roll fantasy. But when Dave's internet-fueled rumors about Witch Taint—a metal band "so extreme that you must remove all sharp objects from the immediate area" when their music is played—spread all the way to Europe, his story spirals dangerously out of control. Norway's most extreme black metal butchers come to reap their revenge, putting everything and everyone Dave holds dear in the crosshairs (of their axes, which, truth be told, don't actually have crosshairs, but hey, it's a metaphor).

In a statement, Hill shared the origin of Dark Regards: “A few years back, I sat down in my underwear late one night and decided to let my obsession with Norwegian black metal run wild by emailing a Norwegian black metal record label, telling them all the bands on their label sucked despite the fact that I had never listened to any of them, and suggesting they sign my extremely extreme black metal band Witch Taint, which had yet to record any music and didn't even exist beyond the band name I'd just made up on the spot. This first email led to months of correspondence with the record label that I never intended for anyone to see. But the Internet being the Internet, eventually a lot of people saw it and things got nuts. Now, beyond my wildest dreams, this story has become my first comic book series, Dark Regards, written by me and illustrated by the amazing Artyom Topilin. If you don't devour every single issue, you are basically insane.”

Dark Regards #1 is priced at $4.99 and will be released 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.