Dark Regards

Comedian Hill’s comics debut, with art by Topilin (I Hate This Place), conjures a joyfully hellish celebration of heavy metal music that blends autobiographical storytelling, infernal battle-of-the-bands fantasy, and goofy horror comedy. In 2004, Hill invented a “Satan-y” band called Witch Taint for a prank in which he emailed real Norwegian black metal bands (calling himself “Lance the King of Black Metal”) and accused them of insufficient “extremity.” The comic re-imagines that viral lark as an exaggerated fiction in which one of the bands, led by chagrined ghoul Lucifuge, “the most feared man in all of Norway” (or so he claims), confronts Witch Taint at a Satanic ritual space (with wine tasting) in Gary, Ind. The ensuing tale is rife with beastly rock gods and horned demon lords, who, in Topilin’s wickedly fun rendering, prove both menacing and hilarious. The strongest material centers Hill’s personal fandom, from his discovery of the genre via a gatekeeping record store clerk to his relatable efforts at a metal god makeover (“Do you have corpse paint?” he asks an employee at Planet Makeup). Hill’s lovingly parodic band names (Viking Colon, Misery Buffet) match Topilin’s gleeful depictions of the vital catharsis of rocking out. Less assured is the busy, sometimes wordy second half, as rote, supervillain-style conflict erupts between bands. Still, metal lovers with a sense of humor will find much to enjoy. (Mar.)