Dark Regards Is a Comic With a Truly Ludicrous Back-Story

Dark Regards is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing indie comics 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.

Browse the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive look inside the new series. Fair warning: contains 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 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 in the New York comedy scene, where being laughed at is the goal, not a 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 fantasy. When internet rumors of Witch Taint—a band "so extreme that you must remove all sharp objects" when their music plays—reach Europe, his story spirals wildly out of control as Norway's most extreme black metal musicians seek revenge, targeting everything and everyone dear to Dave.

“A few years ago, I impulsively emailed a Norwegian black metal record label, criticizing their bands despite never listening to them, and suggested they sign my extremely extreme black metal band, Witch Taint, which didn't even exist,” said Hill. “This led to months of correspondence I never intended anyone to see. But the internet being the internet, it went viral. Now, this story is 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.