For those not familiar with the subculture of Black Metal music, the word “kvlt” gets tossed around a lot. The word means holding true to the subculture, living a life that reflects it. So for example, wearing bright colors and collecting Barbie memorabilia wouldn’t qualify as being “kvlt” for a Black Metal aficionado. The word’s used pretty frequently in Dark Regards #1, written by Dave Hill with art by Artyom Topilin and Colors by Brittany Peer, which tells the story of Dave Hill (AKA Lance the King of Black Metal and 500 Other Things Most People Can’t Handle) forming the infamous black metal band Witch Taint.
Dave’s a struggling standup comedian and perpetual loser but always keeps his optimism high. He reminds me of Johnny Depp’s Ed Wood, the kind of guy who’d have a million people tell him he’s awful and has no talent and he’d respond back with “So you think I should give it another try? Thanks guys!”. His optimism and enthusiasm are fun, but his total disregard for his roommate throughout the story doesn’t win him any points. Honestly, if I had a roommate like him, I’d constantly have to resist the urge to pull a Courtney Love move, grabbing his guitar and smashing it over his head. After one especially bad day, Dave goes to a record store and hears his first black metal song, instantly making him an obsessive fan and altering the course of his life.
Oni Press
As I read the issue, I feel writer Dave Hill was shooting for a “Ghostbusters” style comedy tale, mixing the supernatural with the hilarious and injecting some horror in the mix. Unfortunately, most of the comic bits fall flat, especially whenever we drop in on a European black metal band who follows Dave on social media and gets increasingly enraged by him referring to himself as “The King of Black Metal”. These four are neither threatening nor funny. They’re like Eric Von Zipper and his motorcycle gang from the 1960s Frankie and Annette Beach films, a groan-inducing group who popped up in those films as the audience counted the seconds until they left.
On the positive side, I like how the story conveyed the elation you feel when you discover something new that you love. Unless you’re the most stick-in-the-mud person ever, I think we all go overboard when we lock into a new hobby. When I first discovered comic books at 9 years old, not only did I take my allowance that I’d saved for months and bought every comic in sight, I also raided my older brother’s cash too. Sure, he gave me a punch to the solar plexus that made me barf up some Skittles, but it was worth it to pour through a dozen comics filled to the brim with action and adventure.
Dave’s enthusiasm for Black Metal and going all-in on it is infectious and it makes the reader want to see how it all plays out with Witch Taint.
Artyom Topilin’s art is a great match for the story, reminding me of a bit of Darwyn Cooke’s style. It has the sketchy, old-fashioned look of Darwyn’s work but with a more sinister edge. The characters always seem off somehow, as if they don’t fit in this reality but in some dark alternate dimension.
Fans of black metal will love the book, but everyone else may want to proceed with caution.
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