NIGHTWORLD #1 Review

Nightworld #1 is an odd title, but its weirdness is a benefit. The title aims to achieve something between old-school horror and modern story telling. Some how or another, it is succeeding.

The official description from Image:

Sad demon Plenilunio rules a haunted castle with his sleepwalking lover Lidia, and unwisely bargains with the evil Empyre to wake her. He’s in a race for the mystic Soul Key with teen-from-hades Hotspot and the ruthless Hellena— agents of the Empyre with secret agendas. A four-part thrill ride to hell starts here, with humor, horror, tragic romance, and blockbuster monster fights, from the cult-hit team of ADAM McGOVERN & PAOLO LEANDRI

When most four-part mini series start, I expect the first issue to be a simple plot opener. Nightworld #1, however, prefers to set the tone. The issue starts slowly but quickly jumps into various aspects of the setting, even if the plot itself does suffer a little. Still, this seems to be part of its charm as the general sense of confusion and mystery plays very well with the various other themes at work here.

The story by Paolo Leandri and Adam Mcgovern channels a little Edgar Allen Poe, The Phanton of the Opera and a general superhero vibe, while the plot itself sounds not unlike Spawn. As these titles suggest, Leandri and Mcgovern are bordering on the gothic without going overboard. The dialogue itself feels very elegant and old fashioned – while this makes it harder to understand, it adds a certain weight to the dialogue and narration.

Visually, however, the art takes a different turn. While they still apply the slight gothic aesthetics, Paolo Leandri and Dom Regan also make the comic look very retro. The art style has big, loose lines and flat colors, helping to make it look older than it is. While I enjoy this take, the title can be mistaken for an older story, often betraying the more updated, sophisticated writing at work. It’s also very blue.

All in all, this could be a fun little mini series if Nightworld #1 is anything to go by. Be sure to keep an eye out for the next few issues if this is your thing.