Nightbreed’s cover really freaks me out this week. If you are reading this review then you know that it is scary. I also have no idea what it is about, so dive in to find out. Boone gets introduced to more of the monsters inside Midian. We keep hearing stories but never really meet any of the inhabitants of this monstrous palace. Lude came in last week, but again we didn’t see much of him. Now he is back with Boone to tell a monster tale. It would be nice to get a story from a different perspective, but right before we get into, what I would presume a story about Lude, Annastasjia walks in. Boone recognizes her for being a famous actress he and his grandmother would admire. She seems like a take-charge kind of lady, so when she enters the room everyone shut ups. It seems like Lude and probably some other monsters get annoyed with her presence, but since we only just met her, her intrigue gets the best of us.
She takes us back to 1926 Hollywood. She is on the set of a movie, but just when we get into this spoiled actress’ story, Lude steps in to tell a better tale. Now we are in 1642 in the Black Forest. So the comic flip-flops between the two stories. I am sure you have noticed how Nightbreed does this a lot. We never just get introduced to one monster, but instead it is always being played with another’s story. I enjoy the layering because the reader can never get bored with one story. We are always jumping and always having to know the fine details in order to keep up.
Annastasjia takes us on a tale that you didn’t quite see happening. At first, you think her tale is of beauty and acceptance from her peers and herself. She wants a lot of things, but the thing she wants most could end her. The only hint I will give is that the cover has to do with her. Then we met Lude at conception in his tale. His story doesn’t really end, so I am wondering if he has more or if again it is a story of acceptance from his mother and from the conception.
Nightbreed has been a weird comic, but this issue truly creeped me out. It was the first of many I am sure. If you have been waiting for the comic to come along and slap some ugly monsters into your face, and not just physically but mentally, then this is the issue you have been waiting for. This goes from strange to downright creepy in these tales. So check out Nightbreed if you want a good scare.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Marc Andreyko Artist: Piotr Kowalski & Emmanuel Xerx Javier Publisher: BOOM! Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 9/24/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital