Review: Clive Barker’s Nightbreed Vol. 1
Comic Review
Clive Barker’s Nightbreed Vol. 1
Writer: Marc Andreyko
Artist: Piotr Kowalski
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Street: 05.26
To horrorphiles like yours truly, Clive Barker is an absolute god. His hand, both on the page and behind the camera, has given us such brilliance as Hellraiser, Lord of Illusions, The Midnight Meat Train and, of course, Nightbreed, a tale which writer Marc Andreyko (Wonder Woman ’77) and artist Piotr Kowalski (The Dark Tower) add to with this collection. In it, we are treated to an expanded look at a number of the twisted monsters’ pasts, especially that of Aaron Boone, as they all begin to gather in Midian. The 100-page book, which covers the series’ first four issues, is brilliantly paced with a good mix of blood, drama and sex. Kowalski’s art is consistently eye-catching but never overpowers what is going on on the page. The only drawback was the dialogue, which could, at times, be downright terrible. Look, I know that the spirit of Barker’s work leaves plenty of room for camp, but when then hippy chick announces, “This is gonna be fuckin’ groovy,” just before sex, I couldn’t help but to roll my eyes. But don’t let the rare, silly line give you pause. This book is a rush of blood for Barker fans. –Blake Leszczynski