First published back in March of 1991, issue eight of Epic Comics’ serial adaptation of Clive Barker’s ‘Nightbreed’ sported the subtitle ‘The Blasphemers Part Three – “Light Me, A Candle” Said Flesh To The Flame’.
The first four issues of the ‘Nightbreed’ comics closely followed the storyline of the film, only slightly veering away from it with minor details. The twenty-one issues that followed these merely continued on with the Nightbreed legacy – creating a whole new spin-off storyline that would eventually bring in aspects from some of Barker’s other work.
DLS Synopsis:
What Father John Tiernan saw in his chapel was enough to make his god-fearing blood boil. Blasphemy on a scale that he’d never before witnessed. And performing this sacrilege was a supposed man of the cloth. Father Ashberry was clearly no longer of sound mind. And the man by his side in this blasphemous ritual was clearly after something. And indeed he was. Eigerman knew that Asbberry would eventually lead him to the breed.
Meanwhile, Ritegrig was loading-up on weapons for the big fight. He’d met up with a contact named Stanley who could get him some serious firepower. But Stanley wanted more than just Ritegrig’s cash. He wanted a piece of the action. He wanted to taste blood again. However what he wasn’t expecting, was the company that Ritegrig was now keeping.
Elsewhere, Boone and his companions had holed-up at Nickneven’s old shack once again. But what the wizened old crone had cooking was far from something that even nightbreed would be willing to consume. However, out there in the world of the naturals, their kind haven’t exactly got a look that will go unnoticed. So getting provisions takes a little more forward thinking than just popping out.
It appears that things are beginning to come together for the nightbreed in their post-Midian world…
DLS Review:
After the gathering momentum that was seen in the last issue, hopes were undoubtedly high for a complete return to form for issue eight. Sadly, and quite surprisingly, writer Daniel Chichester has taken his foot off the accelerator and instead delivered an instalment that actually offers very little to the story as a whole.
In fact, the entire issue feels like a bit of a filler that’s been sandwiched between two plot-building instalments. So little happens in this issue that you can’t help but feel somewhat perplexed by the lack of any plot development within it. Almost everything that occurs seems incidental. It’s all pretty much just buffering and so very little else.
If you thought there’d at least be some action, or some nightbreed style horror, then sadly you’re in for another disappointment. But what we do have instead is (hopefully) the final piece in the jigsaw for establishing the characters, their positions in the developing storyline, and where each group is going to go from here. As such, the next instalment is surely going to be an absolute blinder.
Outside of this relatively piss-poor excuse for the continuation of the Nightbreed story, the artwork in the comic is all pretty darn good. In particular, the early frames involving our favourite fallen priest have some wonderfully creepy depictions of Father Ashberry in all his ghastly glory. But at the end of the day a few well drawn frames can’t save an otherwise weak and uninspiring instalment.
The comic runs for a total of 28 pages.
© DLS Reviews
