First published back in July of 1991, issue ten of Epic Comics’ serial adaptation of Clive Barker’s ‘Nightbreed’ sported the subtitle ‘The Blasphemers Part Five – A Sale On Salvation In Aisle 4…’.
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.
This issue formed the fifth and final instalment in the ‘The Blasphemers’ story.
DLS Synopsis:
With Lori playing her haunting song of the dead, the rotting remains of the animals and beasts that lay below the ground rise up and overwhelm Ritegrieg and Mulciber and his gang of blasphemers. But the reprieve that these undead creatures bring to Boone and his companions is only short lived and before long the blasphemers are at their heels again.
Racing off into the dead of the night in Nickneven’s beat-up old wreck of a truck, Boone and his gang know that, this won’t have been the last they’ll see of Mulciber and Ritegrieg. And with Mulciber and his followers continuing in their blasphemous belief that Boone’s death will allow them to pursue existences of flesh-eating sin, they will undoubtedly be very close behind them.
But Boone has an idea that might just finish this off once and for all. Knowing Lori’s abilities at raising the dead beasts from below the ground, Boone’s band of loyal nightbreed head-off to Macy’s shopping mall where the battle can finally play out to the bitter end.
And end it shall…
DLS Review:
Get in there! Action, monstrous nightbreed mayhem, unholy raising of the dead, and utterly over-the-top devastation. Writer Daniel Chichester has well and truly raised the bar in these Nightbreed comics. In fact, in this final instalment in the ‘The Blasphemers’ story, Chichester has pulled out all the stops in order to deliver a constant barrage of monster madness from the adrenaline-pumping start to the truly outrageous end.
From Nickneven’s isolated woodland backdrop to the consumers’ haven of a late-night shopping mall, Chichester utilises two wonderfully contrasting settings to hold his final conflicts between the two groups of the nightbreed.
The inclusion of Mulciber’s own backstory gives an interesting last-minute insight into who and what created this vicious and unruly beast. Although given a slightly longer backstory than those in Boone’s group, Mulciber’s tale is actually somewhat underwhelming considering the circumstances. As such, this one section of the comic is perhaps the weakest – but at least it gives the vengeful antagonist a final whisper of a background and depth.
The finale itself is as explosive and excessive as you’d hope it would be. If you want completely over-the-top devastation, then trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Outside of the story, Brett Blevins and Ricardo Villagran do an absolutely sterling job with the artwork throughout the comic. Strong detailed pen work and a consistent attention to detail makes for complete comic book eye-candy. Unfortunately the colouring of Joe Chiodo is decidedly slap-dash in places. In particular in a number of the earlier frames his reasonably shoddy colouring really lets down the otherwise superb artwork.
But all in all this is nothing short of a triumphant instalment into the nightbreed comic series and one hell of a way to end the sub-story surrounding Mulciber and his blasphemous gang.
This issue also includes the first of the ‘Breeding Ground’ pages in which the creators detail their plans for this new one-page addition to the comics.
The comic runs for a total of 28 pages (plus an additional page for the ‘Breeding Ground’).
© DLS Reviews
