Writer – Marc Andreyko
Artist – Piotr Kowalski
Colours – Juan Manuel Tumburús
Letters – Ed Dukeshire

There are monsters in the world which is what creators Marc Andreyko and Piotr Kowalski would have the reader believe and suffice it to say, they do a good job of it in this new comic book take on Clive Barker’s masterpiece, Nightbreed. The story starts off in 1857 with Peloquin putting the hurt on some people in the swamp and soon jumps forward to 1945 to a whorehouse where a young senator likes a lady a little different from the norm, one who just happens to be Shuna-Sassi, the lady with the quills for those that do not know or cannot remember. More than anything, this issue is a book that sets up the status quo, not necessarily for what is to come during future storylines though it does indeed do that, essentially introducing the reader to these monsters who share the planet with humankind. Where it is going is unknown at this point and that is perfectly fine as it captures the imagination and leaves it on a bit of a cliff-hanger, making readers wonder just what is going to happen next. Andreyko does a great job of doing this and injects the story with a lot of action and suspense, the horror in the swamp present and accounted for, though whether that comes from the creatures or from the men who are present is for the reader to decide. Kowalski who handles the art does some fantastic work and both Shuna-Sassi and Peloquin look very similar to their movie counterparts which is a good thing for those that might have only seen the film, giving them something to latch onto with this book’s publication. As the story switches between time periods it will be interesting to see if the events chronicled in these disparate times meet up and if one tale indeed has anything to do with the other. With Nightbreed, there are definitely endless possibilities for stories and this book looks like it is off to a good start with this first issue under the helm of Andreyko and Kowalski.

4 out of 5