REVIEW: ‘Werewolf By Night’ Issue #1

Werewolf by Night #1 by Marvel, written by Derek Landy, art and colors by Fran Galan and letters by Joe Sabino. Werewolf By Night and Elsa Bloodstone descend on an old castle, where a young girl has been kidnapped to be used in a ritual.

This is a brilliant one-shot, with a plot that includes both of the main characters. The opening sets the structure up to alternate between the two, both approaching from very different means, but they very quickly join forces and spend the rest of the issue next to each other. Landy wastes little time, unleashing something huge early in the story. The rapid pace forces the heroes to react quickly and instinctively. The action is near-constant and the momentum is high from start to finish. It creates a fun tone that never dips even when innocent lives are at stake. The horror elements has humor and enthusiasm but never looses focus in the storytelling. The writer uses misdirection at several points, betraying the betrayals and ensuring that it’s never easy to know where the story is going. 

The characters and the narration are superb. Both Elsa and Jack Russell narrate, often playing off one another in their thoughts with contrasting opinions. The two have history, and that is toyed with throughout the issue. The flirtatious energy between the duo is what lightens the comic and never gets old. The dialogue within the word balloons is excellent as well, revealing less than the captions do but used for exposition. The villains bragging and posturing are menacing and wonderfully melodramatic. Mannerisms that mimic someone like Count Dracula are purposefully corny. Every line in this comic is funny or effective. 

The art is fascinating, seemingly created using pastels or a brush with broad strokes. This is used to create the texture of fur on Werewolf by Night, or the shadow creatures, or tentacles with weight and power. Both of the heroes look amazing and beautifully expressive. Every design seems different and carefully considered, especially the villains. The shadow creatures are phenomenal and individualistic  but part of one mass at the same time. The speed of the action is matched through the art, with some of the dramatic reactions intensifying the ridiculous nature of the situations. 

The colors are creative and distinctive, seeking inspiration from the Werewolf by Night live-action special. Most of the comic, including Jack, are in black and white. It gives the monsters a haunting quality. But Elsa is in color, to show off that brilliant orange that she is so famous for. There are inclusions of color added, seen in the eyes of the shadow creatures and occasional uses of powers. And the final scene is in full color, lifting the comic out of its darkness. The lettering is superb, with each set of caption boxes color-coded to keep track of which character they are representing.

Werewolf By Night #1 is a wonderful Halloween one-shot. It’s delightfully hilarious and brimming with fun, with action on every single page and not a dull moment. Derek Landy’s legacy of horror stories with this level of energy is recreated here. The two ex-lovers bounce off each other perfectly in a story that doesn’t slow down. The art style is memorable and inventive. However, the release date could damage the promotion and effectiveness of the comic. It’s over six weeks before Halloween, meaning it doesn’t fully line up with the holiday, which doesn’t always bode well for special issues like this one.

Werewolf By Night #1 is available where comics are sold.