My Rating
“The Gatherers”
Sergeant Jim Duffy Jr. of the Hilton Head Island Police Department has just arrived at the marina in response to a 911 dispatch call when his squad car headlights illuminate something horrifying in the surf. A man is attempting to drown a young woman.
The small South Carolina community has certainly seen its share of violent crime, but a possible serial killer is something well above Jim’s pay grade. Worse yet, he is only days away from retirement. The last thing Duffy needs is a scene like this complicating his carefully planned exit from law enforcement.
Too late to worry about that now.
Jim bursts through the driver’s-side door and draws his Beretta. Whoever this lunatic is, he must be stopped before the young woman disappears beneath the waves for good.
Two Hours Later
The victim lies inside a hospital room, alive but severely traumatized. Doctors and nurses can barely get her name through the frantic ramblings about being abducted and sexually assaulted by hideous horned creatures.
Her name is Zoe Davis.
Jim enters the room as nurses prepare Zoe for another round of blood work. The story doesn’t make any sense, but Duffy saw enough at the marina to know something unusual is going on. Now it is his turn to question Zoe about the “monsters.”
Something tells me retirement is going to have to wait.
Elsewhere
In a remote section of Georgetown, Washington, D.C., a brisk chill settles around an old Victorian mansion hidden away from the main roads.
Wintersgate Manor.
Inside, an eccentric-looking gentleman in his late fifties sits behind an eighteenth-century Rococo desk. A massive, ancient tome lies open before him as Baron Winters searches its pages for answers.
This time, there are none.
The Baron’s mood darkens. He rises from the desk and walks toward the fireplace, hoping the flames will help focus his thoughts. From somewhere in the corner of the library comes a low growl of recognition.
Merlin.
The Baron’s African leopard lounges nearby, watching his master with considerably more intelligence than any ordinary feline should possess. Then again, Merlin has never been an ordinary leopard. He is Baron Winters’ companion, confidant, and perhaps the only creature Winters truly trusts.
The Baron turns toward his old friend.
“Do you think my Night Force is ready?”
Here we go again.
Who are the horned creatures haunting Zoe Davis’ memories? Is her horrifying story the result of trauma, or did something supernatural really happen to her? How do Jim and Zoe suddenly find themselves transported from a hospital doorway to an empty conservatory inside Wintersgate Manor? Why are two FBI agents lying about the location of their home office?
And what exactly does Baron Winters have planned for his newest recruits?
Collect the series to find out!
Review
Opening Night Force Volume 3 is like covering up with an old, comfortable blanket. After reading the original 1982 series and then working my way through the 1996–1997 second volume, it is nice to discover that some things haven’t changed. Baron Winters is still sitting inside Wintersgate Manor manipulating events from the shadows, and Merlin the leopard remains his mysterious partner in crime.
But I still have questions!
What exactly is Baron Winters? Is he an ancient wizard? An immortal? A ghost? Is he somehow trapped inside the supernatural jail cell known as Wintersgate Manor? And what exactly is Merlin? Three volumes into Night Force, and these two still generate more questions than answers. Maybe this time Wolfman will finally throw us a bone.
This introductory issue wastes no time dropping readers into another supernatural mystery. Is Zoe just cray-cray, or was she really kidnapped and assaulted by horned demon-monsters? Why are federal agents suddenly sniffing around? How does Jim Duffy fit into all of this?
Welcome back to the Marv Wolfman school of storytelling.
The basic structure of Night Force also appears to remain intact. Baron Winters discovers some horrible supernatural mystery, assembles a collection of random people who have absolutely no idea what they are getting themselves into, and then sends his team of randos out to do the heavy lifting.
Side note: one of them usually dies.
Or do all of them die?
I can’t remember.
Either way, it probably isn’t a good idea to accept a job offer from Baron Winters.
I’m giving Night Force Vol. 3 #1 four out of five stars. I’m keeping my expectations set to low voltage after Volume 2, but this is a promising start. More than anything, I want Wolfman to finally dig into Baron Winters himself. Give me the history of Wintersgate Manor. Give me Merlin’s story. Tell me what the Baron really is and why he has spent all these years assembling different versions of the Night Force.
Three volumes later, I think we’ve earned a few answers.
I guess I’ll find out.