My Rating
“Werewolf By Night”
High above the Rocky Mountains, monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone is in free fall toward the jagged peaks below. She cocks her head back to watch a small private jet filled with vampire corpses veer wildly out of control. Within seconds, Elsa pulls the ripcord on her parachute. One violent jolt later, the nylon canopy expands above her, slowing her descent. A smile crosses her face as the monster hunter floats toward a Bavarian-style castle sprawled across the mountaintop. It’s time to play “rescue the damsel.”
Outside the castle grounds, the darkness conceals another monster racing toward the southern curtain wall. With one superhuman leap, the King of Werewolves digs his claws deep into the freshly laid masonry. Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night, begins scaling the massive wall toward the battlements. Even from this distance, Jack’s heightened sense of smell has detected the girl he came here to save. Unfortunately, she isn’t alone. Doktor Nekromantik’s shadowform monsters always carry the unmistakable stench of sulfur. There’s no hiding from the Werewolf tonight!
Will Elsa Bloodstone or Jack Russell find the missing Colorado girl before the clock strikes midnight? Who is the sinister warlock known as Doktor Nekromantik? In what dimension lies the legendary realm of the Suffering Wastes? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Notes
Jack is back, and this time he’s in classic werewolf form! Sorry, Beer Wolf, but I prefer the Universal Studios Wolf Man version of the character. I don’t think I’ve encountered Fran Galán’s artwork before, but his style fits the monster themes of Werewolf by Night perfectly. There’s something very Guillermo del Toro-esque about the creatures, Gothic architecture, and overall atmosphere of this issue. If you’re going to give me Jack Russell fighting supernatural monsters inside a creepy castle, this is exactly how I want it to look.
I also really like the use of color throughout the book. The story opens in monochrome, immediately reminding me of Marvel Studios’ Werewolf by Night special, before transitioning between black-and-white sequences and full-color pages. It’s a simple gimmick, but visually it gives the comic its own personality. Really nice job on this one, Marvel. I appreciate something different for a change.
I did find it kind of odd that Jack and Elsa knew Nekromantik was a powerful warlock, yet neither one thought about bringing along somebody who specializes in the mystic arts. You would think Doctor Strange would have at least gotten a courtesy call. What about the Agents of W.A.N.D.? Nope! I guess Jack and Elsa prefer taking the hard route. Then again, watching a werewolf and a heavily armed monster hunter storm a supernatural castle is probably more entertaining anyway.
As a longtime fan of Werewolf by Night, I really enjoyed this one. The combination of classic monsters, Gothic horror, supernatural action, and Fran Galán’s artwork gives the book exactly the atmosphere I want from a Jack Russell story. If Marvel ever gives Werewolf by Night another full ongoing series, I hope they consider keeping this creative combination together. I give Werewolf by Night #1 four out of five stars. Werewolves 4 life!