Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Comic Expo Special

      Dan Hill
      May 12, 2005
      The Panel
    Recent
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • Comictober 2020: DRACULA MOTHERF**KER

      Daniel Gehen
      October 27, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Collecting Profile: Ghost and Bill Foster

      Dan Hill
      July 6, 2019
      Big Two, Collectibles, Marvel Comics, Miscellaneous Comic Book Content
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Stan Lee

      nguyen ly
      November 7, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: A&A The Adventures of Archer and Armstrong #9

      Dan Hill
      November 2, 2016
      Indie, News, Previews, Valiant
    Recent
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • 4.5

      TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      October 29, 2020
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 4.0

      Comics Introspective: vol. 1: Peter Bagge

      Dan Hill
      September 19, 2007
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Off on a Tangent Part Two: Jamal Igle

      Dan Hill
      February 21, 2008
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade: Tim Tyler's Luck

      Dan Hill
      November 21, 2013
      Classic Comics Cavalcade, Columns
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Kickstarter Spotlight: End of Days: Scorched Earth

      Dan Hill
      March 20, 2015
      Kickstarter Spotlight, News
    Recent
    • 2020 Ringo Awards Winners Announced

      Daniel Gehen
      October 26, 2020
    • BAD IDEA Announces 2021 Publishing Slate

      Daniel Gehen
      September 29, 2020
    • A Full Replay of NCSFest 2020 is now Available

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2020
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'Machete Squad' is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Dan Hill
      July 31, 2018
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: If I win Powerball, I will buy Amazing Fantasy 15
  • DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)
  • Collecting Profile: Batwoman
  • Collecting Profile: Daredevil
  • Collecting Profile: Floronic Man
  • Review of Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

Dead of Night Featuring Werewolf by Night #1

Dan Hill
January 6, 2009
Reviews

Plot: Jack Russell has a secret, one he keeps even from his wife. Every time a full moon appears in the night sky, he becomes a Werewolf, wild, savage and out of control. Now though, despite his best efforts, it seems his curse has cost him everything.

Review: My only previous experience with Jack Russell (oh, that name) has been when the character has graced the pages of Moon Knight. However, no previous knowledge of the character is needed for this mini-series. Being set in the MAX universe, Dead of Night has afforded writer Duane Swierczynski a chance to reboot the character and the concept.

I was attracted to this book based on Swierczynski's previous work on Moon Knight and Punisher as well as his crime novels, and from those projects he brings a similar tone to this series. Again, since this is a MAX book, it's allowed to go to some dark places… and it does! A lot of the Werewolf's previous mystical and supernatural elements seem to have been stripped away, a conscious effort to put this story firmly in the "real world."

The book begins with a SWAT team searching a house whose occupants have been slaughtered, the only survivor being a small baby (who I'd put money on being Jack). In a very gory sequence the team is then promptly taken out by a werewolf.

If you're going to read this book, you'd better get used to the gore. This book is drenched in it, right from the first sequence to the harrowing last page. Mico Suayan (who also did some great Moon Knight work previously) and colourist Ian Hannin cover the panels in claret. Suayan's pencils are effective throughout, conveying horror and dread in equal measure. The final sequence in this issue is a great example with Suayan really showing the raw emotion Jack is feeling (the scene reminded me a lot of Seven as you'll see).

A man haunted by his past and harbouring a dark secret are nothing new, but Swierczynski does enough with Jack Russell to make things seem fresh. Jack knows he is cursed, and he lives his life accordingly. Over several years, and with his own money, he has tried to keep himself away from people whilst in his wolf state. Part of the hook of this story comes with the notion that even this may not be enough.

Final word: A solid, gore soaked, horror from the MAX imprint. A passion for the genre shines through. 

Dan HillDuane SwierczynskiMarvel Comics/MaxMico Suayan

Share On:
Tweet
The Works And The Key: The Chynna Clugston Interview, PART ONE
Marvel Month in (P)Review: December 2008/January 2009

About The Author

Dan Hill
Dan Hill
Publisher Emeritus
Google+

Jason Sacks has been obsessed with pop culture for longer than he'd like to remember. Jason has been writing for Comics Bulletin for nearly a decade, producing over a million words of content about comics, films and other media. He has also been published in a number of publications, including the late, lamented Amazing Heroes, The Flash Companion and The American Comic Book Chronicles: the 1970s,1980s and 1990s. Find him on Facebook and Twitter. Jason is the Publisher Emeritus of Comics Bulletin.

Related Posts

  • Singles Going Steady 4/21/2015: Reborn Again

    Alex Gradet, Alexander Lu, Jason Sacks, Jimmy Cupp, Matthew Mossman
    April 21, 2015
  • Singles Going Steady 9/9/2014: Dead Again?

    Alex Gradet, Joe Tower, Lance Paul, Luke Anderson, Taffeta Darling
    September 9, 2014

Latest Reviews

  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
  • 4.5

    TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    October 29, 2020
  • 4.5

    Micro Review: Commanders in Crisis #1

    Jason Jeffords Jr.
    October 12, 2020
  • 3.0

    Review: GHOST WRITER Fights the Spectre of Unevenness

    Daniel Gehen
    September 3, 2020
  • 3.5

    Review: Strange Skies Over East Berlin

    Yavi Mohan
    August 11, 2020
  • DRAWING BLOOD: A Hyper-Stylized, Fictional Autobiography

    Ben Bishop, Brittany Peer, David Avallone, Drawing Blood, Kevin Eastman, Tomi Varga
    August 9, 2020
  • 3.0

    Alien: The Original Script #1 – This One’s For The Fans

    Jason Jeffords Jr.
    August 7, 2020
  • Singles Going Steady: Why? Lettering!

    Daniel Gehen
    July 28, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders