Welcome to Rotten Ink and to a “From Horror Movie To horror Comic” update. This time around we will be talking about a film made by Clive Barker based on one of his novels that has had a very strange history of being released and would end up becoming a big cult favorite for many horror fans. That film of course is Nightbreed! And what is really cool is that Marvel Comics via their Epic Comics line released not only an adaptation of the film but also turned it into a ongoing series that ran alongside their Hellraiser series as for a time Clive Barker was a big part of Marvel Comics as he would also end up doing his own superhero style comics for them. Really Nightbreed has been on my list for way too long, as this is a film that I love as well as a comic series I truly enjoyed as a youngster. So if you are ready, let’s head to Midian where the monsters are as this is going to be one Epic Comic update!
Let’s start by taking a look at The Nightbreed also called The Tribes Of The Moon a group of the monsters, freaks and killers of the world that live together in Midian and who follow the laws of their God called Baphomet who offers them protection and guidance. There are many different types of Nightbreed and each have their different ways of dealing death! Some have sharp claws and teeth that can rip through flesh! Others have strength and can rip a person in pieces or even punch through their bodies! Others have horns that can impale while others can turn into a smoke or mist and can choke out or even explode a person. Some others uses knives or sharp objects to end lives while some even have poisoned quills that enter your blood stream and induce death. Many of The Nightbreed also have very strange and monstrous appearances and this makes humans afraid of them and can chill their blood and bones. Boone is the leader of The Nightbreed and has been chosen to be Cabal and lead the Breed to a new home, when around blood and death he turns into a beast that is violent. Kinski has a half moon face and is very skilled with knives. Peloquin looks like a monster with dreadlocks that has sharp teeth and claws, and a very bad attitude. Shuna Sassi is a porcupine woman who is covered in poisonous quills. Leroy Gomm is a breed member that has tentacles that come from his belly and have claws and eyeballs on the end of them. Lude is a devil with blue skin and Lyesberg has cuts on his face and is the one who speaks the laws of their God. Narcisse has part of the skin on his head removed and is skilled with thumb blades. Ohnaka is a normal looking man with some tattoos and has a pet dog. Rachel and her young daughter Babette are shape shifters. Kushnir Day is a hog faced man who plays drums on the walls to warn others. Mexico is a creature with arms coming out of his long neck. Otis And Clay have two faces and share the same body. The Berserkers are uncontrollable monsters who love to kill. Those are just some of The Nightbreed that make up the Tribe and live in Midian. But while they are monsters and are “undead,” they do have weaknesses as many can be killed by sun light while others can die like any normal living thing as they can be shot, stabbed, burned, drowned, crushed and so on. They all also have a craving to eat human flesh, and this can cause them to make mistakes and lead to their own deaths. Many are also very peaceful and people’s fear and hatred make them targets for deadly attacks. They are also bound to the law of Baphomet and this at times does not allow them to fight back. While The Nightbreed are monsters and can be very dangerous, they are not the true killers of this film as they just want to be left alone and live in Midian.
The main killer is Dr. Decker, a psychiatrist who uses his status as well as own thoughts to kill and ruin people’s lives. When at work Dr. Decker is a kind acting man who seems to have his patients best wishes in heart, but really he is learning about your fears and darkest thoughts in order to use them against you and make you think you’re insane and his crimes are ones you did. He also makes his own hallucination drugs and passes them off as real medication to once more get into the minds of his patients. He also seems to be able to talk his way into making law enforcement believe his words that he spews in order to set people up for his crimes. But really Dr. Decker is a masked serial killer who kills whole families as he thinks that mankind is just filth creating filth and that bloodlines and procreation needs to end. His mask is very freaky in nature as it has buttons for eyes and a zipper for a mouth, and this alone is terrifying for his victims. His main tools of killing are his knives that he uses to slash, cut, stab and slit his victims skin until they are dead. He is very cold blooded and gets joy in killing the families as well as placing fear into his victims before they die. But Dr. Decker is just a man so that means he can be killed like any normal person so that means being stabbed, shot, burnt, crushed and all other manor of death will end his life. He is also a coward as when he is about to face death he begs for his life to be spared, and then will try and sneak attack you. He also is the type that will get others to do some of his dirty work. Dr. Decker is a true scumbag and is a killer that loves what he does to his victims and this makes him very deadly.
Now that we have talked about both The Nightbreed as well as Dr. Decker and all their ways of dealing death, we should now take a look at the film they are from! And like always I will be taking the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production and then my thoughts. So if you are ready, let’s travel deeper into Midian and see what The Nightbreed are all about.
Nightbreed (1990)
“A troubled young man is drawn to a mythical place called Midian where a variety of friendly monsters are hiding from humanity. Meanwhile, a sadistic serial killer is looking for a patsy.”
Through the 1980’s writer Clive Barker was one of the biggest faces in horror as he had written many books that became major hits with fans and in films he had hits with Hellriaser (1987) (which he directed) as well as its sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) not to even mention Rawhead Rex from 1986. And after these films the next story on his list to get the film treatment was Cabal that in film world would be called Nightbreed. At first Barker had the idea that it would be three films before settling on just one, and originally Mark Frost would write the film’s first screenplay and then Clive Barker would step in and do it himself as well as he would direct. The film would get an $11 million budget with Morgan Creek Productions coming on board and being the ones who wanted Nightbreed as the film’s title. Clive Barker had big plans for this film and truly thought that it would be a mega hit and would spark a full franchise! So when it came to hiring such names as David Cronenberg, Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, Doug Bradley, Hugh Ross, Oliver Parker, Nicholas Vince, Christine McCorkindale, Catherine Chevalier and many more made up the large cast. The film would be a crazy one filmed on soundstages and on location with lots of effects being used for The Nightbreed themselves with even the film’s cinematographer having some issues with Cronenberg. Once done the film would have some test screenings that issued re-shoots and then the film’s cut was way to long and had to have lots of stuff cut and removed causing issues as Barker was upset by this as was the film’s original editor who quit in protest. Once set Danny Elfman would come in and score the film and after several release changes the film finally hit theaters on February 16, 1990, and the film had a terrible promotion behind it as they sold it more as a slasher film in trailers and TV ads and released a lackluster poster not to even mention that they would not allow critics to see the film before its release as they insulted horror film viewers saying they never read reviews. The film was meet with mixed reviews from critics and mostly positive from moviegoers and sadly the film would not do great at the box office as it would only make around $16 million worldwide. And over the years the fans would want to see the “Cabal” and “Directors” cuts of the film, and after bootleg versions floating around on the grey market it would be released by Scream Factory on Blu-Ray. The film has a big cult following and even spawned comic series and video games. In 1990 Nightbreed was released alongside such other horror films as Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Child’s Play 2, Tremors, Arachnophobia, Tales From The Dark Side, Frankenhooker, Gremlins 2, Troll 2, The Willies, Predator 2, Demon Wind, Blood Salvage and Misery to name a few. And this was just a quick crash course of the making of this film as it is way deeper and weirder than I can explain!
My first memory of Nightbreed was seeing the film’s poster hanging in a video rental store and seeing all the different Breed on it and knowing I had to see this film and know more about them all! It would be a short while before I finally got to see the film. It was thanks to my brother who got it for me on VHS one year for my birthday that I was finally able to see it and I was a fan from the start as I loved the world of Midian. All the different characters captured my imagination, and I was a big fan of Peloquin as he was a Breed who seemed to be a rebel and not truly care about the law set for them and was just kind of an a-hole to everyone. I also really liked Shuna Sassi as she was both spooky and sexy and her powers of being like a porcupine and shooting poisonous quills at her victims was awesome. Not to mention that The Berserkers were awesome and killing machines that I wish they would have shown more of. The part that surprised me the most was that the film also very much had a slasher element to it as Dr. Decker under his button eyed mask truly was a cold blooded killer who would massacre whole families in his quest to stop the filth from populating. And while I know many fans enjoy the Cabel cut, I like the theatrical cut as it was the one I grew up watching and I find it to have a faster pace, and yes, the cuts in this version do make some parts confusing and I get that is why people dislike this cut of the film. And much like many of the horror films I had seen, I can remember drawing The Nightbreed in art class and getting good remarks not just from the teacher, but also my fellow classmates. During my youth and teen years Clive Baker was one of my favorite writers and creators as his films based on his writings like Hellraiser, Nightbreed, Lord Of Illusions and Rawhead Rex were always being watched by me and my friends when we would be hanging out. Over the years I have watched this film many times and I have always stayed a fan as I find even after all these years, this film just holds up both in the special effects as well as the story over all. If you have never seen this film, make sure to do so, as I am sure you will very much enjoy it.
Nightbreed is one of those films that might have suffered from the studio sticking their fingers into filming and production, but to be honest I really do like the theatrical version! We are now at the point of this update that we take a look at the comic series that was made by Epic Comics, and I would first like to thank Bell Book And Comic, Lone Star Comics and Game Swap Kettering for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to thank Hal and The Bookie Parlor for introducing me to this comic series in my younger years. I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s enter Midian and see what The Monsters are up to.
Nightbreed # 1 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $1.95 Epic Comics # 1 of 25
Boone and Lori are in love, and for Boone she changed his life as at one point he wanted to commit suicide and almost did so. Now he has here a good job and only has to meet with his doctor one last time! That night a masked man enters a family of four’s house and kills them all with a big knife, the killer likes feeding off the victims fear and he feels like he is making a difference in his own twisted way. The cops are frustrated when these bodies are found and want to find who the killer is, while Boone calls Lori to say sorry for not coming to her concert that night as she is a singer. Boone goes to his last appointment with Dr. Decker and is told that he might be blacking out and committing these murders…he then decides to kill himself by jumping in front of a truck. Boone wakes up in the hospital and finds that the pills his Doctor gave him were illegal drugs, and he also meets Narcisse who speaks of Midian, the place that is said to be were the monsters go, where your sins are forgiven…a place that has haunted Boone’s thoughts for years! Narcisse to prove that he should be in Midian removes part of his face, and in the chaos Boone escapes the hospital as Decker and the cops now think Boone is the killer and Narcisse is questioned on his deathbed. Boone drives for a very long time and is drawn to a ghost town’s massive cemetery as this has to be Midian and while looking around he meets Peloquin and Kinski, and they alert him that he has not killed anyone and he is not welcomed there. Peloquin ends up attacking Boone as he wants to eat him! As Boone makes it out of the cemetery, he, the police and Decker are there and he is being arrested for the killings that he did not commit, and Decker gets the cops to shoot and kill Boone when he claims he has a gun…that he doesn’t.
This is such a great start for the Nightbreed comic series from Epic Comics as this of course is an adaptation of the film, well the first part of the adaptation that follows Boone, a man who had some mental issues who has gotten better all because of finding true love as well as getting help from his doctor, but soon he is blamed for a series of killings and now wants to die again and go to a place called Midian where the monsters go and all the sins of killers and criminals are forgiven…but soon Boone finds that his Doctor does not want to truly help him but is using him by giving him harmful mind altering drugs and even sets him up to be shot and killed by the cops! Aaron Boone is a good man who has clearly had a rough life growing up as he went into foster care, had mental issues, tried to take his own life and now is being set up for murders that he did not commit. And worse, it’s clear that his very own Doctor is the one setting him up with the cops and is trying to ruin his life and break his mind even more. Lori is his loving girlfriend who is a singer at clubs and tries her best to let Boone know that she is there for him. Dr. Decker is a very sneaky man as he is “caring” to law enforcement as well as his patients, but really he is a cold blooded killer who is playing a sick game to find the place called Midian, a city that is for monsters, killers and criminals. We get to meet two of the Nightbreed in this issue and that’s the half moon faced Kinski who carries a knife and tries to save Boone, and Peloquin, a monster with sharp teeth, claws who craves meat and wants to kill Boone who was foolish enough to stumble into their city. The issue ends with a big cliffhanger as Boone is shoot dead by the police and it was Decker who caused this event. The comic is really doing justice to the film it’s based on and even adds a little more story to the relationship between Boone and Lori. The comic has blood and violence and some of the kills will please fans of the red stuff in their comics. The cover art is really cool and eye catching as it shows Dr. Decker with his massive knife and behind him is flesh with a Nightbreed citizen looking at him via a hole. The interior art is good and done by Jim Baikie who has a creepy dark nature to his style. I also think he does a pretty good job of very loosely making the characters look like the actors who played them…I will say that his Peloquin is a little odd. Over all a great first issue and I enjoyed reading this again after all these years.
Nightbreed # 2 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $1.95 Epic Comics # 2 of 25
Boone’s body is taken to the morgue as Lori is called in and interviewed by the cops and Dr. Decker and she does not believe their story that he was a killer…and like that, Boone’s body is taken and now missing from the morgue to everyone’s horror. Lori heads to a local bar and meets Sheryl and the two quickly become friends with Lori telling her all about Boone and Midian, and Sheryl agrees to drive Lori there the next morning. As the two ladies arrive at Midian, they are both puzzled why Boone would have visited a ghost town like this and as Lori heads to the old cemetery, Sheryl stays by the car in the rundown town and that is when Dr. Decker appears. Meanwhile in the cemetery Lori finds a creature in pain from the sun and takes the creature to a woman who is inside a crypt and she watches as the creature turns into a little girl and that is when she meets Rachel and her daughter Babette as well as Lyesberg, the lawgiver of the Nightbreed and Ohnaka who all are grateful but also warn her that she must not share what she as seen as it would be very dangerous for The Nightbreed…and she tries to follow them back into their underground world but is chased off and once back at the car she finds the mutilated body of Sheryl and the masked killer is there now and wants to kill Lori as the masked killer is Dr. Decker and he wants to find Midian as well as Boone! Lori runs to the cemetery, and just as Decker is about to kill her, she is saved by both Boone and Narcisse as they are both Nightbreed now and both have issues with Decker who blames the mask for his killing ways. And worse they allow Decker to escape and he now knows the location of Midian, and Boone and Lori leeave but the Nightbreed in danger. Boone is banned from Midian on the words of Lyesberg, but he decides to speak to Baphomet, a demon who is the creator of this underground city and who is the most powerful of Nightbreed, and foolishly Lori tries to follow and meets many of the different “people” that make up the city…and with that Boone and Lori are kicked out of Midian and Decker sets them up at a near by hotel by killing people and then making the cops come and Boone is arrested by the police and Lori is able to escape.
The adaptation continues with issue two as we now follow Boone who comes back from the dead and ends up being accepted as a Nightbreed and into Midian, but when Lori comes to find him they put them all in danger as she was followed by Decker who has now got the law to come with him to kill attack the underground city. And because all of this Boone and Lori have been banned from Midian and are set up in a hotel by the crazed doctor for more murders, and Boone is now arrested and Lori has to be on the run. Boone comes back from the dead and is now something more as the smell and sight of blood turns him into a monster of sorts as he has a hunger for both blood and human meat! But while Boone is now a proud civilian of Midian, he puts them all in great danger over Lori and even allows Decker to escape the cemetery all because of once more Lori…she is kind of the key that brings down this safe city for the monsters of the world, plus she is the one who leads Decker to Midian as well as gets her new friend Sheryl killed. Dr. Decker is once more up to his killing ways as he slaughters those in his way and he is using their deaths as traps to get his true targets to do what he wants. Decker as well again uses his smooth nature to trick those in law into thinking he is good and then showing his true evil nature to those he wants to torment. The Nightbreed we meet this issue are Lyesberg, the strike law giver of Midian, shape shifter mother and daughter Rachel and Babette, tattooed nice guy Ohnaka, the removed faced Narcisse, the crazed monsters that have to be kept locked up The Berserkers and lastly Baphomet the demon and creator of Midian. The issue’s cliffhanger ending is Boone being arrested, Lori on the run and Decker getting police offers ready to attack Midian! The issue has some blood as well as violence and the cover is pretty cool and has the Berserkers trying to grab Lori. The interior art is done by Jim Baikie and is pretty good stuff as once more I like the way he draws the kills as well as The Nightbreed! Another great issue and let’s see what issue three has in store for us.
Nightbreed # 3 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $1.95 Epic Comics # 3 of 25
Boone is beaten up in jail and when a doctor checks on him, they are all puzzled as he should be dead as he has no pulse but is walking and talking. Officers are also on their way to look around the cemetery as Lori has a mind visit from Babette who warns her that she feels something very bad is about to happen. Meanwhile in the cemetery the cops find Ohnaka and drag him out into the sun where they beat him, but sadly the sun also makes him burn and explode killing him and giving the cops the message that there are monsters living under this cemetery, and when the cops return to their cars they find them on fire as Rachel and Narcisse are heading to the jail to save Boone. The cops in town have also got locals armed up with all types of guns, knives, flame throwers, holy water and even bring Reverend Ashberry with them just in case they need the word of God on their side and they head out to start a slaughter at Midian. Meanwhile Narcisse and Rachel find Lori, and they get to the jail and save Boone from his cell and they all head back to Midian to help their fellow Nightbreed. While at the cemetery Reverend Ashberry tries to stop the attack as he feels that the land is holy ground and that they might be angels after he sees a flying Nightbreed. The cops ignore him as they have gas and bombs set all around. Boone arrives in time and tells The Nightbreed that they must fight in order to survive and that they will also leave this place once this fight is over, as the women and children are being taken to safety they also start getting ready to move the massive, powerful demon Baphomet. The bombs are set off and many Nightbreed are injured and killed as their pain fills the air Reverend Ashberry is shocked with horror as he sees the chaos and pain all around him. Meanwhile Dr. Decker is getting his mask and knife ready for this slaughter.
The adaptation continues as this issue’s plot has Boone getting rescued from jail and having to return to Midian to try and get the Nightbreed ready to fight as they are under attack from cops as well as town people, and worse many of the Nightbreed are killed in the first attack that is bombs being set off all around the cemetery. In jail, Boone is a broken man as he feels terrible about eating some flesh at the hotel and its only the love of Lori is what drives to him to fight and lead The Nightbreed into a war with those humans that want to kill them all. And Lori herself learns to deal with the fact Boone is a monster now and even has a deeper bond with young Babette who she shares vision and thoughts with. Dr. Decker in this issue is stirring the pot as he wants Midian and all The Nightbreed to be killed off, we also find that he truly is crazy and that the mask talks to him and is the side of his personality that wants to spill lots of blood. We also meet Reverend Ashberry in this issue, a drunk man who once at Midian and knows what the law is doing is wrong, but is powerless to stop them as he is tossed around by the rude police chief. Rachel and Narcisse are heroes as they are the ones that risk their own lives to go into the city, attack police and save Boone for him jail cell as they know that they are going to need him in this fight with the humans. And poor old Ohnaka is killed by the cops as they drag him into the sunlight and watch him explode, and seem fine with what they did to a man who did nothing to them. We do know that The Nightbreed are going to fight back against the humans and many have been sent away to hide as this battle is going to get very bloody and many will die, they even are thinking about freeing the Berserkers to help even though they are uncontrollable. And in this issue I really found myself cheering for The Nightbreed as the 99% of the human characters are just such terrible people and all they want is to be left alone and not hated, hunted and be killed because they are different. The issue has some blood and kills with many of The Nightbreed being killed during the bomb explosions. One thing that is puzzling me is that many of the classic characters of Midian have been downplayed or are just missing all together with both Peloquin and Kinski being around just for a few panels in issue 1 and favorites like Shuna Sassi, Leroy Gomm, Lude, Kushnir Day, Otis & Clay, Annastasjia and so many other not even appearing yet making it puzzling why so many are missing from these comics as they could even at least appear in the background…maybe some of them are in the background and I just missed them, possible I guess. The cover is cool and has Narcisse attacking a cop and like before, Jim Baikie did the interior art and did a good job of bringing the feel and look of these characters to these comic pages. So with that, let’s see how issue four wraps up the adaptation part of this series.
Nightbreed # 4 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $1.95 Epic Comics # 4 of 25
As Narcisse gets the kids out of the city and to safety, Boone tries to get the others to fight back as Peloquin goes on the attack and brings down a whole police car filled with cops. Others are not doing so well as the are being gunned down by the cops and the redneck posse there to kill anyone from Midian! Lyesberg is hurt and has his leg broken, but makes his way to set free The Berserkers as Lori is being stalked and even stabbed by Dr. Decker who has put on his mask and wants to kill her so badly. In the underground city many of the Nightbreed are being killed including Lyesberg before he can free The Berserkers while above Boone drops the sheriff and Reverend Ashberry follows him as he see what is going on is wrong and just plain murder. Boone gets to the cell and sets The Berserkers free who end up killing the invaders in brutal ways, meanwhile Dr. Decker kills Narcisse by cutting his head off and is still chasing down Lori. Boone finds out where she is thanks to Babette, and he and Decker finally have a showdown to the death…and it’s Decker who dies by one of his own blades. Boone then is called by a dying Baphomet who tells him that he must make his wrongs right and that is to rebuild Midian and bring back together the remaining Nightbreed as he his no longer Boone but is now called Cabal. As the underground city of Midian crumbles it’s Nightbreed like Kinski and Mexico that are saving the parts of Baphomet so that they can reform him in their new home. Lori and Boone stand on a hill watching as Midian burns and when Boone alerts her she can not come with him and The Nightbreed, she uses one of Deckers knives to try and end her life, and Boone is forced to bite her and turn her into one of The Nightbreed and now they can be together forever. While a now burned and crazed Reverend Ashberry who became this way at the hands of Baphomet wants revenge of The Nightbreed and even chokes and kills the injured sheriff before laughing like a madman. While the moon is still in the sky Rachel, Babette, Kinski and the remaining Nightbreed hide out in a barn waiting for Boone who is Cabal to come to them and lead them to their next city.
This is the action packed final issue in the adaptation of Nightbreed, and it is one heck of a fun read as the plot of this issue is the war between The Law and their posse of redneck locals against Boone and The Nightbreed! And along this battle Boone becomes the chosen one and his named is changed to Cabal; he is also finally able to kill Decker and The Nightbreed get a new enemy in Reverend Ashberry who was burnt and disfigured by Baphomet who is having himself dismantled in order to come back to the next version of Midian. Boone in this issue truly embraces his inner Nightbreed as he goes full monster and even leads the fellow Nightbreed into fighting as well as saves the lives of many of the women and children. Boone is truly the hero of the story even if he is also the cause of all these deaths as well as the destruction of Midian because of Lori and allowing Decker to escape the cemetery. Lori tries to help The Nightbreed as she is the one who truly gets Boone fired up and to become the leader he needed to be, but she is also the drama queen who stabs herself in order to become a Nightbreed as well as takes a few minutes of Boone’s time in jail by having sex with him while The Nightbreed are in trouble. Dr. Decker truly is a crazed slasher serial killer who once he puts on the mask becomes hungry to spill human blood, but his ego and insane mind is also what does him in as Boone kills him with his own knife. Decker is also the scumbag who alerts the local law about the people of Midian and the monsters that live there and leads to many of their deaths. Speaking of The Nightbreed, we do see many of them fighting and trying to save others as well as many die with Narcisse losing his life fighting Decker while trying to protect Lori. Peloquin and Rachel also fight the attackers with The Berserkers being the game changer as they massacre many and scare off the remaining. And in this issue the other Nightbreed we see are Baphomet, Mexico, Lyesberg and Kinski among a few others that are in the background. I will say that while much of this comic adaptation is different from the film version, I found myself being a fan of it as it feels the same and yet also like a new “what if” version of events. I still very much am disappointed in the lack of many of the classic Nightbreed characters, as they seem to have been cut out of the comic totally in order to make more room for the love story of Boone and Lori. The comic does have blood and violence with heads being cut off and lots of people being shot. The cover for the issue is cool as it showcases one of The Berserkers so fans of monsters will dig it. Jim Baikie did the comic’s interior artwork, and again I really did like his style, while some of the characters don’t look like they should his art does capture some of the dark tones and mood of this subject. Well the adaptation aspect of this series is over and now it will start original stories with The Nightbreed characters, so if you are ready, let’s see what Boone and the others have in store for us.
Nightbreed # 5 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 5 of 25
Mulciber is leading a band of Nightbreed (Dagon, Piglet, Oral and Aello) around a small town robbing gas stations and stealing money as well as people’s IDs. But at one gas station the old man who is making chili for the hotdogs tomorrow is able to get the police after the band has robbed him, and the Sheriff and his deputy head out in to the woods after them…big mistake. The bird man creature Mulciber takes out the sheriff easily and begins to eat him while the beautiful Aello uses her charms to trick the deputy in to making love to her before she shows she has wings and lifts him into the sky and drops him to his death as the group eat him. They also head back to the police car and end up killing the old gas station worker. While at a farmhouse a female Nightbreed with purple hair lures the farmer into a barn where the head of Baphomet pours into his mind all the wrong doing that has happened to them in the Midian attacks, and after the farmer breaks, the two Nightbreed set off for a new location. Meanwhile Boone, Lori and Kinski give chase and bring down a group of drug sellers as one is wearing a necklace that was made by Nickneven, an old witch Nightbreed that Boone wants to talk to as she might have a location that could be the new Midian.
There is a lot going on in this fifth issue as we are now setting up what is to come as Boone and the Nightbreed with him are looking for a new home so that they can all live in peace, while Mulciber and his Nightbreed are running wild robbing and eating people as they are sick of having to hide. All the while it seems that Baphomet’s head is being carried around and he as well wants to find a new home for them all but is also teaching humans what they have done to his kind over the centuries is just not right. Boone in the issue seems to not like his new name of Cabal as he does not want to be called that and it appears that he has built a close friendship up with Kinski as the two work well together in order to bring down some drug pushers as well as get the information from them that they need to find the witch. Mulciber, the bird like humanoid is more about eating human flesh and no longer living in fear and it is clear that he and most of his followers do not have any respect for Boone as they are on a path of truly breaking the rules of Baphomet and doing what they want to do in the world. And this makes you wonder just how long will it be before we get a clash between Boone and his Nightbreed friends against Mulciber and his Nightbreed! The issue has some blood and violence and this will please fans of horror comics that like the red stuff. I like that the story of this issue really does keep the idea that a new Midian has to be found and Boone who is a hero is still very new to being one and wants to do right, but also seems a little annoyed about all the pressure he is under to do so. The cover for this issue is pretty dang cool as it shows Mulciber so for those of you wondering what he looks like just take a look at the cover. The art in this issue is really good and is done by two artists, Jackson Guice and Alfred Ramirez, and I really like how they draw Mulciber as he looks really cool. Over all another great issue in the series and really makes you look forward to seeing what happens in the next issue.
Nightbreed # 6 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 6 of 25
Frederick Oakaley is an escaped killer and sexual predator who meets his fate at the hands of young girl Tatar who is the niece of the witch Nickneven as she waits for Boone and Lori who finally show up and are taken to see the witch. As they make their way to her house, Boone has a flashback to the words that Baphomet told him about being the chosen one and being Cabal the one that will bring The Nightbreed into the world that they will no longer have to hide in. Boone and Nickneven have a heated chat as the old witch seems to be playing with the mood of Boone before telling him that she will work on getting him a lead on a new promised land for The Nightbreed, and with that Lori and Boone stay at a sleazy motel while they wait for the lead. Meanwhile Mulciber and his group arrive at a small diner and decide that it’s dinnertime and attack, kill and eat the men inside. And after this slaughter Mulciber decides that he needs to kill Boone to prevent the return of Baphomet as he is having too much fun running wild and slaughtering humans for their meat. And back at the hotel as Boone and Lori are in bed, they get visited by Kinski, Guido and Narcisse and this angers Boone who turns full monster on them and is looking for a fight!
The saga of Boone fighting the label of Cabal and trying to find a new home for The Nightbreed continues as he goes to talk to an old witch about a possible lead on a land that they can live, plus he also gets fired up and wants to fight Kinski over coming to his hotel room to warn him of trouble. While Boone is clearly the hero for The Nightbreed, at times he acts like a teenager who has an attitude and wants to be a smart ass to anyone who even remotely makes him frustrated. Plus it’s kind of odd as he has really stepped away from wanting to be a hero for The Nightbreed as before he is the one that lead many to safety and even fought to protect them during the massacre, and he also seems to forget that all of this is Lori’s and his fault. The old witch Nickneven and her granddaughter Tater seem very wise, but are also very much the type to purposely get under your skin, we will have to see if she comes up with a place for them to checkout. Meanwhile Mulciber and his crew are becoming more and more blood thirsty as they keep killing and eating people and his hatred for both Boone and Baphomet seems to keep growing. Kinski, the half moon faced Nightbreed member, is clearly trying to keep Boone focused, but by doing so it seems he is also making the “Cabal” mad. Narcisse has some how returned from the dead as the last time we had seen him is when Dr. Decker chopped off his head…how did he come back, no explanation is given. The issue is also a clear build to the showdown between Boone and Mulciber and also acts as a way to show the building tension between Boone and The Nightbreed over all. The one thing about this series so far that is puzzling is that almost every issue has a different creative team working on them so that means characters are drawn and colored different, their attitudes oddly change as does the pacing…and while a little distracting, I am still finding myself enjoy each issue this far. Plus while it makes zero sense, I am glad to see Narcisse return to the comics as he is a super weird character. The cover is good and shows Piglet, and the interior artwork is done by Brett Blevins this time around and is pretty good stuff. Over all another good issue that furthers the plot of Boone on his quest to find the promise land for The Nightbreed after his selfish actions caused their old cities downfall.
Nightbreed # 7 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 7 of 25
After a quick fight between Boone and Kinski, cooler heads prevail when Lori steps in and Narcisse turns on the TV and they watch a news report about the massacre at the diner, and Boone is told this is the work of members of The Nightbreed and they must be stopped as they broke the law of Baphomet. Meanwhile Mulciber and his men have arrived at the motel and taken out the manager with the idea of asking Boone to join then and if he says no, then they will kill him. The bad Nightbreed break into Boone’s room and take Lori hostage, and once they all go outside Mulciber tries to get Boone to eat human meat and become one of them, but he refuses and fights Muliciber and this allows Kinski, Narcisse, Lori and Guido to as well fight back, and on the losing end Muliciber makes an escape but leaves his crew behind to get beat up for a bit before as well rescuing them for the retreat. All the while a man named Allen watches The Nightbreed fight and is drawn to them as he sees The Nightbreed as Gods. As Boone and his Nightbreed leave the motel, the police show up as does the Sheriff who lead the massacre at Midian, Eigerman, and with him is Reverend Ashberry as they are hunting down Boone for their revenge. While Mulciber and his crew hideout in an abandoned movie theater, they are visited by Allen who tells them if they make him a member of The Nightbreed he will help them kill Boone!
Boone is loosing control of himself as the Cabal side of him is lashing out and is filled with a beast like anger that causes him to lash out at even those Nightbreed that are on his side. And the plot of this issue is Boone finding out that Muliciber and his crew are going around killing and eating people and this brings lots of bad vibes for The Nightbreed as if they are discovered they will think they are all man eaters and this will cause so many of them to be killed once more just because of the way they look. Boone also in this issue is able to fight off the temptation of eating human meat and really puts a butt kicking on Muliciber who has to retreat during their big fight. But this fight also spells bad news for Boone and The Nightbreed as their fight not only creates a new enemy in Allen, a man who wants to become a monster, it also brings Reverend Ashberry & Sheriff Eigerman back on their trail as they truly both want revenge. And Lori at this point shows that she is more loyal to trying to help The Nightbreed than Boone as she fights alongside them, stops the inner fighting between them and is always along for the ride to try and find them the promised land. It also shows that Narcisse, Guido and Kinski are good fighters as well as they bring down Muliciber’s crew pretty easily. Guido is a Nightbreed that is created just for this comic series and has the weird power of removing his spine and using it as a weapon…strange stuff. I am not going to lie I am a little disappointed that characters like Shuna Sassi, Leroy Gomm, Lude and the others still have not appeared…it’s just weird as they are such cool characters from the film series that are all also very interesting looking and should be in these comics. In this issue as well Dagon is blinded as in the motel fight Lori rips out his eyes! The cover of this issue shows Dagon, who is a crab like monster and is pretty cool looking. The comic’s interior art is once more done by a team as it’s Bret Blevins and Mike Manley and they both do a pretty great job here. The story keeps growing as we add more and more baddies and things in Boone’s way of truly being Cabal and bringing a new world to The Nightbreed.
Nightbreed # 8 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 8 of 25
In a small town church the Father kicks out Reverend Ashberry & Sheriff Eigerman, who have done some sort of weird ritual at the alter that they hope will help them track down The Nightbreed. Meanwhile Allen is buying lots of guns from a local gun smuggler and heads back to the old movie theater and breaks down each of Boone’s friends to Muliciber and his Breed…and he tells them that he has the weapons to kill their enemies as long as they promise to make him one of them. Muliciber and his crew slaughter Stanley the weapons dealer and talk over letting Allen be one of them as well as what killing Boone could cause for them all. Meanwhile Boone, Lori, Kinski, Narcisse and Guido all head to stay at the old cabin of Nickneven and Tater in order to avoid the law, and Narcisse and Guido head out for a food run at the local grocery, and after a good meal Boone finds out from his crew why they do not eat human meat and follow the law of Baphomet and learns that The Nightbreed are good people with morals. But as Narcisse and Nickneven go into the woods to drink some moonshine they are attacked by Allen and the rogue Nightbreed who are armed with lots of guns and are wanting to kill Boone and his Breed followers.
In this issue Muliciber and his crew are truly torn as their taste for meat has gotten out of control and they are wanting to stop the promised land being found as they do not want Baphomet to be rebuilt so that he can judge them for their sins. It also seems like just maybe they hate Boone for being the chosen one. Allen is truly a crazed man as his goal is to become a monster like Muliciber and his followers and is willing to kill Boone and all his Breed in order to achieve it. Boone in this issue seems to be taking his role a little more serious and is even getting to know some of his fellow Nightbreed a little better as they sit and talk over a meal in the woods. We also truly see that Nickneven is loyal to Baphomet and opens her home to hide Boone and the others after the big fight at the motel, and in turn puts herself and her granddaughter in danger as Muliciber and his men come hunting. At this point I really do want to see Allen get his ass kicked as this scumbag is just looking for his next big thrill and is will to kill and join with evil in order to gain what he wants. And out next issue will clearly be a showdown in the woods between the two feuding Nightbreed groups, and it’s clear that there will be some deaths on both sides. We also learn that Lori who is also a Nightbreed has not even shown her powers yet and this makes her unpredictable on all accounts. The mood of this issue is all over the place as we have chaos with Muliciber and his crew and with Boone and his crew it’s more like a family bonding. The cover for this issue is a more demonic looking version of Aello and is pretty eye catching as it has a 90’s indie horror comic look to it. The interior art for this issue is once more done by a team as it’s Mike Manley and Ricardo Villagran and they both do a good job as I like the styles in this issue. So with that, let’s see what is next in store for the war between Boone and Muliciber.
Nightbreed # 9 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 9 of 25
Nickneven and Narcisse escape the trap as the old witch tosses a firebomb she makes from the moonshine at them in order for them to be able to make a run for it. The sound of the explosion alerts Boone, Lori, Kinski, Tater and Guido that something is wrong and they are all warned of the attack by the returning Nickneven and Narcisse about the incoming Nightbreed with guns. As the bad guys approach its clear that Muliciber has no plans of turning Allen into a Nightbreed and is only using him in order to bring down Boone. And worse, Boone and the others are having to run as the bullets are flying all around the cabin as their lives are in danger. At one moment Boone and Muliciber comes face to face and he almost reaches him to welcome him back to The Nightbreed, but Allen breaks up the talking and this has Boone and all his friends having to hide out in a chicken coop as their enemies surrounding them with their guns in hand. As Muliciber and his friends eat, Allen remembers back to being a kid and killing his father after he found the body of his mother buried in the backyard, where his father put her after he murdered her…this is why he wants to be Nightbreed. While in the chicken coop Nickneven with the help of Tater they crack strange looking eggs and this gives Kinski, Narcisse, Guido and Lori a look back to their past, all with their sad endings while Boone’s shows him his future…but things get bad as Muliciber and his crew charge the coop. But Lori finds her power and that’s music that she can raise the dead with and Guido makes a run for Nickneven broken down truck to get it up and running so that they can truly escape this attack.
In this issue Boone and his friends are pinned down and force to hide in a chicken coop that house strange eggs that shows people their sad pasts, and this is suppose to help them in their future as they need to come up with some ideas in order to escape this trap…and it works as Lori learns her own Nightbreed powers that involve music and Guido uses his mechanics knowledge to try and fix an old broken down truck. Meanwhile Allen is pushing his limits with Muliciber and the others as he has become way too pushy and is barking orders at them, feeling like he has to be in control in order to get his wish of becoming a Nightbreed to come true. We learn a little about the pasts of many characters from Kinski being an odd looking man who drank a serum that deformed him to Narcisse being a actor who was dumped by his agent who was once his best friend…and each of these sad moments is what lead them to be Nightbreed in some way. I am not sure if Boone, who is Cabal, the savior of the Nightbreed, is very wise for hiding in a chicken coop and not standing his ground and finding a way to save his friends as well as bring down his enemies or at least try and make them see the errors in their ways as the are as well Nightbreed. The issue is a little slower paced than the others as it’s clear that this was a way to bring out a little more backstory for the characters as well as build to the final battle that is coming up in the next issue. I should also say that the baddies in the issue have also taken the body of Nickneven so she is now just a talking witches head! The issue is also pretty bloodless, but does have some violence in the flashbacks. One thing that I should also talk about is the members of Muliciber’s gang as I have told you that Dagon is a giant crab, Aello has wings and can fly but the others like Pigglet is a small pig looking creature who loves to kill and eat, Fachan is a small one eyed creature who is being the eye for Dagon now and Oral is a older man who has no teeth and can open his mouth very wide and uses things likes knives, sharp stones and other objects as his teeth he is also the cover star for this issue with his weird big knifey grin. Oral also is clearly in love with Aello, who is kind of dimwitted. The interior art is done by the team of Brett Blevins and Ricardo Villagran, and both artists do a good job as once more like many artist that have worked on the book before them they understood the mood and style needed to bring these characters and stories to comics. Over all this is another good issue, and again while slower, it did its job of building to this final showdown between The Nightbreed.
Nightbreed # 10 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 10 of 25
Lori keeps playing as the dead are coming from the Earth and are attacking Allen and the others giving Boone and his crew time to get to the truck and try and getting it running…even using the spine of Guido as a fan belt to do some of the repairs. But when Lori’s guitar strings break, she finds her army of the dead not moving and surrounded by the enemy who all have guns aimed at her. But Boone rushes to her aid and with some well placed fists he brings down Allen and the others and gets Lori and himself back to the truck, and Boone and the others drive to the near by mall and try and find a place for quick shelter around a bunch of normal people, and they do what they can to try and just blend in. But when Muliciber and his crew show up, the mall turns into a battleground as they go on the attack and cause panic and fear from the normal people who make a run for it as their lives are in danger. But when Lori finds a electric guitar and a amp she plugs in and starts playing and from the ground comes a massive skeleton of a dinosaur and this knocks Muliciber’s group through a loop…but also its clear that Muliciber and his people were starting to have a change of heart as their lust for meat was dying and they started to see it was Allen who was pushing them into this Nightbreed war. As Boone and Muliciber fight, one of the special eggs comes into play as its smashed in the bird mans face and he remembers back to the days of being young and fighting with his mom, and sneaking out to see a late night horror movie at the theater and being turned into a Nightbreed by the new girl at his school who was also at the theater…he remembers that night turning into the monster and leaving his home never to return as he was a Nightbreed now…not by his choice. Muliciber returns to the side of Cabal as does his crew, but Allen is angry and kills Aello with a knife to try and drink her blood to become one of them, this angers Muliciber who goes after Allen while still on the dinosaur bones and like that Allen turns into a hulking monster but is life is cut short when the dinosaur chomps down on him! As the bones are out of control due to feedback from the amp they sadly crush Muliciber as everyone else is able to escape the mall. A short times passes and at the old cabin of Nickneven there is a gathering as Boone, Lori, Tater, Guido, Kinski and Narcisse are joined by the reformed meat eater Nightbreed Oral, Pigglet, Dagon and Fachan as all but Boone and Lori are going to stay with the witch who’s head is now on the body of Aello.
The fight between the two Nightbreed sides has came to an end in this issue with the ones that follow the laws of Baphomet being the ones who come out on top as Boone is even able to change the attitudes of the rogue Nightbreed and brings them back into the family. The final fight takes place inside of a mall and thanks to the power of music and dusty old dinosaur bones it ends with only a few deaths taking place. Boone has finally embraced that he is Cabal and the chosen one to find The Nightbreed a new and safe place to live and has learned that he can be a leader and still have a personal life with Lori. He also shows that he understands that he does not have to use violence in every situation as sometimes words as just as powerful as fists, claws and teeth. Lori finds that her Nightbreed power is music as if she plays a guitar she can make the dead rise to attack those who wish to do her and her friends harm. Allen who has a terrible childhood who seen the body of his dead mother and took the life of his father who was responsible really was a crazed man who wanted to become Nightbreed in order to be more powerful to prove his father wrong and to always show that bigger is better, he however gets his new powers and quickly is killed before he can ever use them. Muliciber was shown to be a young kid who was into monster movies, toys and such who was turned into a Nightbreed against his will…and this is why he acted out like he did. It’s a shame that he as well as Aello had to die in this fight as both had found their way back to the law of Baphomet as they were both being welcomed back and forgiven for their sins of eating human meat. The issue also leaves us with Boone and Lori setting off into the world to try and find this promise land for The Nightbreed, and with Boone’s crew telling him that they will be their whenever he needs them. The cover for this issue shows Muliciber all geared up with his guns and once more Brett Blevins and Ricardo Villagran team up to do the interior artwork. So far I am ten issues into the series and it really has held up for me as I enjoyed them this time around just as much as I did in the 90’s when I first read them.
Nightbreed # 11 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 11 of 25
Lady Izpapolotl and Lord Tezcatlipoca are Nightbreed and they live in the jungles and are brought the hearts of dead animals from the jungles by their servant insect in order to please them…but Tezcatlipoca misses the day the humans worshipped them and wants to reclaim that before Boone calls them all back home when Midian is reformed. Meanwhile Boone and Lori have to kill a crazed transient that tries to rob them and take shelter in a train car in order to get out of the rays of the sun. While in the jungle a boat full of tourist and some shady people are going down the river when Tezcatlipoca smells them and wants them to bow to him when they get near, Izpapolotl begs him not to…but he feels he must as he misses that worship. But the tourist boat is soon attacked by a local heavily armed raider group and after a fight the tourist are forced off the boat and into the jungle after the boat crashes in order to survive. The Tourist and the crew make camp for the night and are attacked by Tezcatlipoca who rips one of the tourist apart in front of the others sending them a message that he is to be feared, and after killing one more from the camp he leaves them scared and sharing stories of what they think they saw.
This issue is not so much about Boone and Lori as it is about one time Gods that are Nightbreed who live together in the jungle in a long forgotten temple with Izpapolotl being a grub like in appearance and who is fine with the fact that she is no longer being worshiped. While Tezcatlipoca looks like a sabretooth tiger with fins on his back who wants to once more be feared by mankind and worshipped, he also wants to kill again and possibly even taste human flesh and blood once more. Izpapolotl is tying her best to warn him not to do this as it goes against the law of Baphomet, but he seems to not care and while they are all not called to this new promise land he wants to do what he wants. The poor tourist are in deep trouble as not only have they angered a bunch of raiders who could possibly be hunting them but they also have Tezcatlipoca hot on their tails who has already killed two of them to show his power as well as to bring them fear. This issue really feels different from the past issues and yet still very much has the Nightbreed feel that Epic Comics was creating around this world of Clive Barker. The cover for this issue showcases Tezcatlipoca in all his glory and is pretty eye catching while the interior art is done by Mark Nelson and his style is pretty good and I like the way he drew Tezcatlipoca as well as the violence. I really like the set up for this story arch as I really and wondering if Boone is going to be the one who has to stop Tezcatlipoca and his reign of terror or if this will be worked out without Boone and the rest of the Nightbreed, and with that let’s checkout the next issue.
Nightbreed # 12 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 12 of 25
It starts to rain in the jungle and the tourist and crew are terrified as Tezcatlipoca disappears into the storm, leaving behind two dead bodies. As Tezcatlipoca returns to the temple he is questioned by Izpapolotl about what he has done, and he tells her that he has started their return and she is not happy and the two exchange heated words and Tezcatlipoca storms out after threating that he will taste human meat this day. Meanwhile the group moves through the jungle to try and find safety, but one of the members leads them to the temples and they have to camp near them that night right were Tezcatlipoca lives. As night falls one of the tourist finds Tezcatlipoca who speaks with her and shares his knowledge and once out of the temple she kills her husband and other members of the group turn on others as they want to worship and follow Tezcatlipoca and his teaching. They take the youngest of the tourist to the top of the temple and his own mother is going to sacrifice him to Tezcatlipoca, but Izpapolotl with the help of one of the tourist is able to be bathed in one of the murdered tourists blood and it turns her into a massive dragon fly and goes to the top of the temple before the child can be killed. Izpapolotl grabs Tezcatlipoca and flies up into the sky as the sun comes out and burns them both up killing them both in a ball of flames. And in the end only three humans from the group make it out of the jungle alive as many are also killed in the fight between the two Gods.
The story of Tezcatlipoca and Izpapolotl comes to an end in this issue as they clash as each have their own vision of what they want to do with their lives as Izpapolotl wants to wait for Boone to find the promised land so that she can live under the law and rules of Baphomet while Tezcatlipoca wants to live in the promise land but also before he is called home wants to once more be feared and worshiped by humans and this means killing some of them. And even at one point Tezcatlipoca even hints that he wants to once more eat human flesh and even makes love to one of the female tourist and makes her even want to kill her husband and child to please him. And Izpapolotl goes from being a grub to becoming a massive badass dragon fly in order to stop her one time lover once and for all as she flies them up to the sun to burn to a crisp in it’s rays. This comic shows two things really and that’s: one, how people can be turned into helping commit terrible crimes and kills by fear, control and false promises and two, that once Midian has fallen that many of The Nightbreed are out of control and Tezcatlipoca much like Muliciber has started to turn almost wild in his quest to regain his past glories as well as kill humans. I do like Tezcatlipoca as he is a very cool looking Nightbreed and I also like that he is very violent but also very wise and has lots of knowledge to share. The issue has blood, gore and violence and the best kill is to the Mom when Tezcatlipoca during his battle with Izpapolotl claws half of her face off and causes her to fall from a great height. The cover is pretty cool as well as shows Izpapolotl in her grub form with Mark Nelson once more returning to do the interior art. The last two issues were a very interesting story arch that was about Nightbreed and did not focus on Boone at all and was more about the chaos he and Lori have caused The Nightbreed and those who are now displaced cause of the fall of Midian.
Nightbreed # 13 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 13 of 25
Mr. Algernon Kinder is having Terry and Janey over for diner as he wants to bring him into The Temple Of The Risen King and claims with it will come lots of wealth, but his oddness and gross nature makes Terry cut the meeting short. Meanwhile Peloquin along with Kinski and Gallows are at the mall and Peloquin acts out and causes a big scene when he steals a tuxedo as well as a pink Cadillac car and the Breed escape into the night. Algernon Kinder is on his way to the Temple and after being questioned by some of his followers he kills them almost as a sacrifice as he causes them to fall to their death. The Nightbreed have a gathering and they are welcoming Bloodybones and Sathan’s child into their tribe, all the while we are treated to Leah Qlipoth having a vision of Rawhead Rex the massive “God” who eats human flesh and wants to bring down mankind and what happened to him in the past, and we learn that she is with Kinder who wants to have Rawhead be reborn and sends some of his goons after the baby of Sathan and attack her while she is in a store getting dippers and baby food as they want her child to help bring Rawhead Rex back to life!
The Nightbreed vs. Rawhead Rex starts with this issue and as I have said before this is the arch that had me hooked on The Nightbreed comic series by Epic Comics and I really again have to thank Hal from the Bookie Parlor for having selling these comics and introducing me to them. The plot of this issue has a weird cultist by the name of Algernon Kinder who along with his mate Leah Qlipoth wanting to bring back Rawhead Rex while many of The Nightbreed are gathering to welcome a child of two of the tribe, but the child has also been selected by Kinder to be used to help the rebirth of Rex! And it ends on a cliffhanger of Kinder’s people having taken the baby from the mother. The Nightbreed characters that are clearly the heroes are the half mooned face Kinski, the rebel and demonic looking Peloquin and Gallows a pale faced female Nightbreed who can use her powers to make things invisible. They are also clearly going to be the three Nightbreed who will stand in the way of the return of Rawhead Rex, and man will they have their hands full. Algernon Kinder is a cold blooded man who tricks rich people into given him money with the idea that they will be apart of some secret cult society when in reality he is using their money to live on as well as bring his “son” Rawhead Rex back to life. Kinder is also very gross as he is crude and even uses the restroom on peoples floor! And at this point we have only seen Rawhead Rex in the past alive and in the present his body…but we all know he is coming back soon! The cover is pretty cool and has Rawhead Rex showing off his razor sharp teeth. Mark Texeira is the interior artist, and he has kind of a painting look to his style. While it’s not what I like in comic,s it is still very much good work. I do also have to say that I like that at least Texeira made Peloquin look like he does in the film so that’s a big thumbs up, and I do wish they could have made Rawhead Rex look like the movie version as that would have been epic. With that, let’s see what the next issue has in store for us as The Nightbreed clashing with Rawhead Rex.
Nightbreed # 14 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 14 of 25
The two followers of Kinder end up cutting out the tongue of Sathan as she tries to protect her infant son Max…but they are able to get the baby away from her. Bloodybones sees his wife dying as she falls on the stores window and he along with Gallows and Kinski the rush to her aid. While at The Nightbreed gathering Peloquin smells the spilt blood of Sathan and rushes to the scene to help. As the followers are able to get past Kinski and Gallows, it’s Peloquin that stops them and is able to save Max. But things turn around fast when Kinder and Leah show up and cause a big distraction and grab Max and make a get away with him…this does not set well with Peloquin who is now raged filled. While Kinder and his followers use Max as well as the blood of a cat to bring back Rawhead Rex, but Kinder was not truly ready for the sight of Rawhead and panics and this leads to him shooting Leah as the bullets pass through Rawhead who is un-phased. While at the convenient store the worker is killed after telling his story to Sheriff Eigerman who has Reverend Ashberry waiting in the car as they are getting closer to finding The Nightbreed and getting their revenge, and worse Ashberry holds the idol that can be used to bring down Rawhead Rex.
In this issue The Nightbreed try and save the child Max from being taken by Kinder and his cult followers, but sadly they fail and Max is taken and is used to bring Rawhead Rex back to life and this foul creature is looking to bring mankind down to their knees, and worse for everyone Reverend Ashberry & Sheriff Eigerman have also entered town and are looking to kill The Nightbreed and also are holding the one thing that can stop Rawhead Rex as well! The Nightbreed truly try and watch out for one another and Peloquin, Kinski, Gallows and Bloodybones all do what they can to save Max and all take the death of Sathan to heart…and clearly Kinder has started a war with them as they will want to avenge the death and the kidnapping of the child. Speaking of Kinder, he and Leah soon learn that they may have made a big mistake when it comes to bringing back Rawhead Rex as the beast is clearly doing to try and rule once more…but is it too late for them to stop what they have caused…well Leah’s time is up as she takes leg full of bullets. The issue has some blood spilled as well as death as Sathan, a store worker and a cat all die in the comic, and its sad that Sathan dies as she does not get to see her child grow up. And for me I really like the build for the Rawhead Rex and Nightbreed showdown as we all know that it’s coming and we all know that its going to be a bloodbath. The cover for this issue showcases Peloquin and is very cool and eye catching as he is one of the films most popular characters. The issue’s interior art is done by the artist team of Dan Lawlis and John Rheaume, and it’s really great stuff as I like the way they draw not only The Nightbreed but also Rawhead Rex. And I have to say that this series and this story arch are holding up for me, and it really is giving me flashbacks to being a youngster and reading these comics.
Nightbreed # 15 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 15 of 25
The Nightbreed have tracked down Kinder and his group as Rawhead Rex is now showing pain, Kinder kicks Leah out the bus after she alerts him that she has always been able to have kids and has just blocked him from having one of his own! The Nightbreed go on the attack as Kinksi attends to Leah, Gallows and Bloodybones attack the followers and Peloquin comes face to face with Kinder and Rawhead Rex! And before things get out of hand, Reverend Ashberry appears a praises Rawhead Rex as his true God and to honor him he destroys the idol and this allows Rawhead to be unleashed and as he rages out, Peloquin calls for backup as Kinski and Gallows comes to his side but they are quickly defeated with even Kinder setting Peloquin on fire. Kinder leads his followers and Rawhead Rex away as The Nightbreed also retreat as the bus is about to explode. Kinder and his followers break into a business and kill and eat the workers as Reverend Ashberry asks for Rawhead to accept him as a follower, and the creature agrees to by peeing on him. And with that Rawhead Rex is the God for Kinder and his followers and they will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. Meanwhile The Nightbreed find that Leah has passed away but she has a baby growing inside her as when Rawhead Rex was shot by Kinder it was in the testicles and some of his seamen has gotten into her!
This issue has Rawhead Rex growing to full power after the one thing that could stop him the idol is destroyed and this allows him to become fearless and as mean and evil as he wants to be! Rawhead also has Max still alive and living inside his stomach, he also has spawn being born inside a deceased woman, his followers are growing and he as proved that he can stand claw to claw with The Nightbreed…so as you can see, Rawhead Rex is one bad force of nature. Kinder is so confused as he goes back and fourth between hating and fearing Rawhead to wanting to follow and learn from him. Kinder’s major heart break comes from learning that he could have had a child all these years and that it was Leah, his Lady In Red, that has lied to him and hide the truth that she could have kids, and worse he cast her out of his life and now she is dead and is pregnant with the child of Rawhead. Reverend Ashberry seems to have forgotten his past religion as well as his hatred for The Nightbreed as he has found his new God and obsession with Rawhead, and he even knowingly destroyed the one thing that could be used to stop him. With The Nightbreed Kinski, Gallows and Bloodybones try and help in the fight with Kinder and Rawhead Rex, but they just cannot bring the creature down and even Peloquin fails to hurt Rawhead in their first fight! The issue has some blood and gore with workers being ripped apart and being eaten the most gruesome. The cover for this issue is cool and shows Max being placed into the mouth of Rawhead Rex and the interior art is done by an army of artist that include Dan Lawlis, Jennifer Lui, John Rheaume, T. Fine and James Hoston, with some of the art being really good and some being very sloppy and distracting as I am not sure why this many artists worked on this issue. Another great issue filled with Nightbreed action and the next issue brings an end to the Rawhead Rex story, so let’s see how it ends.
Nightbreed # 16 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 16 of 25
The Nightbreed trick an ambulance to come to the scene of Leah’s body and then they proceed to steal the vehicle and even take one of the paramedics with them leaving the other behind who is killed by Sheriff Eigerman when the crazed lawman stumbles on him walking home at the side of the road for not answering his questions. Meanwhile Kinder is flashing back to his youth and the day he killed his own father as well as sees visions of a time when Rawhead Rex was a race that would kill and eat humans as well as forcefully mate with human women. The Nightbreed arrive and leave a trap for Kinder and his group as they alert them that Rawhead Rex is soon to be a father, and The Nightbreed themselves are waiting at a rundown alligator farm with the hope that Leah’s yet to be born child can be used against Rawhead Rex and let them save Max. As Kinder brings Rawhead and his followers to the location, Bloodybones tricks Rawhead into eating him and once in his stomach he starts looking for Max, while Gallows attacks the two followers getting nooses around their necks and the crazed Sheriff Eigerman arrives and kills the two followers with his shotgun. The kidnapped paramedic is given the cue to try and force a labor from the body of Leah as Peloquin goes out to fight with Rawhead Rex as during this fight Eigerman and Ashberry fall into the ponds and are attacked by alligators. Leah gives birth and the child is a female and it rushes to attack her father Rawhead who is forced to puke up everything he has eaten over the centuries, thanks to Bloodybones and Max who are puked up and grabbed and taken to safety by Kinski. The rotten bodies in the puke grab and pull Rawhead Rex in ending his reign of terror for good. And Kinder himself is also killed when alligators rip him apart. Leah has returned as a zombie and her creature daughter along with the female paramedic end up joining The Nightbreed.
This was the final issue in The Nightbreed vs. Rawhead Rex story and it all comes to an end at a gator farm that leaves Kinder and all his followers dead as well as brings an end to Rawhead Rex as well as the Reverand and Sheriff that has been hunting them as they all have their lives snuffed out. The Nightbreed that are Kinski, Peloquin, Gallows, Bloodybones and Max truly all work together and they bring down Rawhead Rex by using his own spawn against him as well as the rotting corpses of those he had killed over the years. It was also very cool to see Leah return from the dead and help her creature daughter make the right choice of being good and fighting against her evil father. And it is crazy that Sheriff Eigerman and Reverend Ashberry both meet their end in this issue and neither get their revenge against The Nightbreed and instead end up in the belly of alligators. While I love this story arc I will say that for those wanting to see a big fight between Peloquin and Rawhead Rex will be disappointed and even as a youngster I always said that they should have gotten The Berserkers to fight Rawhead as that would have been a awesome fight! This issue does have some blood, guts and gross moments and that will very much please horror comic readers who like lots of gruesome moments in their comics. I should say that I wish that Rawhead Rex would have had a bigger fight in the end before being taken down, but I am fine with the idea of his daughter and his past victims being the ones that bring him down. The cover for this issue is awesome as it shows Peloquin showing down with Rawhead Rex and this time around the art team of Dan Lawlis and Ricardo Villagran did the interiors, and I really liked both of their styles even though their version of Peloquin was a little weird looking. And really this story arc is what made me a full reader of The Nightbreed series and after all these years I still love it and this was a great time revisiting. With that, let’s get to the next issue and see if it keeps up the three star ratings!
Nightbreed # 17 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 17 of 25
Ignatius is a very heavyset, blind man who is also Nightbreed as he comes from a family of shape shifters and he is living in the city in a rundown station. He fights the hunger of eating human flesh as he walks among them with many people being very kind to him. Ignatius eats lots of junk food and also eats very weird things that he finds in the trashcans and dumpsters and that’s clipped human hair and nails from both fingers and toes. But when Ignatius comes across the scene of a bad auto accident he drinks some of the blood that is on the street and also finds and takes home a finger for one of the crash victims…he makes the mistake of eating it and gets a taste for it, he even sneaks himself into the morgue and tries to eat the flesh of a dead person, but it just makes him sick. Ignatius heads out and finds a lone man and attacks him to eat him and does so by becoming a giant rat, but he is caught in the act by Boone who tries to save him by once more telling him the law, Ignatius knows that he has broken it and for him there is no going back so he jumps in front of a train and kills himself to stop the hunger.
This is such a strange and great issue in The Nightbreed series from Epic as we follow Ignatius a Nightbreed who lives among humans who tries to fight off the hunger of eating human flesh, but when he makes the mistake of tasting it he becomes a crazed killer who is looking for that meat to stop the hunger…and in the end when he is caught by Boone who is Cabal the chosen one, he chooses to die for his sins. Ignatius is a interesting character as he is blind, weighs well over 400 pounds and is a shape shifter who likes to eat junk food and being around humans as he likes their smells as well as fighting that temptation of eating them! And it’s clear that he also loved his family who are also Nightbreed and can change their appearances. It was also nice to see Boone return as he has been missing for many issues now and it’s clear he showed up to try and help Ignatius and bring him back to the laws of Baphomet. The issue does have some blood with it mostly coming from accident victims as well as the body of a dead woman at the morgue. The cover is cool and shows Ignatius on the train tracks eating human flesh. The interior art work is really well done and is very fitting for this story, and the two artist who worked on this issue was Andy Paquette and Ron McCain. A very cool stand-alone issue that brings Boone back into the story and briefly introduced us to Ignatius, a Nightbreed who could not control his hunger. I also want to point out we are seventeen issues into this series an we still have no Shuna Sassi, Leroy Gomm, Lude or any of the others that were missing since issue one.
Nightbreed # 18 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 18 of 25
A werewolf is roaming the snow-covered woods and is killing off locals and this has caused them to want to fight back! Meanwhile Boone as sent Peloquin, Narcisse, Nickneven, Oral, Mae, Mexico and Ghost to track it down as it is causing issues for The Nightbreed as the werewolf is breaking the laws of Baphomet. And during the tracking Mae is killed by the werewolf who rips her apart, and Peloquin is too late to save her as she was his lover and now he wants to track and kill this werewolf. Meanwhile in town is hunter Benjamin Sweeney who tells them that he will flush out their werewolf and kill it, and later that night he finds one of the local females is a werewolf and stabs her and then chases her into the woods as she is bleeding badly, and is able to kill her. Aas the female werewolf is dying, Benjamin cuts off her foot for a trophy as well as starts eating part of her…he also finds some strange looking bones and knows that it means Nightbreed are around! We join The Nightbreed who are in a cave and around a fire when another werewolf comes into the cave and warns them that trouble is coming for them.
In this issue some of The Nightbreed lead by Peloquin are sent to a small town during the cold winter to find a rogue werewolf that has been killing people, and worse while they are looking for this monster Mae is killed and this sets Peloquin off as she was his lover and he wants to get revenge for her. But unknown to The Nightbreed the town is the home of three werewolves and one has been killed by a crazed hunter named Benjamin Sweeney who kills for sport and fun and gets off slaughtering man, beast and monsters as he is just truly a cold blooded cruel killer. Benjamin even likes to use a knife to kill his prey as he likes to make things die slowly and even more weird he likes to eat parts of his victims. And all of us readers know that we are going to see a showdown between Benjamin Sweeney and Peloquin ,and it will be bloody! We also learn that The Nightbreed are looking for someone named McDougal, and we are not sure why just yet. The poor female werewolf is brutally killed and her mate can do nothing to save her and must listen to her screams of pain, and you know that he as well is going to want to kill Benjamin. The issue has some good kills and has lots of blood spilt from both humans and monsters. The cover is awesome and shows a werewolf and is very eye catching for fans of werewolves, and the interior art is well done and artist Tony Harris is the one who did it. Over all another good issue that this time around introduces werewolves into the world of The Nightbreed. Oh it was also nice seeing Mexico in this issue even if he does look very different from how he appears in the film.
Nightbreed # 19 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 19 of 25
Peloquin goes on the attack and tries to kill the werewolf (Jonathan) who fights back and tries to tell the angered Nightbreed that it was not him who killed his lady Mae, and after fighting back and forth it’s Oral who gets everyone to calm down and talk. He tells them that McDougal who was a werewolf that turned them all into one was killed by a werewolf named Erik who has gone crazy as he craves the meat of humans as well as fellow Nightbreed, and Erik is also the one who killed Mae. Back in town another person is killed and Benjamin Sweeney returns to town and tells some of the locals about the werewolf as well as about The Nightbreed being near and how they need to die as well as they are monsters and freaks. The locals do not believe him and head to the cave to see the dead werewolf just to find her turned back into her human form, and worse her husband is one of them that find her…they think Benjamin killed her and is mocking them all. The Nightbreed sneak into town and Narcisse goes into the local bar looking for Erik as he is the only one who can pass as a normal human as he explains his half missing face as skin cancer. But things go wrong when the locals spot Peloquin and Jonathan who is still a werewolf and start shooting at them, causing Peloquin to have to steal a car and get them all to a safe spot. Meanwhile Erik who is in his human form leads Benjamin into the woods as he tells him he knows were The Nightbreed are, and as they are deep in the woods Erik turns into the werewolf to have a showdown with Benjamin as Oral, Mexico, Ghost and Nickneven hear the howl they know that the odds are against them to survive.
In this issue we learn that only one of the werewolves is a killer who enjoys the flesh of man and beast and he is tricking the crazed hunter Benjamin Sweeney into going into the woods with him to hunt down The Nightbreed, and Erik is a true crazed werewolf who enjoys killing and it’s clear that he as well is looking forward to having a fight to the death with both Benjamin Sweeney as well as The Nightbreed. While Benjamin Sweeney is just as scummy as he was in the last issue as he truly likes taking lives, but now he might find himself on the other side of a slaughter. We also see that Jonathan who is another of the werewolves in that town is a follower of the law of Baphomet and is trying to help The Nightbreed get out of town as well as get revenge on Erik for killing one of their own. Peloquin is pissed off at the world over the death of Mae and will not leave the town until he stops Erik for good, and that means even leaving some of his fellow Nightbreed into some dangerous areas. Meanwhile it also seems that Narcisse is helping feeding the crazed nature of Peloquin as he even enters the town with him to find out information and is ready to kill if he has to. Mexico is around hanging back at the fire with the other Nightbreed, and while he is not doing much it still is very cool seeing him on these pages. I am a big fan of werewolves in films, comics, novels and games so this story arch is another that I have been a fan of since I was a kid…and in fact, I think that it’s a better read now that I am older! The cover is cool and has Peloquin jumping through a car window, and once more Tony Harris does a great job on the issues interior art. Over all like all before it this issue is a fun and great read and the werewolf story comes to an end with the next issue.
Nightbreed # 20 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 20 of 25
In the dark of night some of the locals armed with guns head into the night looking for Benjamin Sweeney as they think he is a serial killer and the one who has been killing the townspeople. Meanwhile Benjamin with his trusty knife is fight with the werewolf Erik as both are landing slashes the blood is starting to flow and each have a respect for one another’s bloodlust. Peloquin along with Jonathan and Narcisse get ride of some locals in a truck trying to follow them and head to the battle that is taking place in the woods. Jonathan runs ahead of his fellow Nightbreed and breaks up the fight and tries to warn Erik that they are coming to kill them, but instead Erik slashes Jonathan open leaving him to die in the snow as Benjamin heads off to kill The Nightbreed by the fire. As Peloquin and Narcisse arrive Jonathan tells them that he had to warn Erik of their attack as they are friends…but now he knows that Erik is a lost cause and as Narcisse stays with the dying werewolf it is Peloquin that heads off to stop and kill both Erik and Benjamin this night. Benjamin finds The Nightbreed camp and goes after them, but it’s Peloquin that stops him from killing any of them and roughs up the hunter and gives him a five-minute head start to run before he kills him. Meanwhile the locals find Jonathan as a werewolf as well as Narcisse and they are not afraid of them as they know that the werewolf is their friend and drinking pal when human…so they decide to help him and get him the medical help he needs to live. While in the woods it turns into a fight between Peloquin, Werewolf Erik and Benjamin and all three want to see the others die a horrible death. As the locals show up along with Jonathan and Narcisse they watch as Erik takes down Benjiman and then Peloquin goes after Erik as they all have reasons for wanting revenge against the other. And after a quick fight Peloquin kills Erik, and Benjamin who is dying starts to turn into a werewolf and gets shot and killed by the husband of the female werewolf he killed…and now everyone has gotten their revenge. The Nightbreed burn their dead and head home to meet with Boone and Jonathan has joined them.
In this issue the small town becomes more safe as the killer werewolf Erik as well as crazed killer hunter Benjamin Sweeney as they both are shown to be guilty of killing people in the town and both have a thrill on trying to kill each other as they find the other as a good hunt and a trophy for their kill count. Benjamin Sweeney is such a scumbag as he gloats about his kills and seems to truly get off on killing, and it great when he is turned into a werewolf and gets his head blown off by the human husband of the female werewolf he killed. Erik is just as crazy as he does kill and eat humans and fellow Nightbreed, but he is also after Benjamin who has killed town people and blamed the werewolves for his crimes. Jonathan tries to warn his friend that The Breed is coming for him only to be attacked and left for dead and for the Breed to be the ones who watch over him and help him heal…seems like he should have stayed on the side of the true good guys instead of helping his crazed werewolf buddy who would like to see him dead. Peloquin is in a rage and wants nothing but revenge for his mate that was murdered and is able to do just that as he kills the werewolf who took her life, he also helps a human who lost his wife during this madness by giving him words to try and heal by. The issue of course has lots of blood spilled and it really is a good werewolf story. While it was cool that we seen Mexico, I do wish he had a little more of a part and would have helped in the fight against the hunter and the werewolf. Also the issue ends with all The Nightbreed being called home as Boone as been acting strange lately and something is up. The cover for this issue is cool and shows Benjamin and Peloquin with the team of Tony Harris and Max Douglas doing the issues interior art, and I liked both but do have to say that their styles clash slightly. It is cool that the werewolf Jonathan is going back with The Nightbreed as it will be interesting to see if he comes back into play in any later issues.
Nightbreed # 21 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Epic Comics # 21 of 25
Lori is having nightmares about one of the saviors of the Tribes Of The Moon named Ozymandias who wants her to be his and to rule over The Nightbreed! She is awaken from her night terror by Kinski, Peloquin and Narcisse who are looking for Boone as they inform her that she has been asleep for three days and that the area has now been a gathering place for The Nightbreed as hundreds of them have started to show up. They also tell her that Boone as been acting weird and speaking in different voices and that even Breed member Shuna Sassi has gone missing and they soon find her as Guido tells them that Baphomet has her in a cave…they go to find that he is attacking her as he is really Ozymandias who is trying to take over the body and soul of Cabal and can make the other Gods do what he wants as they are sharing the same mind and body that of Boone. Lori along with Kinski, Peloquin and Narcisse save Shuna Sassi from his evil grip and get away knowing that their God is in danger as is all The Nightbreed if he goes fully bad and Ozymandias takes over fully. The return to camp to find that a young human as been slaughtered and that Kushnir Day (a hog faced Nightbreed who appears in the film) is trying to get his fellow Breed to feed on the human meat, and this causes a fight between Kinski and Peloquin as the winner will lead The Nightbreed as their God has been compromised, as Peloquin wants to just eat meat and Kinski wants to rebuild Midian…the two work it out and Lori reminds them of the story of Baphomet and Ozymandias and how they helped lead The Nightbreed centuries back and are the ones who helped them all to continue to live, created Midian and made the law of not eating human meat. And that Ozymandias and Baphomet had a falling out that lead to them not having any respect for each other as each had their own vision of what The Nightbreed should be. As Lori is telling her story looking for a clue on how to defeat Ozymandias he appears and is having the moon eclipsed and threatens to kill all The Nightbreed if they do not give Lori to him!
The Nightbreed are all in trouble as their God Baphomet is being taken over by the evil Ozymandias, a one time friend of their God who has turned his back on his law and teachings as he wants to rule the world and allow The Nightbreed to once more take over by killing the normal humans, eating their meat as well as taking out any Nightbreed that stands in their way. And he is demanding that Lori be given to him and rule by his twisted side. And with Boone aka Cabal and Baphomet sharing the same body now that took place in the two issue mini series called “Jihad” that was a crossover of Nightbreed and Hellraiser. Ozymandias is a terrible creature as he clearly does not care about others and just wants his fellow Nightbreed to break their old laws and follow him blindly. We are treated to many of The Nightbreed in this issue as returning faces like Lori, Kinski, Peloquin, Narcisse, Gudio and Baphomet appear and we finally get to see Shuna Sassi and Kushnir Day! And it only took 21 issues before Shuna Sassi appeared and that’s a shame as she should have been one of the comic’s big stars. But it’s clear that in this issue many of The Nightbreed are confused as Kushnir Day seems to be following the rule of Ozymandias and is trying to get his fellow Breed members to eat human flesh. And it clear that we are heading to a showdown between Ozymandias and his followers and Baphomet and his. And here is hopping that we will also see more faces from the film appear and be involved in this inner fighting of The Nightbreed…it would also be nice to see returning original characters from this series like Oral, Jonathan and so on and see what side they choose. A very interesting concept here as it is clear that Lori and her friends in The Breed are going to have to be the heroes. The cover is very cool and eye catching as it shows many of The Nightbreed members and those being Kinski, Shuna Sassi, Peloquin and Gallows. The interior art is done by Colleen Doran and is good stuff as Doran captures the look and moods of The Nightbreed. With that said I am very happy to finally have Shuna Sassi in the comic series and am looking forward to reliving how this story plays out on these comic pages.
Nightbreed # 22 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Epic Comics # 22 of 25
Lori is being hunted down by the followers of Ozymandias and when one captures her Kinski and Peloquin come to her aid as Narcisse creates a diversion by setting the tent homes of the Breed on fire! While inside his newly built temple Ozymandias eats on human meat and demands that his followers bring him Lori, even taking his anger out on Kushnir Day and we also see that he has taken Guido and Shuna Sassi prisoner. Meanwhile trapped inside his own mind is Boone alongside other failed saviors of The Nightbreed who tell him that Ozymandias has taken over the body and that Baphomet’s spirit is imprisoned so that he can not use his powers to take over, Boone hopes that Lori can remember in her dream how to defeat Ozymandias or he is doomed forever. Meanwhile Lori remembers back to her dream that involved the history of Ozymandias as Kinski, Peloquin and Narcisse listen trying to help find that one clue. She tells of the day Ozymandias became a God and Baphomet returned and created Sekhmet who went and killed all those of The Breed who followed Ozymandias and his laws, and with that they find the answer it’s the poison quills of Shuna Sassi that can kill Ozymandias…and they also know that it will kill Boone…but they must do it for the sake of The Nightbreed as well as the normal humans of the world. Ozymandias leads his followers to a small town and has the idea to kill everyone and for all of them to eat meat tonight, while Lori and her friends find Shuna Sassi and get her ready to kill this false God while Boone inside his own mind gets the failed saviors who are also all trapped there to join in his quest to free the spirit of Baphomet with the promise of forgiveness and a second chance. They are able to free Baphomet and with that Ozymandias is defeated as he is distracted by Shuna Sassi leaving him open for the attack and allowing Boone to be in control of his mind and body and he calls The Nightbreed back and tells them the New Midian is about to happen.
This battle between Ozymandias and Baphomet ends as Boone and Lori in two different places work together unknowingly to bring down this false God down and reunite The Nightbreed under the one true law of Baphomet. Lori is the key who keeps many of the Nightbreed sane as they stand by her side and want to try and save Boone as well as rid themselves of Ozymandias who cares about ruling and consume lots of human meat in order to gain control and rule with fear. This issue also really does show that Lori is a strong character as she might not be a powerful Nightbreed, she is a smart one who stands by her man as well as friends and will do what she thinks is right. And Boone aka Cabal is shown that while he is powerful he does have a weak side and is bullied in this issue as Ozymandias liked to enter their shared mind and shove him around and even almost kill him just for his own humor. Kinski, Peloquin and Narcisse are The Nightbreed who stay loyal to Boone and risk their own lives in order to help Lori in her quest to stop the false God who is trying to corrupt their fellow Breed family. And I am super happy that Shuna Sassi has finally arrived in this comic series and after being attacked and injured, she finds that her poisoned quills can kill Ozymandias and this makes her a threat to his quest to rule, and it also shows Shuna Sassi as being a strong member of The Breed who sticks by Boone and the others. Guido is around again in this issue but does not get to show off any of his power, nor does he even get to help in the final fight. The Nightbreed member Kushnir Day who in the film is the one that plays the drums on the side of the walls to warn the others, in this issue and last has turned on Boone and is following Ozymandias as he tries to help corrupt his fellow Breed into eating meat and also acts as the law giver for this false God. It’s a shame that Kushnir Day turned rogue and lets hope in the next issues he returns to redeem himself. The cover is really cool as it shows Boone along with the failed saviors fighting Ozymandias inside the head of Baphomet, and like the last issue Colleen Doran does the interior art and its great stuff. While this struggle between Ozymandias and Baphomet could have lasted a few more issues, the good Nightbreed showed that the true law is that of Baphomet.
Nightbreed # 23 ***
Released in 1993 Cover Price $2.50 Epic Comics # 23 of 25
Boone is at the table with Nickneven as well as Kinski, Narcisse, Lori and Oral as they discuss that Peloquin is missing and it seems to be tied into The Berserkers as she tells them a story of how when those uncontrollable beast first got to Midian they attacked Peloquin and his lady, and this attack left him injured and her dead and that lately he has been acting very weird. Narcisse has heard enough and wants to go out and find his missing friend, while out in the wild Peloquin has found dead bodies that have been eaten and is on the trail of The Berserker the same one that killed his lady all those years back so this is personal, and not just a hunt for a Breed that has broken the law of Baphomet. The Berserker is on a full rampage as he can only remember small parts of his past life before he became this mindless killing machine, when he was a normal Nightbreed who as experimented on during World War I and turned into this thing. Peloquin and The Berserker finally meet up and the two start fighting with The Berserker having the upper hand, but when Narcisse shows up and distracts the crazed monster, Peloquin is able to strike and beat The Berserker to death with a tree branch and then set the body on fire…end this quest for revenge. He and Narcisse then head out to a local bar be beat up on some cowboys and then make it with the ladies in order to get rid of all their stress.
This issue is all about Peloquin and his hunt for a Berserker that way back in the day killed his lady when these crazed beasts were brought to Midian, and how he bottled up his anger for years…but now he can get his revenge as The Berserker goes on a rampage of killing and eating people. The Berserker was once a normal Nightbreed who back in the time of World War I was turned into The Berserker by a madman, and only for small glimpses does he remember his past…but most of his life now he is driven by rage, the urge to kill and eat the flesh of mankind. Plus all his fellow Berserkers were killed off in the Jihad mini-series by Pinhead and the Cenobites, making him the last of his kind. Peloquin has been waiting years for this moment to get his revenge on this this Berserker for killing one of his lovers, when you think about it so many of Peloquin’s mates have died and he goes on lots of quests for revenge in this series. Some of the other Nightbreed that make appearances here are Boone, Kinski, Narcisse, Oral, Nickneven and Lori who are the ones who set up the story by talking around the table about the history between the two. The fight between the two is a little short but it does go back and fourth and Peloquin is able to squeak out the win and then brutally kills The Berserker and goes over board in the killing. The issue does have some blood and gore but is not over the top. The cover features Peloquin and is good with Max Douglas being the interior artist and his style is good in this issue. Over all a good issue with a fun story for fans of the character Peloquin, and with that lest see what the next issue has in store for us.
Nightbreed # 24 ***
Released in 1993 Cover Price $2.50 Epic Comics # 24 of 25
A man’s car has broken down in the woods and is scared when a van comes speeding by and Kinski, Peloquin and Leroy Gomm are in this van and this scares him to his core! And as the man turns he sees Babette and follows here into the woods and around a camp fire Boone, Lori, Narcisse, Shuna Sassi, Guido and Rachel stand and have to take him prisoner for seeing them, and after knocking him out they leave the area. During all this Lori lets Boone know that she does not like Shuna Sassi who is very sexual in nature. And the next day as Guido is driving them out of town Lori sits up front with him and tells him a story about the first time she meet Boone and how he saved her from a drug dealer at a carnival, and how they fell in love and his time with Doctor Decker and how she still loves him. Guido tells her of his past how he was born in Midian but felt he didn’t fit in and how he lived and worked among the normal people, and how he got good at fixing cars. And how Boone saved his life during the attack on Midian, but his boyfriend was killed. Lori then tells Guido that Boone still dreams about Shuna Sassi and this makes her so mad as she feels he does not love her anymore. Guido gives his worries that Boone as sent Kinski, Peloquin and Leroy Gomm away and on a different path to find the new Midian. Meanwhile a group of kids are messing with a Ouija board and it creeps them out, so they make the owner of the board run into the waters of a alligator farm and as he gets close to the water Ishmael The God Of The Lonely appears and this creature is a mix of Rawhead Rex, Kinder, Reverend Ashberry and Sheriff Eigerman! And then the young man who they knocked out and left behind is Steve a reporter who is now on the hunt to expose The Nightbreed to the world.
This issue is really playing up the drama among The Nightbreed and add more baddies for them to over come as Steve is a reporter who can cause the world to think that monsters live among them and this will cause fear and even attacks of Nightbreed, they kind of made the mistake of letting him live when he first stumbled on them. And the other major threat is the formation of their past enemies now in one body calling it’s self Ishmael The God Of The Lonely and we at this point have zero clue what it is capable of and what its true goal will be. The main story here is that Boone and Lori are having issues in their relationship as they are arguing and fighting, as Lori is very jealous of Shuna Sassi due to Boone dreaming about her at night. Shuna Sassi is very sexual and this also adds to Lori’s hatred for her. We also get to know Guido a little better, the Breed member who can remove his spine and find out that he had a boyfriend who died during the attacks on Midian and that Boone is the one who saved him. In the issue we also get to see the returning Breed of Kinski, Peloquin, Narcisse, Shuna Sassi, Rachel and Babette and we finally get appearances by Leroy Gomm and Lude! And with only one issue left it will be very interesting to see how this story arch as well as the series comes to an end. The issue is pretty bloodless and is more of a set up for the new enemy characters as well as the story of how Lori meet Boone. The cover once more showcases Peloquin as it’s clear they looked at him as the star of the comic series. The interior art is great and done by Derek Yaniger as he like many before him captures the mood of the subject matter. With that let’s see how this series ends and if Boone finds that New Midian that he has promised to find.
Nightbreed # 25 ***
Released in 1993 Cover Price $2.50 Epic Comics # 25 of 25
Steve has written and gotten his article printed in the newspaper all about The Nightbreed and this is a very bad thing for them. Boone wonders if The Nightbreed could like among the normal heroes and that is when Shuna Sassi tells her back story of having to kill a senator as well a officer of the law as she use to be a call girl and both were in love with her and this lead to the killing of her daughter, so she made them both pay. Boone decides that New York will become the New Midian and as called everyone home to help take the city over. And they all come as its Halloween night and the city is filled with people in costumes and this will make it a perfect time to strike! And in the city many of The Nightbreed come to do their part of the plan and this includes Shuna Sassi, Kinski, Peloquin, Narcisse, Nickneven among other causing panic in the city as The Nightbreed go into the subway system and even rebuild Baphomet, but Lori was not suppose to be in the subway but she comes anyway and watches as Ishmael The God Of The Lonely appears and attacks killing Boone in the process as Shuna Sassi has to use her poison quills in order to kill Ishmael and her quills as well is what helps seal the fate of Boone…as this has been his dream and he ordered Shuna Sassi to do her action during the fight. But Baphomet uses his powers to bring Boone back to life and the Nightbreed try and get their new underground home safe, and even Shuna Sassi uses her quills to kill the reporter Steve in order for him to not write anymore stories, and The Breed place drugs in the water to make the towns people think that the monster they seen were just apart of the hallucinations. It ends with Shuna Sassi dancing in the moonlight.
The Nightbreed comic series from Epic Comics comes to an end and The New Midian is in New York City in the subways underground and they must find a way to bring peace and safety to all The Nightbreed as the normal people of the world are still very much a threat. This issue does a very good job of trying to cram so much story into the pages as its clear that the series was suppose to last longer than it did, so they did the newspaper part to fill in some of the storyline and while it is a letdown it at least works to help wrap up the story. Boone is once more the hero of The Nightbreed as he himself leads them to their new home, he is willing to sacrifice his own self in order to protect them all and even tries his best to spare Lori the heartbreak…but in the end of course Baphomet restores his life. Lori learns that Boone loves her and that his dreams about Shuna Sassi are just about the events that will take place to bring down Ishmael, and not dreams of love and passion. And we see that Boone and Lori have found a new place for The Nightbreed to live and for Baphomet to be rebuilt. Shuna Sassi is shown to be a powerful member of The Nightbreed as her poisoned quills in this series is what brings down powerful enemies like Ishmael The God Of The Lonely and Ozymandias, and to me it is so odd that she did not show up in the series until towards the end of its run. Besides Boone the comics main Nightbreed stars are clearly Kinski, Narcisse and Peloquin as they are featured in almost every issue and are the ones who seem the most loyal to Boone and Baphomet. I do have to say that I wish throughout this series we had gotten more from characters like Lude, Leroy Gomm and Kushnir Day and that at times we would not have such harsh changes in the art as it seemed almost every issue was done by a different person and sometimes one issue would have multiple artist, as at times it was very distracting as some of their styles were very much different and that would mean characters would look very different from issue to issue. The series as well had its fare share of blood, guts, gore and nudity and over all the comic really did feel like it could be apart of the film it was based on and that is what is important, but while the feel was there some of the changing creative team issues does cause moments of being disjointed. I also hate that Epic Comics ended the series with a quick wrap up issues as I wish they had allowed them to fully let the story play out. The cover for this issue has Shuna Sassi with the interior art done this time by Phil Hester and his style is pretty good and he draws the characters well. Over all I really like the Nightbreed comic series from Epic and it is one that has held up for me over all these years, and it was great revisiting it after all these years. Check out the artwork below to see the styles used in this series.
Nightbreed is such a great film that features amazing looking characters and shows that mankind can be so cruel to those who are different even those who just want to be left alone. I also think that the film is often overlooked when people talk about the horror films of the early 1990’s, and it deserves a lot more praise than it gets. I also think that the comic series for me is the best thing that Epic Comics released, and that’s saying something as they had many great releases! But I think that it’s time for us to step away from Midian and the Nightbreed as our next update will take us to space and to a planet filled with prisoners and one pissed off Xenomorph that acts like a dog…and I am of course talking about Alien 3 and the Dark Horse Comics adaptation series of the film. So until next time read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as I hear that they can’t hear you scream in space.
