Written By: Steve Niles
Artist: Damien Worm
Lettering By: Shawn Lee
Cover by: Damien Worm
Published By: IDW Publishing
Let me begin by confessing that I have not read any of the previous issues of this comic, and only a couple issues of The October Faction main storyline. I am not as drawn to this series as I was to some of Steve Niles’ other books (that I happen to have gotten signed when I met him not once, but twice – okay, enough bragging).
From the get go, the premise is a little bit…tired. I think it could have been exciting to see this monster hunting family if it had been done a little more creatively, but the books I’ve looked into, including this issue, have left me wanting. I think one of the reasons the story doesn’t leave a lasting impression is that the characters are quite flat, even for a horror comic. There’s no real meat to them and so I don’t feel like a ton is at stake when they’re in danger. The dialogue is strong in some parts and cheesy in some other parts; it certainly doesn’t live up to my expectations of Niles, who has previously written some great lines.
The artwork is cool; the style fits the genre well, but there is also something lacking here. The backgrounds of most of the panels are sparse, and sometimes it works and other times, I just feel that I don’t have enough to flesh out the space. Another aspect that annoyed me was that the angles and views of the scenes and characters were pretty repetitive, which was a letdown for such an action heavy comic. Now let’s talk colors. I like the mood created by the colors, but sometimes they really made me cringe, particularly the magic bursts of fire and well, magic. There could have been a lot more to these that would have filled some of those empty spaces…just saying.
I’m not entirely disappointed; the comic had its moments and I don’t regret reading it. However, this is one series I don’t think I’ll be checking into anymore. It’s just not twisted or scary enough, which I never thought I’d be saying about a Steve Niles book. I’m still a fan of his, though, and I have really been looking forward to Delta 13. I hope it delivers all of the stuff that was missing from The October Faction for me.
Overall: 6/10
Tee LaFrance Todd writes, edits, reads, explores, and creates whenever she can find the time. When she’s not engaged in some form of storytelling, you can find Tee traversing the world with her husband and her dog, making things, reading tarot cards, and generally striving to live a life beyond anything she can imagine.
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