ENDLESS NIGHT #1 – Review

ENDLESS NIGHT #1, by Mad Cave Studios on 6/4/25, launches the crossover event of the Summer for Mad Cave when all forces converge on Exit City to stop a murderous plot.

Credits:

• Writer: Mark London
• Artist: Tom Derenick
• Colorist: Juancho Velez
• Letterer: Simon Bowland
• Cover Artist: Chris Weston (cover A)
• Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
• Release Date: June 4, 2025
• Comic Rating: Mature (language, some gore)
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: 32
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

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Analysis of ENDLESS NIGHT #1:

Plot Analysis:

Endless Night #1 starts where Revolution 9, Exit City, and Hour Of The Wolf leave off. The issue begins with the Council of Nine from Revolution 9 contacting Axel Black to invite him to join the Council now that Volta is dead at the hands of Velveteen. Axel accepts, but his admission relies on the completion of two tasks. First, he must retrieve a dangerous, supernatural clock that eats people from the brother of Exit City’s founder as a gift for the Council. Second, Axel must kill the hacker Jasper Dean as a loophole to the amnesty agreement the Council made with Velveteen in exchange for her silence about the Council’s dealings.

Axel decides to kill two birds with one stone. He retrieves the clock and orders his lieutenant, Bosko, to put the clock in Jasper Dean’s hotel room to eliminate the hacker. Unfortunately, the plan doesn’t work out. Dean hears a weird ticking in his room and asks to be moved. Later, the night manager checks the abandoned room and is promptly eaten by the clock. The Exit City detectives, Miller and McCormick, arrive to investigate the night manager’s death at nearly the same time as Owen from Wolvenheart arrives to retrieve the clock.

Elsewhere, Jasper Dean calls Velveteen about the commotion, so she orders him to escape the hotel while she hops a flight to Exit City. Axel, hearing about the failure to kill Jasper Dean, flies off the handle and orders Bosko to eliminate everyone in the hotel who could be a witness. The issue ends with a wild firefight late at night.

First Impressions:

Writer Mark London takes readers on a break-neck ride as competing forces with conflicting agendas converge on Exit City, where nobody is safe. Mad Cave promised to bring their new collection of titles together, so Endless Night #1 accomplishes just that, but be warned. This first issue is not a great jumping-on point.

Artwork and Presentation:

Tom Derenick does a bang-up job delivering a litany of familiar characters, explosive action, dramatic framing, and eye-catching panel angles. Derenick has to carry the weight of a rapid-fire progression of characters, scenes, and plot developments, but the visual progression and scenes are as smooth as glass.

Art Samples:

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Story Positives & Negatives:

The Positives:

If you’re a fan of Mad Cave’s latest collection of series, you’re going to love seeing these characters come together as enemies (or friends) when the Council of Nine sets off a cascade of actions. Mark London’s script is fast-paced, action-packed, and filled with surprises.

The Negatives:

Endless Night #1 falls short in a couple of areas that may or may not be a stumbling block, depending on the reader. First, London’s script puts heavy reliance on foreknowledge of the characters, their roles, and their importance in the grand scheme of things to understand the implications of what’s happening. If you’re crossing over widely known characters, such as Batman and Spider-Man, it wouldn’t be a problem, but new characters will leave some readers thinking, “Who’s that? Why are they here? Is that person important?”

Second, the event that brings everyone together is a head-scratcher. Why would Axel concoct such a convoluted plan to kill Jasper Dean when it’s fraught with opportunities to go wrong, as it does here? In effect, the “heroes” come together when the night manager is killed by a clock that eats people. The Council of Nine didn’t ask Axel to do that. He could have easily taken out Jasper Dean with a sniper attack. In effect, the inciting incident that brings everyone together is Axel’s ill-conceived plan, which doesn’t sit right when you consider he lives in a city designed for super geniuses.

Big Picture:

Series Continuity:

If it wasn’t clear by now, it helps to have read the group of titles where the characters appearing in Endless City #1 source from. That includes Revolution 9, Hour Of The Wolf, and Exit City.

Final Thoughts:

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ENDLESS NIGHT #1 begins Mad Cave’s big crossover when the character from Revolution 9 and Hour Of The Wolf converge on Exit City to stop a murderous conspiracy. Mark London’s script is packed with action and energy when Axel’s evil plan goes awry, and the artwork is great. That said, the inciting incident that brings everyone together is a bit wonky, and you’ll need to have read the other titles to understand the players.

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