NIGHTWALKERS #1, from Source Point Press on January 25th, 2023, imagines an apocalyptic scenario when a group of addicts in a rehab center wakes up to find the world at the mercy of vampires.
The Details
- Written by: Cullen Bunn
- Art by: Joe Bacardo
- Colors by: Colin Johnson
- Letters by: Justin Birch
- Cover art by: Joe Bacardo
- Comic Rating: MA
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: January 25, 2023
Is It Good?
Oof! With every new series we encounter from Cullen Bunn, we’re reminded how brutal and dark Bunn’s stories can be, cementing his place as one of the top horror comics writers around. NIGHTWALKERS #1 ain’t no sparkly, pretty boy vampire story. Things get ugly.
NIGHTWALKERS #1 is a slow burn start. Bunn takes his time introducing readers to Seren, the main character, and her surroundings before the main conflict kicks in. Slow burns can work, but only when done well, and Bunn pulls off the slow burn beautifully. With each page turn, an oppressive feeling of dread builds and builds until you know something horrific is about snap like a too-taut rubber band. When the rubber band snaps, the slow burn boils over into terrifying chaos.
Is the slow burn worth the wait once the action kicks in? You betcha. This is a vampire story, if it wasn’t clear from the cover, but don’t be fooled. The fanged human with funny eyes is not the vampire you encounter in this issue. The monster is truly monstrous, akin to some kind of demon. It moves faster than you can see and kills with the impact of a hapless traveler getting gored by a runaway rhino. In just a few scant panels, you immediately realize the survivors have no chance against the fiend in a straight fight. Within that short period of time, the stakes and threat level jump from 0 to 1,000, paying off the wait immensely.
However, credit where credit is due. Bacardo and Johnson pull off a helluva job projecting a visual atmosphere of looming dread as the day settles into night. The juxtaposition between light, dark, and silhouette creates a type of visual pressure, as if you can feel the heat and humidity rising just before the storm breaks. In fairness, Bacardo’s very loose line work may not be to everyone’s liking, but it works beautifully for this script.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with an introduction to Seren, a troubled young woman spending time in a rehab center, paid for by her wealthy parents. Seren isn’t interested in disciplined participation, and the counselors remind Seren that she needs to work for recovery. Seren takes the reminder under very little advisement.
That evening, the counselors appear nervous and distracted due to strange new reports. They call the patients together and announce an early lights-out. The next morning Seren and the rest of the patients wake up to find all the doors licked and all the counselors gone. All forms of communication are down.
When panic sets in, a few patients run away through a broken window, but Seren and the rest decide to stay until someone in authority shows up. We conclude the issue with nightfall, and somebody coming.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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NIGHTWALKERS #1 reminds readers precisely why Cullen Bunn is quickly becoming the de facto horror comics writer. The slow-burn story subtly builds a looming atmosphere of dread to put readers on edge, and when the tension breaks, you realize the wait was worth it.
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