"NEVER BY NIGHT," A Mixed Bag Of Frights That Still Delivers The Creeps (REVIEW)

Some of the best memories we have as kids were rainy summer days when comic books fanned out around us as we jumped from issues of “UNEXPECTED”, “WEREWOLF BY NIGHT”, “WEIRD WAR TALES”, and “HOUSE OF MYSTERY.”  The creepier, the better. Often the hero came up short, suffering a horrible fate that hammered home some morality tale that probably went sky high over our heads.  Jonathan Chance brings those long-gone days back to the present with his chilling horror anthology “NEVER BY NIGHT VOL. 1: DISTURBING PASSAGES INTO THE UNKNOWN.”  Four frightful tales ranging from the sublime to the melancholy, each featuring stunning artwork by some of the most talented creatives working in the industry today. Each story is creepier than the next and will keep your Halloween buzz going well into the new year. 

Book overview

This Halloween from Jonathan Chance, writer and creator of nightmare hits PERMADEATH and COVER THE DEAD WITH LIME, comes a brand-new collection of horror stories. For anthology fans, new and old (school) comes a fresh take on the old familiar, and this four-tale 80-page graphic novel is no one-shot. It's a year-shot fright pass to a brand-new scare library.

Welcome to your newest annual event read.

NEVER BY NIGHT: Disturbing Passages into the Unknown

There are no hosts. You're all alone.

THE STORIES:

IF I NEVER COME BACK

This was undoubtedly the best of the bunch in terms of story. It felt like a throwback to old EC Comics and Tales From the Crypt head spinners. Our protagonist makes the mistake of trespassing to a location closed to the public for good reason. Like all good spine-tinglers, this one saves the punch for the last panel, and when it hits, it hits hard.  The art by Dell Barras, color by Davi Comodo, and letters by Wes Locher help bring the story to life visually, adding a claustrophobic intensity to the underwater scenes.

CHRONICLES OF THE OCCULT: TENNISON

This tale is the most emotional in the collection. It is a somber ode to turn-of-the-century hauntings and the inescapable pull of fear. A childhood encounter with the supernatural leaves an indelible mark and forever changes a man’s life. The beautiful illustrations by C.E. Zacherl are as haunting as the story itself and stay with you long after the story is done. This one is so lush and emotional that it begs a second reading to soak in those amazing visuals.

RESPECT YOUR ELDERS

This quick, nasty little tale almost hits the mark but doesn’t quite land completely. We think this one could have used a few more pages to flesh out the backstory of our sinister RV Park and the chattering residents within. More backstory for the reader would have helped make the ending hit harder.  The art by Ron Joseph brings the creepy, but the shadows by Teresa Chiechi doing the color take this story to a different level.  Atmospheric and chilling, these panels bring a visual dread that perfectly suits the story.

THIS ONE’S A WINNER

It is the weakest of all the stories and least supported by its art.  Leaning heavily into splatterpunk territory, we find a turmoil-filled family entering a twilight zone of grand guignol proportions.  The story makes little sense other than a vehicle for a torture porn-esque ending that’s less shocking and more shrugging.  The visuals in this one often convey emotions that are the antithesis of what’s happening in the story.  We wish Chance had left this one on the cutting room floor. 

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