Comic Review: Night Moves #1

Night Movies #1

IDW Entertainment

Writers: V.J. Boyd and Justin Boyd

Art: Clay McCormack

Night Moves is a new noir horror comic from IDW, written by V.J and Justin Boyd, illustrated by Clay McCormack. The writers use a flashback structure to tell a story about the present day, thus creating both intrigued in the past events of the main character, as well as in his present (our future).

Story:

This comic begins 40 years after the story does. A young boy, tweenish, by his look, pulls to a stop on a hoverboard and enters a house. He’s just about to open a door marked with some arcane symbols and someone grabs his hand. An old man lives in the house. The boy asks for a story and the man begins to tell one. It’s the story of how he lost his one, true love.

Readers go back in time to our current day and age in the teller’s memory… On a night, when he hits on a pretty police detective, three violent priests come in with guns and start shooting. The shooting sparks a series of discoveries and events that propel the assembled cast of characters down a path rife with occult spookiness.

Characters:

The structure of this #1 is intriguing and has everything to do with the main character. His memories serve as the story proper, but whether he is a reliable narrator remains to be seen. While readers will immediately like the character by way of his witty banter and Constantine-esque pessimism, it is difficult to trust him due to the bravado.

The supporting cast is equally likable and interesting. Characters are introduced in a timely fashion. They also feel like real people, not cardboard or caricatures. The detectives, the Hippie leader Diamond Dean, even the throwaway priests have reasons for their actions. It creates a cast of characters readers want to root for and invest in.

Art:

A lot of the noir aspect of this piece is due to the art. Clay McCormack can change tones in his panels, which is essential to this piece. The character(s) present is light, real, and grounded with simple and realistic shadows. The story (and flashback) on the other hand, is thrown into the stark neon light of Las Vegas. The shadows cut and the shadows lace characters’ faces. It is surreal and unbelievable, just as the old man’s recollections are.

Wrap Up:

Night Moves #1 is everything this reader could want from a noir horror flick. It blends the occult and supernatural with mystery and intrigue. The art compliments the subject matter with grit as well as finesse. The big hope is that the future setting of the storyteller comes to play a part later in the series.