Night of the Ghoul #1 Review

The first act.

Creative Staff:
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Francesco Francavilla
Letterer: Andworld Design

What They Say:
A dazzling work of horror, intercutting between the present-day narrative and the story of a lost horror film.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The third new property from Scott Snyder as part of his project ith ComiXology Originals, Night of the Ghoul sets to play in the realm of horror. Scott Snyder is certainly capable of working in this realm and the diverse stories he’s told over the years with his various works, and in more mainstream books, has shown that clearly. But without having to worry about established characters and continuity he’s able to really just put it all out on the table. With this series, which I suspect might be the shortest of the projects, he’s paired with Francesco Francavilla. I adore Francavilla’s artwork in general and the color design he uses, making it an easy purchase just for that. He’s ideal for this story that takes place at night for part of it and in the past for others, which is sepia-soaked. But I also know that he doesn’t stay on really long projects overall, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he puts together here.

The main story in the present focuses on a father named Forrest who is out with his tween so Orson as they look for the hospice home where there’s a man that they’re looking for. Under the pretense of working for an insurance company to get some things finalized before Charles Patrick’s death, the reality is that father and son are strong horror movie fans and that the man they’re after, Patrick, is a pseudonym for a movie director who produced a true classic that was never seen in full decades ago. It’s a dicey kind of thing for Forrest to try and pull off, never mind with his son in tow, Inman claims that Forrest is wrong about all of this when he meets him, and Patrick certainly looks like he’s on death’s door, but Forrest has the receipts and the proof that he really is T.F. Merritt, a great writer, and director.

Pulling out some of the original film reel, Forrest Innman shows that he has a chunk of the 1946 film Night of the Ghoul that was destroyed prior to its original release. That has him talking about pieces of it, which we see play out in the sepia-tones as it takes place during World War I in 1917. Here, it follows a group of soldiers from Eagle Company that volunteer to scout out the town of Culla before the full regiment ends up there. But what they find is basically an abandoned town that’s like right out of a horror story where it’s creepy and disturbing. It’s a slow but incomplete telling because there’s not that much footage but Forrest knows that it’s a masterpiece and he’s intent n getting the rest of it from this man before he dies, or at least some secrets about it. What he hasn’t realized, which Patrick does tell him, is that nothing in this rest home is as it seems and he’s already condemned himself.

In Summary:
While horror is not my thing in general, I actually like it in comic form with the right combination of talent. Snyder handles things solidly here and with just enough teases and nudges to keep the flow going while Francavilla’s artwork is the really big draw here. Both time periods are well-presented with the color design and just how everything looks, making it easy to really get into this world. I like that we get something unusual with the film, a grander plan, and then the actual film shot itself that must have happened. There are a few layers here to explore and the start of it focuses on the end before dipping back hits the right spot. Definitely another series that’ll be very easy to keep up on with a lot of anticipation.

Grade: A-

Age Rating: 15+
Released By: Best Jackett Press / ComiXology Originals
Release Date: October 19th, 2021
MSRP: $3.99