“Nightwatch”. It’s been a while since a cartoon nostalgia comic has gotten me this excited. As a matter of fact, I don’t think a cartoon nostalgia comic has ever been this GOOD. That’s probably because it’s more than just a “nostalgia comic”, as I so bluntly put it, it’s the proper third season to Disney’s masterpiece of animation, Gargoyles. The original third season, “The Goliath Chronicles”, were not produced by the series creators and were met by fans with a very unpleasant response. This comic is intended to be the third season as it was meant.
The first issue picks up right where the last episode of season 2 left off, and any Gargoyles fan will get chills just reading the first page. Issue #1 cuts straight to the action, telling you everything you need to know along the way. Just like the cartoon, it the comic doesn’t treat the audience like they’re idiot. There’s a two page spread/montage where Goliath recounts the origin of the Gargoyles (in extreme brevity), but that’s a service to the really new new-comers.
Spinning out of the “Hunter’s Moon” arc from season 2, the Gargoyles are now known to humanity, and feared by most. A group of Klansman-like hate-mongers, known as “The Quarrymen”, are gathering volunteers by playing on mass hysteria to wage a war on the Gargoyles. One of my FAVORITE secondary characters from the old series, Vinnie, looks to be playing a rather important role in the comic, and that’s just awesome.
The art is a real treat. I was afraid that they’d get an artist who wanted to put his own “stylistic spin” on the characters, but that’s thankfully not the case. David Hedgecock’s pencils are magnificently accurate; the characters look like they’ve jumped off the TV screen and right onto the page. Will Terrell’s colors are gorgeous, adding tha extra touch of beauty to the story.
So far only ONE issue of this comic has been released and I’m already hooked like a heroine-addict. While I never hated the Goliath Chronicles as much as most fans, this definitely looks to be an improvement. Greg Weisman knows what he’s doing. So if you’re a hardcore Gargoyles fan, a casual fan, or even if you’ve never really heard of them, this is a comic I highly recommend. It’s the best book I’ve read all month.