Halloween: Nightdance (Comic Book)
Dread Central Staff
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Reviewed by Andrew Kasch
Artist: Tim Seeley
Author: Stefan Hutchinson
Distributed by Devil’s Due Publishing
Horror doesn’t usually translate well to comics. That goes double for movie-to-comic adaptations which, for the most part, are nothing more than cheap cash-ins. Most people – including this writer – would be too quick to pass over a Halloween comic book and place it into the junk heap of bad Ash/Jason/Freddy crossovers. But with Halloween: Nightdance, writer Stefan Hutchinson and artist Tim Seeley have done the impossible: They’ve restored dignity back to the character of Michael Myers. Just like Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 series, Nightdance feels like a genuine continuation of a legacy rather than glorified fan fiction.
Issue #1 (of a 4-issue mini-series) introduces us to three different sets of characters whose paths inevitably cross with Myers in the eerie town of Russelville. A disturbed teenager deals with reocurring nightmares, while a couple sets out on a road trip and encounter a young woman escaping from The Shape. It’s a psychologically-driven story that focuses on fear instead of a body count and this first issue is all set-up with some truly effective set-pieces.
Hutchinson’s writing is smart and he doesn’t dumb the material down like all the atrocious Akkad-produced sequels. Mainly it’s because he understands what made Carpenter’s original classic work: He puts an emphasis on mood and characters, touches on themes of fate, and portrays The Shape as an enigmatic force instead of a slasher. No silly sister subplots, no trailer trash families, and no mystical druid bullshit – Myers is a blank menacing slate. This is complimented by Seeley’s gorgeous art, which does an uncanny job at capturing the atmosphere of Halloween.
The story may frustrate readers looking for blood and carnage, but for true Myers fans, this book is a cause for rejoice. Nightdance is everything you need to purge yourself of Rob Zombie and Busta Rhymes, showing the Halloween franchise as it should have been all along.
For more information, check out the official website at the Official Halloween Comics website.
4 out of 5
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