Gargoyles: Here in Manhattan

Gargoyles (Dynamite Entertainment)

by Greg Weisman, George Kambadais (Illustrator)

The first collection of Gargoyles creator GREG WEISMAN's all-new tales set in the world of his beloved animated show is finally here! Collecting issues #1-6 of the acclaimed series written by Weisman and illustrated by GEORGE KAMBADAIS, Gargoyles: Here in Manhattan reintroduces the Manhattan Clan, a Gargoyles family newly dedicated to their mission of defending humanity in modern-day New York. But even though their commitment is strong, their bonds are about to be tested to the limit when nefarious factions from all across the world attempt to steal that rarest, most precious of possessions...an unhatched Gargoyle egg!

To celebrate this historic publication, DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT is proud to present three special editions with covers by the legendary original Gargoyles comics series artist AMANDA CONNER and new series cover superstars DAVID NAKAYAMA and Jae Lee.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Urban Fantasy

160 pages, Hardcover

Published July 26, 2023

About the author

Greg Weisman (BA Stanford, MPW U.S.C.) has been a storyteller all his life. His first professional work was as an Editor for DC Comics, where he also wrote Captain Atom.

Greg worked at Walt Disney Television Animation from 1989 through 1996. In 1991, Greg created and developed a new series for Disney: GARGOYLES, becoming Supervising Producer and Supervising Story Editor of that series.

In 1998, Greg became a full-time Freelancer. He wrote the new Gargoyles and Gargoyles: Bad Guys comic books for SLG Publishing, while producing, writing, story editing and voice acting for Sony’s The Spectacular Spider-Man. He then moved over to Warner Bros., where he produced, story edited, wrote and voice acted on the new series, Young Justice, as well as writing the companion Young Justice monthly comic book for DC.

Greg was a writer and Executive Producer on the first season of Star Wars Rebels for Lucasfilm and Disney, and he’s also writing the spin-off comic Star Wars Kanan: The Last Padawan. His first novel, Rain of the Ghosts, was published in 2013; its sequel, Spirits of Ash and Foam, arrived in bookstores in 2014.

Reviews

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the individual issues that this is based on and I have to say it follows some of the same plot threads the third season did, but with more drama. It was good to go back to the Manhattan clan and find out what happened to Brooklin in his trip through time.

[Julia Lama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: señora en sus treinta se lee un cómic de acción de su adorada serie de dibujos animados de la infancia. Es decir: no soy el target.

Voy a conservar este cómic más bien por una tendencia a la nostalgia y al coleccionismo que por su calidad narrativa. No me ha interesado en lo más mínimo la historia que plantea. El arte es muy vistoso, eso sí. Y es curioso que retomen el "presente" de las Gárgolas tomando como canon todo tipo de historias posteriores al final de la serie de dibujos animados. Para los fanáticos del lore de Gárgolas, fijo que es un punto a favor.

Yo me quedo con tener a mis gárgolas en las páginas de un libro a todo color. No le pido más.

[Jessica Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

On one hand, I love this. I was a HUGE fan of the Gargoyles cartoon when I was a kid. A show that combined mythology, history, and Shakespeare with crime drama and cyborgs? With characters voiced by Keith David and about a million Star Trek actors? I ate it up. I even checked up on show creator Greg Weisman's blog for years, where he would answer questions people had about the characters and detail storylines he wanted to do. So I'm the perfect audience for this and I loved it. However, I don't think this is a good starting place for anybody who wasn't as deep into the lore as I was. This feels like a confusing continuation that wants to pick up right where the show left off but also half-heartedly bring people up-to-speed on everything that's changed. Also, I'm not a huge fan of the art style. I think I would like it more if I wasn't so fond of the art style from the show and if this didn't look so much looser and off-model compared to that. The action sequences in particular just didn't look that dynamic to me. However the writing did absolutely grab me. Weisman still has all of these character voices on lock. I'll keep going with this but I wouldn't recommend it to anybody without telling them to watch the show first.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd be interested to hear what readers new to the Gargoyles universe think of this, especially younger ones. However, as someone who absolutely loved the original television show, I thought the art and a story managed to capture the best things about the original, with some added emotional and relationship aspects (since this takes place after the events of the TV show). I could see how, in trying to conjure the magic from the original TV show that new readers might find the art and story a bit dated, as well as be a little bit confused by the large cast of characters who have bizarre backstories as is wont to happen in a sci-fi/fantasy franchise.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really? You're going to end it there? Cruel.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I missed this show! I should go back and watch it again!

Review sent to Diamond Bookshelf for potential professional publication.

[Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hesitant to read this since Gargoyles were a favorite TV series from my childhood and I didn't want this to ruin the cherished memories I had of the series. I was pleasantly surprised that this comic series did so well continuing their story and will definitely be reading more of this series 😃

[Akshay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series was a real blast from the past for me - I was an avid watcher and very much appreciated and enjoyed the animated series this is a continuation of and was both excited and a little uncertain what to expect.

The basic series (for the uninitiated) has the premise that creatures called Gargoyles exist in our world and they are nocturnal to the extreme, i.e, when the sun rises they literally become stone and at sunset they live again. The original storyline had a clan of Gargoyles betrayed by the humans with whom they co-existed in a tenuous peace in ancient Scotland and all but a six members of the clan were destroyed and the survivors in turn were cursed and stayed stone for a thousand years! Eventually they were freed from said curse and built a new life in Manhattan - new friends were found amongst the humans, as well as new enemies; they met all kinds of strange and fascinating folk and creatures and became mysterious protectors of their newfound home-city and their clan.

It is in this milieu, some significant time after the end of the series that we find ourselves once again and if you are new to the series, don't be afraid by this paragraph here - the comic itself does a solid job easing you into a lot of it.
We are once again sharing in the adventures of the Manhattan Clan led by Goliath (originally voiced by the inimitable Keith David) and the clan has now grown substantially with many new members and even the beginnings of a new rookery for their eggs. Brooklyn has grown into his new roles as second in command of the clan, husband and even father; Broadway is embracing his new interests, Coldstone and others are fully in the fold and there is a good and healthy relationship with the Mutant Clan as well. There is a calm in the city of New York as many of the worst that the clan faced are gone or in hiding and everyone seems to be in a good place, even Goliath and Elisa who in the first issue/chapter itself share a long, long overdue kiss and are clearly a couple now which alone is worth the price of admission for many long-time fans. Of course as you might guess, when things seem too good to be true, that means they usually are and such is the case here as we see the re-emergence of many familiar faces in short order - Thailog, Sevarius, Xanatos and even the gangs that once waged war in the streets of NY. To make matters worse, the infamous Dino Dracon gets released from prison and he is a brand of vicious that no one sees coming and all kinds of hell is unleashed on our heroic clan and their friends and family.

It is a deeply challenging job when picking up the pieces of a pre-existing franchise/I.P and re-introducing it to a new audience at the best of times and more so when it's NOT a reboot and you need to pick up where others left off. To that end it clearly has been a huge boon to have the original series' creator Greg Weisman being the writer in charge of this series. He has an intimate knowledge and clear affinity for this series and its characters and that shows when you read this from the very first page. There is a love for the content and there is a nice balance of serious moments and story beats and the lighter moments that make everything feel fleshed out and surprisingly content-dense yet not heavy right from the first issue. Coupled with the artwork that really calls back to the source material but adds it's own visual pop with the colour palette and flair makes this both brilliant for newcomers I think and a solid read for old-hands like myself.

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

A new set of issues #1 to #6 of a franchise so huge and successful before, basically over the last thirty years, that I'd never even heard of the thing. The idea is that gargoyles are a species, of "castle" defenders – and you can call anything a metaphorical castle, even Manhattan – that humans wronged and cursed, so they're going about their protective duties by night and to the ignorance of the general population. We get a snappy introduction from our writer about the canon so far, and an assurance that this will be an easy way in to the books to come.

Well, there is easy and there is easy. This is so lumpenly stuffed with odd characters they're still being introduced in the early pages of issue 3. Introduced, mind – never shown in action, not brought to our attention in memorable way, literally introduced. In no way is the list of 'goyles from these early pages a way for us to memorise who is who, who is tupping who and what and where and why. Heck, when we find the big bosses from the two crime families involved in the first arc it's not easy to work out which side they're on, either.

And before I gave up – to repeat, early #3 – nothing had appealed. The quippy nature of some of the 'goyles failed, the lack of interesting characters was of course a big no-no, and #2 had been pretty much a drama-free zone, telling us of a mass-kidnap situation in the most awkward way. A bold layout and design was present, as if that would help my interest be sustained, but to sustain something you first have to have it, and it just didn't exist from these pages. Finally, what I had seen looked buried in an unhappy valley of adult material dressed for kiddies – the sustained references to sex lives and the actual crimes in no way matching the junior feel of it all. A really poor one and a half stars.

[Christopher Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Special Thanks Goes Out To Dynamite Entertainment and Diamond Comics For The ARC.

Time again for another brand-new review. This time, it’s taking us back to an action-packed Saturday morning block of nostalgia! The Manhattan clan is back in a brand-new comic book adventure, thanks to a new deal with Disney and Dynamite Entertainment. Gargoyles: Here In Manhattan brings together a powerhouse creative team, the creator of Gargoyles, Greg Weisman (Young Justice, Bonkers, The Spectacular Spider-Man), and artist George Kambadais (Apocalypse Mode On, BUCKHEAD, The Black Ghost).

The Manhattan Clan has been reintroduced for a newer generation, and it finds our favorite family of Gargoyles is taking on New York, a city that is always changing, for the better, and the worse. With distractions abound, each clan member finds themselves beginning to go their separate ways, but their bonds will be put to the test as nefarious factions from all across the world attempt to steal that rarest, most precious possession… an unhatched gargoyle egg!

The important thing to remember before we start this review, this collects Issues One-Six. There have been some changes since the original television series aired, including how much the clan has grown with new members, even a new rookery for their eggs! While Goliath still leading the Manhattan Clan, Brooklyn has become the second-in-command and has a mate and two kids! Even Broadway is still courting Angela (Goliath’s daughter), and even Coldstone and Coldfire are part of the Manhattan Clan! Finally, Goliath and Elisa Maza are dating! While it is a lot to take in, but this first volume has a good pace in its story-telling and is easier for new readers to approach the series.

As the story goes, it looked tough to pick up the pieces of an iconic franchise such as Gargoyles, not to mention reintroduce them to a modern audience. Then find a point where you can assure your audience that this isn’t a reboot, lucky for us, Weisman had everything covered. It was a smart idea to have the series creator in charge of this new approach to the comic series, and this was clear to see when you began to read the first part of the story. It had a nice balance of serious tones, lighthearted moments, and suspense without falling flat. I was surprised to see the return of Thailog, Xanatos, and Elisa’s brother Derek and his clan making a surprise appearance.

Another thing that gave this a true Saturday Morning feeling was the artwork from George Kambadais. His artwork was the perfect thing that Weisman’s script needed, whether it was an emotional moment or the action sequences, the artwork was truly a callback to one of the things that made Gargoyles so memorable. It was packed with a well-picked color palette accompanied by a visual pop that would entice both new and old readers alike.

[Richard Pulfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must for Gargoyles fans. Not only does it feature the expansive lore of the classic 90's comic, but it's also written by the creator Greg Weisman.

Set several years after the conclusion of the series, the story sees the gargoyles struggling to adjust to change amid major developments in both their personal lives as well as their standing in NYC, all way old enemies from the criminal underworld launch a new attack.

This series really does launch readers into the thick of the show's expansive mythology, and that's both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the comic makes great use of the personal relationships which made the Gargoyles such an iconic show. On the other hand, however, it features A LOT of characters, with many even a hardcore fan like me struggling to remember. The book does do a good job of introducing them, but it's far bigger cast than the core New York clan I had expected.

Generally, I liked the art by George Kambadais, which I felt captured the dynamic character designs and vivid urban settings of the show. However, I did take a little getting used to, mainly because the stylized elements of art clashed with the more detailed style of the show, particularly with the more simplified expressions seen in the comic.

Overall, it's a good trade, and one I'm glad I read. I can practically hear the characters' voices in my head as I read this, even if there might have been a few too many characters at once.

[Sesana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brought me such intense joy to read. I've loved Gargoyles from the original airing of the first episode, and I've been waiting for the continuation for literal years. And I'm very pleased to report that it absolutely holds up. Part of that is because of my 27 year old emotional connection to the characters, but it's also a really good read. There's a new villain, setting up a lot of interesting chaos. The trio are drifting apart, which stands to reason. Brooklyn is now considerably older than his brothers, and Broadway is spending most of his time with Angela. There are definitely some elements that were used in the non-canonical third season of the show, but they're used in very different, and far superior ways.

The first issue tries to give a recap for new readers, but I just don't think this is the place to start with Gargoyles. There's way too many characters, with storylines that are way too complex, to just drop in with one issue of exposition. For example, introducing Coldstone as a zombie cyborg is pretty much accurate, but it barely scratches the surface and will leave most new readers confused. I just don't think there's any getting around that, not if the goal is a continuation series. Obviously, that's not going to bother a devoted fan, this just isn't a good on ramp Gargoyles.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t recall watching Gargoyles from beginning to end back in the day, especially when it shifted from weekly episodes to daily episodes during the weekday run of the second season. I remember the core characters, but very few of the peripheral characters and certainly not any of the antagonists beyond Xanatos and The Pack. I appreciate how this series is trying its best to re-familiarize non-hardcore fans to the series. The art is pretty solid (feels fresh while still very similar to the art of the show) and the characters and dialogue mostly feels right. My gripes here are threefold: 1) some of the dialogue is clunky in trying to weave between both multiple plot lines and going for different levels of friendly-to-kids humor up to more serious violence, 2) those multiple plot lines are a bit confusing, especially since the gangs and the gargoyles feel like their operating in two different stories for most of this volume, and 3) some of the layouts were confusing — a few pages run down instead of right, some run without clear guttering so you don’t know which direction to look to next, and even a few full page spread have a character face RIGHT in the middle, meaning a whole visage gets folded into nothing in the binding. None of this makes this series bad, but it definitely leaves some overt areas for improvement I hope Weisman and party address in the next volume.

[jcw3-john · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this volume falls close to 'good but not great' territory for me. I can't think of anything necessarily wrong with it, but you can feel the bloat of the setting starting to wear on the format - a ~20-25 page comic book. I can't help but wonder if this should have just been a prose novel or series of novels, maybe with a few illustrations now and then. It feels pretty packed and crammed in - so many concepts jostling for space and barely enough time to cover any of them. Opening with a recap issue that can't squeeze in two seasons and eighteen issues worth of lore doesn't help.

Some repeated panels here and there, but I'm largely fine with the new art style - the artist doesn't really have time to show their stuff in action scenes or anything to that effect because the pacing is so hurried that it's regular dialogue after expository dialogue after recap dialogue after regular dialogue, and any action scenes are normally done in a page or two.

I'm giving this series a lot of slack because I love the franchise, but it's probably a 7.5/10 for me. A C, C+. I wish this was in a format where all of these ideas had more room to breathe.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm late to the Gargoyles train, I only watched the series during the beginning of the pandemic, but I got there in the end!

Weisman's unapologetic storytelling is on full display, with everything that happened in the canonical (and sadly out of print) comics front and centre. All your favourites show up, and all the characters you love to hate too (Sevarius, you bastard). I was never the biggest fan of the whole gang war stuff, I preferred the magical enemies, but Weisman's story threads neatly together and has me excited to see what else is in store.

George Kambadais's artwork captures the feel of the show while giving it a little extra grit too.

A triumphant return for the defenders of the night.

[James Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gargoyles is back, and Greg Weisman hasn't lost a step - this picks up seamlessly where the saga left off, with all the characters in perfect form. That said, there is still a lot to take in for new readers (and even returning fans, if they missed the SLG comic)... but Weisman does his best to fill in the gaps with in-character narration. We also immediately get some interesting new characters to work with, such as the expanded Dracon family. The art style differs noticeably from the show, but that's far from a deal-breaker. The only nitpick is that the trade just sort of ends, without resolving the current plot, so you get about an episode and a half of content. But if you're a Gargoyles fan, you should know something by now about being patient... (A-)

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by series creator Greg Weisman. The figure drawing in the art is good, but the backgrounds and environmental elements leave something to be desired. Does a decent job of reintroducing the characters, of which there are a lot.

Elisa's brother and his lady friend are about to have a baby, and some nefarious types are interested. The humans of New York are noticing the gargoyles more. And a mob boss with a history with the gargoyles is about to get out of prison.

Even though the stories say "Here in Manhattan" part 1 through 6, this feels more like an old school comic ongoing monthly series rather than a complete story. Especially since it ends with a bunch of stuff up in the air.

[Ember Moto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gargoyles are back! the art work in this book is stunning and the storyline picks up where the series as well as the old comics left of. It is new fan/reader friendly so even if you haven't seen the show or read the comics you will still be able to enjoy it. Those who have consumed the previous material will find lots of little nods and easter eggs. I can't wait to get my hands on the second volume and here is hoping for many more volumes to come!

[Vail Chester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quicknote, the foreword had me laughing when the creator of the series said that the three Gargoyle young'uns were originally NOT named after famous New York City places, but THE MOST 90s EXTREME LABELS EVER (Amp, Turbo, etc!).

But yeah, wonderful continuation of the comics after the series ended, but this time I want to say with a little "Marvel flair" if that makes any sense. It follows two storylines (birth of a mutant baby and Goliath's arrest) while there's a relatively distracting mob war storyline running in the background. I mean, of course it will impact the main characters but finding out that a crazy capo with no regard for human life is getting out of prison while at the same time a mad scientist & a clone of the main character wants to take a mutant baby, I'm gonna be paying attention to the story where there's more crazy!
Regardless, the thing that makes it super frustrating is where they decided to end the book since that's a lot of cliffhangers. I KNOW it's an ongoing series, but couldn't they have found a better place to end it rather than so much perilous things?!

[Ludor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stupidly set this book down, lost my place, and had to start over, which is no huge loss because I enjoyed the first half both times. There are a few sections that might have benefited from the writers and artist having more time or more pages because they needed a second read or prior knowledge of the characters to make sense. The art style is great, a bit different from the show, but not in a weird way and the characters were still very clearly the same.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad this exists! I love the Gargoyles television series, and am so glad I found this book on Edelweiss+! There is a time gap between the end of the TV series and this book (anyone know if there is material to fill it?). In this book, the gargoyles are still trying to find their place in the world and be accepted by humans. I can't wait for the next book! #Edelweiss+

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was too old for Gargoyles when it came out so I never watched the show. That didn't lessen my enjoyment of this though. It's a simple concept to get and it's well written. The art's good too, although the lack of background does bug the heck out of me. You can't just replace those with splashes of color and call it a day. That's the downside of manga's influence on younger artists.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has loved Gargoyles since the 90's this is everything I could have hoped for. It FEELS like episodes of the show. That same humor, the characters you love (even side characters!), the relationships, and finally moving the Gargoyles into the human world. If you are a Gargoyles fan, I cannot recommend it enough!

[akiiKOMORI reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have missed this show/series/fandom so much~
Definitely 100% missed out on the SLG comics so now there's new characters and I'm like WHAT IS GOING ON LOL

Supposedly they're going to reprint the SLG run but I'm so glad to be reading this new comic series with a writer and team that actually care about the show/stories.

I can't wait to get my hands on book 2 and Dark Ages.

[Duncs Comics · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not an old-head when it comes to Gargoyles, I watched the series a year or two ago on Disney + and was mesmerized by its gothic moodiness and stellar writing. What other Saturday morning cartoon has the protagonist reading Dostoevsky in their spare time?

Perhaps I haven't been waiting as long as some, but I'm really stoked to see this wonderful series continue in comic book form.

[Sebastian Kayser · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh

Story is alright, art lacks any sort of definition or detail that makes it look boring, flat and uninteresting.

Dynamite strikes again, 35 covers but cheap interior art. Might be worth to those invested but likely not something to bother reading as a first time fan.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually just had the comic with #1 in it, but I couldn't find it online to document.

[Lisa Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made my inner 14-year-old so happy.

[K K · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most of this book was introducing characters like 40-50 characters. I wasnt emotionally invested.

[Jason Baseball · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's like keith david is there with me