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Nocturnals #1
Nocturnals: Black Planet
Doc Horror knows there are sinister forces at work trying to bring the downfall of the human race. They have already ravaged his home planet, and now he has traveled to Earth to try and stop them once and for all. Once here, however, he finds that this world's inhabitants aren't all sweetness and light themselves. Some of them are busy creating freakish mutations out of their fellow man, and others are helping the invaders in their quest for domination. An outcast, Doc Horror is forced to live by the dark of night, and there he finds compatriots who must also shun the light of day. Polychrome, The Gunwitch, Starfish, Firelion, Komodo, and The Raccoon have all their share of knocks from humanity, but they want to save their homeworld anyway, and they don't care how many monsters stand in their way.
184 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 1998
3 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Dan Brereton
179 books35 followersDaniel Alan "Dan" Brereton is a Comic book storyteller, 5-time Eisner not-winner. Responsible for The Nocturnals and a lot of comics.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 4, 2021
Dan Brereton has built himself a cool little world with all these human / animal hybrids, spirits, and Lovecraftian monsters. Brereton really excels at character design. These are some of the coolest character designs I've ever seen. Where the book falls apart a bit is the storytelling and the lack of backstory. There's this whole Monster Shop where many of the characters come from that's completely unexplored. But man, that painted art! Wow. It'll knock your socks off. This makes for a great Halloween read too.
August 23, 2012
Dan Brereton's artwork is gorgeous, but really it's the Nocturnals' world that sucks you into this book and all the subsequent Nocturnals comics. It's basically a kind of forever Halloween; it's always night (not literally, but since the main characters operate at night, narratively it is) and there are a lot of monsters and weird creatures - some familiar and some new - populating the landscape. There are aliens and ghosts and sea monsters and mutants and vampires and zombies running around basically a pulp movie, blowing stuff up and looking cool while doing it. If you like Hellboy you'll probably like this. The artwork alone is worth a look, even if you aren't as into the action-based stories or are wishing for something with more character development. For me, the only sad thing about Nocturnals is that there's isn't a whole lot MORE of it - I got invested in these characters and their world so fast upon first read*, and their stories don't develop very far before the material runs out.
This volume, Black Planet, collects the first story arc and introduces all the main characters. The original series came out in maybe 1998? and this trade paperback has been out of print for a while, I think.
*I read these a long time ago, but recently I've been thinking of running a one-shot or short campaign of the RPG game in this world, so I decided to reread all the comics.
This volume, Black Planet, collects the first story arc and introduces all the main characters. The original series came out in maybe 1998? and this trade paperback has been out of print for a while, I think.
*I read these a long time ago, but recently I've been thinking of running a one-shot or short campaign of the RPG game in this world, so I decided to reread all the comics.
July 4, 2008
I had bought The Dark Forever after reading Nocturnals: A Midnight Companion for the Mutants & Masterminds RPG, but I did not actually read it until after I finished reading this graphic novel. I figured I wanted to read the first one first, and I was not disappointed.
A combination of science fiction, horror, pulp and Lovecraftian Mythos, the story goes every which way - and works. The character development centers on Doc Horror and Evening, but the dialogue through the story helps build up the background of the other characters as well. The story is fantastic and leaves you at a point at the end where you cannot be sure if the antagonists are ultimately defeated in the end or not.
The artwork is stunning. It both flows and comes together at angles. The painting definitely gives the book a different feel, but it is a feel I would not give up. It definitely compliments the story. Dark and different.
I would recommend this graphic novel to anyone who is looking for a comic that is a bit different. Being a Lovecraft fan, I would definitely point people who like the work in his vein this way as well.
A combination of science fiction, horror, pulp and Lovecraftian Mythos, the story goes every which way - and works. The character development centers on Doc Horror and Evening, but the dialogue through the story helps build up the background of the other characters as well. The story is fantastic and leaves you at a point at the end where you cannot be sure if the antagonists are ultimately defeated in the end or not.
The artwork is stunning. It both flows and comes together at angles. The painting definitely gives the book a different feel, but it is a feel I would not give up. It definitely compliments the story. Dark and different.
I would recommend this graphic novel to anyone who is looking for a comic that is a bit different. Being a Lovecraft fan, I would definitely point people who like the work in his vein this way as well.
December 3, 2018
Just as good as I remember it
April 24, 2021
A really good read. Nice artwork. Interesting character designs. Definitely worth a look if you like a horror-infused crime story.
April 2, 2012
This was fantastic. Incredible art and smart writing. Well done, Dan.
September 3, 2023
(Zero spoiler review - and number 1000 to boot)
Well wouldn't you know it, I've just gone and gotten myself all spellbound by this series. And if it wasn't for Dark Horse releasing this rather fetching collection in an oversized hardcover, It likely would have passed me by.
The obvious stand out here is the art, which is all shades of sublime. A slight criticism could be the less than stellar flow from panel to panel, with it occasionally coming across more like a fragmented story book than a comic, but for art this gorgeous, I can make that sacrifice. That said, the writing could have done a lot of the heavy lifting in that regard, although it is sadly its weakest element. It's a long way from bad, or even average, but there was a part of me hankering for that little bit more from the story, especially given how wonderful it looks.
No, art aside, the main reason I have fallen for this series is the characters and the world building, or rather, the potential this world holds. This horror, noir, superhero-esque story of sorts is right up my alley. I can only hope the stories that remain continue to blossom into something devilishly dark and delectable indeed. 4/5
OmniBen.
Well wouldn't you know it, I've just gone and gotten myself all spellbound by this series. And if it wasn't for Dark Horse releasing this rather fetching collection in an oversized hardcover, It likely would have passed me by.
The obvious stand out here is the art, which is all shades of sublime. A slight criticism could be the less than stellar flow from panel to panel, with it occasionally coming across more like a fragmented story book than a comic, but for art this gorgeous, I can make that sacrifice. That said, the writing could have done a lot of the heavy lifting in that regard, although it is sadly its weakest element. It's a long way from bad, or even average, but there was a part of me hankering for that little bit more from the story, especially given how wonderful it looks.
No, art aside, the main reason I have fallen for this series is the characters and the world building, or rather, the potential this world holds. This horror, noir, superhero-esque story of sorts is right up my alley. I can only hope the stories that remain continue to blossom into something devilishly dark and delectable indeed. 4/5
OmniBen.
June 19, 2008
With this book Dan Brereton shows he can write as well as illustrate. The Nocturnals are the foxiest monster superheroes since the Addams Family.
Little Halloween Girl can make her goblin dolls come to life and do her evil bidding, there's her pop Doc Horror and his hot wifey Polychrome who can grab spirits, but there's more weirdies, like:
Komodo, the hot studly dragon dude and Starfish, in her slutty crop top. Do they have super powers? Who cares, they look so sultry you almost don't notice they're fighting their own shadows!
Little Halloween Girl can make her goblin dolls come to life and do her evil bidding, there's her pop Doc Horror and his hot wifey Polychrome who can grab spirits, but there's more weirdies, like:
Komodo, the hot studly dragon dude and Starfish, in her slutty crop top. Do they have super powers? Who cares, they look so sultry you almost don't notice they're fighting their own shadows!
January 27, 2018
Eve is still too darn cute! "I don't like you and my TOYS don't like your guns!"
April 17, 2020
A fun pulp read with brilliant painted artwork by creator Dan Brereton. The story could have been a bit more fleshed out but the artwork more than makes up for it.
October 29, 2020
Kitaptaki her çizimin şöyle olduğuna inanabiliyor musunuz?
Zaten güzel olan bir hikayeyi her paneli çerçeveletip asmak isteyeceğiniz derecede güzel şaheser çizimlerle taçlandırmış yazar/çizer. Her sayfayıokuduktan sonra birkaç dakika oturup çizimleri seyretmek isteyeceksiniz:) Birkaç rastgele sayfa daha paylaşayım hatta:
Zaten güzel olan bir hikayeyi her paneli çerçeveletip asmak isteyeceğiniz derecede güzel şaheser çizimlerle taçlandırmış yazar/çizer. Her sayfayıokuduktan sonra birkaç dakika oturup çizimleri seyretmek isteyeceksiniz:) Birkaç rastgele sayfa daha paylaşayım hatta:
June 15, 2025
Lots of reasons to like this. The most obvious and glorious being the gorgeous painted art work. This works perfectly with the oversized hardback book. Seems designed for the art style.
The story itself is very engaging. A cool blending of hard boiled crime, horror and super heroics. The characters are visually very striking and, as the story progresses, clear and distinct personalities and motivations. A couple (looking at you Firelion and Komodo) could do with a little more development.
The story itself is very engaging. A cool blending of hard boiled crime, horror and super heroics. The characters are visually very striking and, as the story progresses, clear and distinct personalities and motivations. A couple (looking at you Firelion and Komodo) could do with a little more development.
June 13, 2020
It’s a b-movie kind of horror story. Fun but not very serious.
August 20, 2022
Brereton is a great artist, but the writing in this isn't pretty good. It's somewhat confusing and very few of these characters feel like they're fleshed out.
November 5, 2019
As good as the painted art is, and it is very good can't make up for the sub par writing which makes this book a chore to read. Dan Brerreton is a good artist with a very distinguishable look to it but he can't write, a good writer would have elevated it but as it is, two stars for the art. Also the lettering in this particular edition has such small lettering that you almost need a magnifying glass to read the balloon captions. Avoid or just get it for the pretty pictures.
August 23, 2016
Recommended, but only for the art. This might seem like I am being too critical of such a talented creator. But Brereton, just does an OK job when it comes to writing and telling a story. There are little things that he misses when it comes to telling a story with a comic. Characters will drop in and out of a scene without clear indication. My guess as to why this happens is because Brereton needs so much time to paint the panels that he keeps it as concise as possible. This makes it a little difficult for the reader as it pulls me out of the narrative.
Another issue I have is with the dialogue. It is stilted and backward. I sometimes had to read a line two or three times to understand what the character is saying. If someone had edited these stories, the problem could have been easily corrected.
But my gripes with this collection are laid to rest (to some degree) by the art. I have read a lot of comic stuff, but read very little that was so painstakingly painted. The style may not be for everyone, as it is not perfectly clean. But if it suits your taste, it shows that a lot of work went into every single panel.
Another issue I have is with the dialogue. It is stilted and backward. I sometimes had to read a line two or three times to understand what the character is saying. If someone had edited these stories, the problem could have been easily corrected.
But my gripes with this collection are laid to rest (to some degree) by the art. I have read a lot of comic stuff, but read very little that was so painstakingly painted. The style may not be for everyone, as it is not perfectly clean. But if it suits your taste, it shows that a lot of work went into every single panel.
June 4, 2013
The book I loved so much I named my kid after one of the characters! I've been a sucker for Dan Brereton since I first saw his painted work in the early 90s. When the original Nocturnals mini came out, I was all over it. It's a gorgeous marriage of monsters, gangsters and science fiction, and works in a way I can't imagine anyone else accomplishing. This could have all fallen apart, or read like a monster gallery, but Brereton's talent for writing dialogue and crafting characters is as apparent as his talent for painting.
There are times when the plot seems a little too complicated for a first outing (which I think doesn't happen in later Nocturnals stories), and his painting on rare occasions can look a little spare and rushed (but only compared to some of the absolutely stunning panels he's capable of), so I can't really give it a full five-star rating. But it is incredibly fun, compelling reading with a little bit of something for everyone with a taste for darker tales.
There are times when the plot seems a little too complicated for a first outing (which I think doesn't happen in later Nocturnals stories), and his painting on rare occasions can look a little spare and rushed (but only compared to some of the absolutely stunning panels he's capable of), so I can't really give it a full five-star rating. But it is incredibly fun, compelling reading with a little bit of something for everyone with a taste for darker tales.
March 3, 2014
Doc Horror has come to Earth seeking to save this planet from a sinister force that ravaged his own and has gathered together a team of mutants and outcasts (Polychrome, The Gunwitch, Starfish, Firelion, Komodo, and Horror's daughter Halloween Girl), who are also forced to work by night, to do so.
The art is moody, interesting, and somewhat lurid, though I find it a debit that even the few normal people in this series look odd. Most of the panels are close-ups and mid-range, which can make action difficult to follow. I do appreciate the very distinctive appearances and powers the characters have.
The writing in this book is so very '90s, a lot of tough guy coolness and posturing, though part of that might come from the pulp influences. Sometimes the plotting is dense and hard to follow.
The art is moody, interesting, and somewhat lurid, though I find it a debit that even the few normal people in this series look odd. Most of the panels are close-ups and mid-range, which can make action difficult to follow. I do appreciate the very distinctive appearances and powers the characters have.
The writing in this book is so very '90s, a lot of tough guy coolness and posturing, though part of that might come from the pulp influences. Sometimes the plotting is dense and hard to follow.
September 9, 2009
Blazing pulp action! Mobsters! Bizarre creatures, undead, mutant, alien, and android! Gorgeous (if a bit creepy) babes who can hold their own in a fight! Clever, gritty storytelling with a dash of tongue in cheek humor! All this, plus gloriously lush, handpainted artwork. Not just on the cover, but on EVERY SINGLE PAGE. Dan Brereton is an artist's artist.
Anybody who is into horror, pulp, Lovecraft, or, hell, anybody who just likes amazing artwork, should check out the Nocturnals. You won't be disappointed.
Anybody who is into horror, pulp, Lovecraft, or, hell, anybody who just likes amazing artwork, should check out the Nocturnals. You won't be disappointed.
May 10, 2020
Jesus that was some un-good writing.
Gave it three stars for the fantastic artwork, though.
Then took one star away for the super bro-y, aggressive, smug, patronizing introduction. yeesh. "How to Not Help Sell a Book: Process and Practices"
Gave it three stars for the fantastic artwork, though.
Then took one star away for the super bro-y, aggressive, smug, patronizing introduction. yeesh. "How to Not Help Sell a Book: Process and Practices"
September 13, 2013
Brerton's art is great. The story is not quite up to the art (feels a little overstuffed at times), but it's a lot of fun and I think it has a little more depth than is evident at first glance.
July 8, 2013
Long live hand-painted art. The paintings in this were gorgeous.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews