Broken Frontier

Cursed as a werewolf, Davey Doyle tries to make amends for his past sins by haunting the streets of Quad City, stalking a very human evil…

After being turned into a werewolf, Davey Doyle gave into the demon within and killed his parents and sister. Haunted by his guilt, he vowed to find a way to make his curse work for him. Adopting the identity of "Nightwolf," Davey (along with his support team of his girlfriend and brother) unleashes his monstrous alter ego on those deserving of death. Hoping to cleanse the innocent blood on his hands, Davey, his friends and remaining family are about to learn the true price to be paid for his atonement.

On my first reading of Nightwolf: The Price #1, Antczak’s story didn’t make much of impression on me. Blurring the lines between horror and superhero genres, the concept had a decent enough hook. What I initially saw was that the book was a rather quick read and Doyle’s campaign was a little too slapdash. On a second read, I realized I may have been looking at the book in the wrong context – focusing too much on the title "Nightwolf" (which, if you’ll forgive the sarcasm, does sound too much like a mid 90s anti-hero) and not enough on the subtitle, "The Price." There are actually several prices in question. The first, and most obvious one, is the cost to Doyle, as he uses the guilt of his parent’s deaths as a motivator for penance. All but abandoning Davey Doyle, he is wholly Nightwolf. Borrowing a page from Spider-Man’s "With Great Power…" book, this crusade is the price Doyle sees he must pay to make up for his family’s death (their loss being another price he has paid). What drew me into the story on my second read however, was not so much the cost of Doyle’s lycanthropy, but rather what his vigilante inspired crusade will cost him. Despite having little time to meet Doyle’s girlfriend and brother, the effect Doyle becoming Nightwolf has on them leads to some tantalizing plot possibilities. Assuming that Antczak continues to keep the focus of the series on the cost, in terms of human relationships, of Doyle’s curse, this book will have the teeth to succeed.

From my first read, Nick Marinkovich’s art was clearly perfect for this book. Rendered entirely in black and white, Nightwolf: The Price captures the feel of a classic horror movie, creating a dark, oppressive tension. Comparisons to an early Bill Sienkiewicz have already been made, so I throw out the fact that Marinkovich’s work reminds me of another of my favorite artists – Tony Harris. I did find the opening sequence, where Nightwolf battles the pimp and cops, to be a little confusing. Whether it be by accident or design, it works however, effectively putting the reader in the shoes of the victims – not entirely certain of what they are seeing.

Featuring moody art, an interesting blending of two genres and a focus on human relationships, Nightwolf: The Price #1 is a book to howl about.