REVIEW: 'Night Club' #1 by Mark Millar, Juanan Ramirez, and Fabiana Mascolo

 

NIGHT CLUB #1

Writer: Mark Millar

Artist: Juanan Ramirez, Fabiana Mascolo

Letterer: Clem Robins

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: December 14, 2022

Cover Price: $1.99

THIS SERIES WILL BE $1.99. TAKE THAT, MARVEL AND DC!

You're 17 years old and you've been bitten by a vampire. Do you live in the shadows and drink human blood, or do you use your newfound gifts for the dream-costumed superhero life you've always wanted?

You're bulletproof, you can crawl up walls, and you can turn to mist, bats, or even a wolf. Why not have a little fun?

Score:

★★★★☆

As any fan of Mark Millar knows, his titles all have a certain cinematic energy based on exciting premises with dynamic characters. His latest, 'Night Club,' is no different and as an added bonus is selling for only $1.99 for issue one. The debut issue is a fast-paced origin story of a teenager turned vampire turned viral sensation?

Danny Garcia isn't the brightest high school senior but he's motivated. He's determined to become internet rich and famous by going viral doing a sick bike trick high off the ground. It doesn't go well. Soon, Danny is chosen to become a bloodsucker and join some kind of army with an undetermined purpose by a mysterious mentor. Now, he's bulletproof, can crawl up walls, and can turn to mist, bats, or even a wolf. Sounds like life-altering stuff in preparation for a pending war. Danny, however, may have found his way into internet stardom. 

Readers of comic book superhero comics will recognize the trajectory of the young hero chosen for a higher purpose by a master of some kind. It's not nearly that kind of situation because Danny isn't the "Chosen" with the big C, more like a typical teen being taken advantage of by a veteran vampire who's looking to fill his ranks. Yet, the training montage is always entertaining as it is here. Millar's world-building is very clear and precise without giving away too much information. The vampire Nick is mostly forthcoming and gives Danny, and the reader, all the rules about being a vampire revealing it's what you'd come to expect from movies. But he won't explain this war that's coming. It's a familiar setup but remains a surefire way to draw readers in. 

Juanan Ramirez and Fabiana Mascolo do a fantastic job of creating a dark but exciting atmosphere where the action is elevated with framing that maximizes the impact whether it's a fall out of a window or crawling up a wall. Mascolo's deep rich colors sometimes in a monochromatic sequence sets an almost noir-like mood especially when Nick hits the page. It's as though Nick brings with him a dark cloud. Ramirez's lines are clean and his designs are modern but really excels at dramatic action sequences even if it's just one panel, it's heightened by its composition. 

'Night Club' is like comfort food for the comic book nerd soul. A young man turned into a vampire to fight some upcoming war needs to learn the ropes fast through his mentor when all he really wants to do is chase social media fame. When you have a potent mix of Millar's exciting storytelling and the brilliant kinetic art of Ramirez and Mascolo, 'Night Club' is a can't-miss crowd-pleasing adventure that's just getting started.