Clive Barker’s Nightbreed #4 Retro Review

Issue #4 concludes the Comic Adaptation of the Original Screenplay for the Nightbreed. It covers the final 20 minutes or so of screen time, (of the Theatrical release, mind you, not the Cabal Cut) and about 30 pages of the novel, Cabal.  These page counts have been based on my paperback copy by the way,  Hardcover page counts would be different. [Click the link to read on]

It is safe to say that this issue is the most different from the Movie. It starts off right where the last issue left off, with the raid on Midian by the Sons of the Free.  Lori and Rachel try to get Babette to safety, while Boone and Narcisse are getting others to safety.  Boone has had enough of the running, and orders Narcisse to get the kids to safety while he starts to fight back.  In the Movie, there are a couple of characters that are not in the Comic or Novel, Lude and Leroy Gomm.  That is unfortunate because they are a lot of fun.  Shuna Sassi really doesn’t have a big role either.

Ashberry has a different role in all three versions.  In the Book, he actually tags along with Boone into the depths of Midian.  In the Movie, he kinda just wanders around aimlessly and finds his way into Baphomets chamber.  It is similar in the comic, but you don’t see him wandering around as much.   Detective Joyce is already dead by now in the movie, but he still plays his part in both the comic and Novel.

Here is where things really starts to differ.  In the Movie, it is at this point that Ashberry recieves his own  Baptism. In the Movie, Boone convinces Lylesburg to release the Beserkers (who aren’t even in the Book), but in the comic, Lylesburg just knows he has no other choice.  However in both versions, Boone is the one that actually releases them after Lylesburg gets shot in the head.  In the Comic, Decker then catches up with Lori, and Narcisse comes to her rescue.  But he is not successful.  In the Book, Narcisse’s head gets sliced in half.  In the Comic, Decker cuts his head off.  Of course in the movie, This encounter goes quite differently, as Narcisse survives the whole movie (except for, you know, the part where technically he dies early on in the story)

The Comic actually cuts the Battle for Midian scenes much shorter.  Only showing a few bits of the Berserker Frenzy.  At this point the Movie shows a scene that is neither in the Book, nor the Comic.  The Scene where Peloquin explains to Lori that the Bite was his, that this was all in the Prophecy.  Instead of this scene, the book and the Comic show Detective Joyce  help Babette get out of Midian.

This takes us to where Decker finds Lori, again.  The fight between Decker and Boone is fairly similar, except for in the Comic, Decker tosses Narcisse’s head to Boone.  One little detail, that makes me so happy for some reason is that in the comic, the Playing Card is also stuck to Boone’s Chest.

Boone takes care of Decker in the same fashion as in the movie, but in a much less visceral means (and Final) than in the book.  Boone’s Baptism and Transformation into Cabal plays out fairly the same in both the Comic and Movie.  In a much more PG version than what Barker did with the book.  It is immediately after this in the comic, when Ashberry recieves his Baptism.

In the Comic, we see that Detective Joyce, still alive, has sucessfully gotten Babette to safety.  The Movie jumps straight to the Farmhouse, and the Resurrection of Decker and then ends.  The book and Comic have much more to say, however.

Eigerman and the Transformed Ashberry meet and Eigerman thinks he can use the Reverend to find the Nightbreed again, but Ashberry needs no companion, and kills Eigerman. Boone is ready to leave Lori behind, because he is ‘Breed now, and she isn’t.  She does not except this.  To the Point that she runs herself through with Decker’s knife and Boone has to save her with his Bite.  They are Both now Nightbreed and embark and their new Unlife together.  The Comic closes with the Farmhouse scene, with Rachel and Babette watching, and waiting.

Watching/reading all three versions simultaneously like this has caused them to all meld into one big perfect Nightbreed story in my head.  I can only hope that when I finally see the Cabal Cut, lives up to this perfect version in my head.   From everything I have heard, it does.  The Next issue begins new Nightbreed stories, but those are for another post.

Next time, I  return to the world of the Cenobites with Clive Barker’s Hellraiser #5!