Clive Barker’s Nightbreed #5 Retro Review
This issue plays off a bit like a first issue. Kind of like if the movie was so successful, it spawned a comic that picks up where the movie left off, as opposed to doing an adaptation first. There is a bit of recap in there. I am assuming this is because the people at Epic where expecting more readers to jump on once new stories started.
The issue starts off with a group of Breed, all of which are new to us, attacking and robbing a conveinence store near Shere Neck in the middle of the night. Their names are Mulciber (who seems to be the leader of this pack), Piglet, Aello, Dagon, Oral, and Fachan. They mostly seem interested in money and Ids, so they can make fake ones later. The loal Police head out to investigate a disturbance. Which leads to a chase in the woods…
Mulciber, Piglet, Fachon, Aello, Dagon, and Ora
Mulciber starts complaining about always having to run from the humans, especially now that Midian is gone. Aello, the only female (I think) of the bunch, is sent to buy them some time while they figure out there next move. Aello does a little sexy come hither thing, before wrapping her legs around one of police, sprouts wings, flies in the air, and drops him. During all this, Oral, who seems to be the Moral center of the group, is debating with Mulciber, who wants some meat. The debate becomes moot when they are attacked by the Sheriff. Mulciber kills him in self defense and the smell of blood overwhelms him, much to Moral Oral’s chagrin. In fact everybody but Oral digs in after they find the remains of Aello’s victim. Eventually even Oral succumbs to breaking Baphomet’s Law. He has to use rocks as teeth, because he doesn’t have any of his own.
The story then switches gears to a shed where an attractive young women, with purple hair and a burlap sack, are caught by the owner of said shed. The girl doesn’t have any money, only herself. The farmer says he can only watch. So, the second strip tease of the issue commences. The farmer suddenly gets distracted by the sack. Despite the girls protests, he opens it to find….Baphomet’s head! Baphomet then proceeds to give a Reader’s Digest version of the plight of Midian so far. The shed, and the farmer are destroyed, and the girl grabs her head sack and is on the run once again.
The Narrative switches again to a couple of guys in a truck who just seem to be on the positive end of a drug deal gone bad. During the mayhem the notice two guys, one of which is described as “lookin’ like that ‘Mac Tonight’ guy!” Yeah, I laughed at that one myself. Kinski, Boone (Don’t call me Cabal!), and Lori cause the truck to crash. The Drug dealers think this is about the drug deal. Boone is interested in a Necklace one of them is wearing. He knows it is from a woman named Nickneven, and he is trying to find her. Apparently not all Breed have been hiding in Midian. Nicknevan has been among the Naturals for some time. Boone gets some directions, and they head off to find Nickneven, in the hopes that she has some info to help them find a new home.
The final page shows Nickneven and a young girl named Tater. It looks like Nickneven is expecting guests, and had Tater aquire what looks like glowing green eggs.
What kind of eggs are they? Will there also be ham? You will have to tune in next time to find out! This issue did an outstanding job of bringing readers up to date and ready for the story to continue beyond the movie. Old Faces, New Faces, and a face full of Rocks…what more can you ask from a comic?
Next week…Clive Barker’s Nightbreed #6
