TOM HOLLANDS FRIGHT NIGHT #1 picks up where the 1985 hit film left off. The creators have crafted a new story that reveals the film is only part of the tale. The writing is sincere and wisely respects the source material, and the characters are all present but with a slightly different voice to reflect the fresh take. That said, the art passes hands multiple times with styles that dont complement each other well for a distracting visual experience. Read Full Review

1985’s Fright Night is one of my favorite Vampire movies. When I saw the solicit for a direct sequel to the film by the original writer/director the purchase was an easy decision.

I never watched the 1988 sequel or the remake, so my memories of the franchise was pure going into this issue. I could do some more research or watch the movies, but I’d rather keep my reaction to this material as raw as possible.

Tom Holland’s Fright Night #1 is a follow-up to the film that I know and love. As a sequel this take is nearly perfect. The story gives a detailed recap of the 1985 film before pivoting and catching up with the surviving characters.

Charlie Brewster and Amy Peterson are now in senior year and have parted ways. Meanwhile, Peter Vincent has written a novel detailing the events involving Jerry Dandridge and the vampire killings but presents the account as a work of fiction.

While establishing the status quo of the principal characters the comic also introduces a new group of protagonists who have for our heroes to deal with.

The issue feels like a natural progression of the story. The series is still in setup phase so there isn’t much action. However, the issue does not feel decompressed like most current year mini-series.

Ironically, the weakest section of the book is the recap of the film. This segment is effective but the art direction for this portion of the book isn’t the best and it is glaring. Thankfully, this part of the book does not take too much of the page count. The reminder of the book has a different artist who is better fit for the story.

I do not want to spoil the comic for fans of the source material. The pace and progression of the story is great. James Kuhoric has a great voice for these characters. The scale of the story also feels self-contained. The hook of the series is obviously nostalgia and to revisit these characters, but the member-berries are not overblown which I appreciated.

In Short: The Fright Night Sequel you’ve been waiting for. more