It’s time to thrash the night! The death of a loved one draws Dwayne Taylor back to New York City, though his days as Night Thrasher are long over. But Dwayne finds the past difficult to outrun when Silhouette, his ex-teammate from the New Warriors, seeks his help against a new criminal called THE O.G. And the mystery of the O.G.’s true identity and what’s to come will change Night Thrasher’s legacy forever! Night Thrasher #1 is an interesting start with a throwback stilted style about it.
Night Thrasher #1 is an interesting comic. It relies pretty heavily on continuity and these characters’ pasts to truly care about what’s going on. If there had been a regular series, recent comics, it’d all make a bit more sense in execution. As is, Night Thrasher #1 feels like a comic geared more towards die-hard fans invested in these characters mixed with some nostalgia.
Written by J. Holtham, Night Thrasher #1 isn’t so much a fresh start to jump into as it is a comic steeped in the past and character relationships. At the center is Dwayne Taylor, aka Night Thrasher, who mentions his history, disappearing, being dead, but with little detail. Then there’s Dwayne’s relationship with Silhouette which is key to the issue and it’s emotional punches. But again, unless you’re bought into and know their history, it all feels surface level informational not really tugging at the readers’ heart.
Holtham does deliver some interesting concepts, and the underlying bones of the story and comic are solid, it’s the focus on the past instead of charging into the future that really holds the comic back. Much like the issue of gentrification within, the comic’s story itself feels like it struggles between two worlds and needs of the reading audience.
The art by Nelson Daniel is ok. There’s a little John Romita Jr. flair to it with color by Matt Milla and lettering by Travis Lanham. The comic’s visuals aren’t too flashy and the overall style feels like an action style that Romita had in the 90s. It was good but also there’s a stilted flow to the art in some ways that also matches a stilted narrative.
Night Thrasher #1 isn’t a bad comic but it also doesn’t live up to its potential. A comic focused on gentrification while also exploring the stars of 90s comics to today would be a fascinating read. It dances around those concepts instead relying on reveals that are predictable but also only hit if you’re really into the New Warriors. Overall, the is a comic for Night Thrasher fans that others will likely want to skip.
Story: J. Holtham Art; Nelson Daniel
Color: Matt Milla Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
Source: Graphic Policy
