Writer: Greg Weisman
Art: Diego Bonesso and Nicolò Laporini (colorist)
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 18, 2023
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THE DISPATCH
In Gargoyles: Halloween Special #1, the gargoyles celebrate Halloween in this callback to the episode, “Eye of the Beholder” which is even directly referenced at one point by one of the characters. The new character, Nashville, the son of Brooklyn, is featured prominently in this issue. He was first introduced at the end of a previous Gargoyles comic series, also written by Weisman, from another publisher. It’s a great story that pays homage to the show, stays in continuity with the current storyline of the main Gargoyles comic and allows new characters to shine. It allows readers the opportunity to get to know Nashville a little bit more as a character, since he hadn’t appeared in the show, and it’s the first time the spotlight is really put on him as opposed to Goliath or the other gargoyles.
ART
The art in Gargoyles: Halloween Special #1 is superb. While not directly mimicking the animation style of the show, Bonesso’s art is very detailed. In paying homage to the Gargoyles’ Halloween episode where Elisa Maza dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, here she dresses as another classic Disney movie character as Alice from Alice in Wonderland. There’s a great panel showing Elisa and Goliath having a romantic dance. Some fans may be bothered by the fact that Elisa is depicted here with gray hair instead of blue like she has in the show, but since it’s Halloween, one could easily rationalize that she decided to dye her hair. There also are some stellar panels of action featuring the gargoyles fighting the quarrymen.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Gargoyles: Halloween Special #1 is a fun story that pays tribute to previous episodes from the show, as well as expands upon the characterization of new faces like Nashville, allowing the readers to learn more about his personality. He is a brave and somewhat impulsive character, much like his father. Just like the Halloween episode of the show, this comic pays tribute to a classic Disney movie through Elisa’s choice of costume. Even if you haven’t read the previous Gargoyles comics, this is a great issue to jump on board with to get invested into the characters.