Writer: Si Spurrier
Art: Paco Medina, Jay David Ramos, VC’s Clayton Cowles, Leinil Francis Yu, Sunny Gho, Tom Muller, and Jay Bowen
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 15th, 2023
Ten years into a twisted future, Mr, Sinister unleashes his private army of assassins: The Legion of the Night. Dive into Nightcrawlers #1 by Si Spurrier as we meet Wagnerine, commanding this killer crew of brainwashed hybrids, each one a genetic mix of Nightcrawler and another one of Marvel’s most murderous mutants! Mysterious forces seek to break Sinister’s control over these fatal fanatics – to turn them Against Him! But who are they? And what are their true motives…? Enter Mother Righteous … and a meeting of the most powerful players in the Universe…
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read the Nightcrawlers #1 Review.
THE DISPATCH
As for as openers go, Nightcrawlers #1 throws readers in without any background at all. It’s very confusing and lacks depth for the characters involved making the beginning extremely cold and hard to decipher. Who’s mixed with who? How do everyone’s abilities work? Names are thrown around like we are supposed to know who everyone is. It’s just not a great way to begin a story. Moreover, even after the opener, Spurrier introduces characters with accents that are hard to read and conversations that contain quips and retorts that come across as uppity and almost outlandish. But why?
Additionally, a battle ensues between what appears to be Sinister clones. However, who are we supposed to root for? Who’s good? Who’s bad? Readers want to pick a side. We don’t want to go in unaware as to who we should be championing. Nevertheless, this person labeled “Mother” appears to be the one we want to get behind as this story unfolds. Yet again, I say a story shouldn’t be this difficult to navigate. Part of Nightcrawlers #1 has these individuals cascading across the globe in a montage of madness trying to up their ranks but without explanation. And that wild lack of communication transcends the entire issue. Fans, after rereading Nightcrawlers multiple times, I still can’t shoot you straight on the exact plan, purpose, or plot of the issue. Sure, I have my assumptions but I shouldn’t have to assume value within the first issue. The writer should make that clear.
ART
Paco Medina brings tons of action, especially with the cold open. His backgrounds drop out with racing lines showcasing character moments fluently. Additionally, the colors by Jay David Ramos are quite striking adding that perfect balance of spice and vibrant tones that genuinely bring the comic to life. Furthermore, I appreciated the lettering by VC’s Clayton Cowles whenever our blue, furry friends teleported. It’s the small details that go an incredibly long way. Nevertheless, I feel Nightcrawlers #1 could have benefited from larger panels and less dialogue which would help to declutter, reframe, and showcase more of Medina’s abilities. Too many pages came across as jam-packed and added more confusion to the otherwise perplexing narrative at hand.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I dove headfirst into Nightcrawlers #1 because I thought Chimera centered around Nightcrawler would be nuts. And before I wrap, let me start by saying it certainly would be except fans get very little explanation of abilities, who are mixed with who, names, or even reasons for the blends. Other than the awesome appearances, readers will leave Nightcrawlers #1 confused as to who the two main characters are, the abilities of the Chimera in focus, and the overarching purpose of this series.
Ultimately, I think the idea is to break into the Moira’s and reboot this puppy. And if that’s the case, I’m sorry to say I’m going to be very disappointed if fans get this Season 9 of “Dallas” dream event where we just rewrite all this Sinister nonsense by killing a Moira clone (yes I know that dates me tremendously to make that reference). But anyway, if all of this gets wiped away, what was the point or premise of the event? Moreover, what’s the point of Nightcrawlers #1? I really wanted to like this but the hyphenated dialogue, conservational confusion, and cultist vibes mixed with unexplained plot threads and a frigid cold open left this reviewer with more questions and concerns than purposeful plot threads and promise. The jury is still out for this reviewer. I’ll gladly give it another issue but at this point, I’m aiming low.