I’m a huge fan of John Allison’s ‘Giant Days’ and have all the graphic novels in the series. I eagerly await each new arrival like an old friend, which is kind of what it is about, the power of friendship in university. ‘Giant Days’ has a very likable trip of quippy young women and a couple of easily identifiable male characters too. The interplay between the ensemble is dynamite and it was their endearing personalities that made them so wonderful. So, I'd hoped to see similar bantery Whedon-esque wordplay and British-isms on show in Allison’s 'By Night' a new limited series comprised of 3 graphic novels, but this is a very different beast indeed.
It’s only 3 graphic novels long but the comic is strangely too long yet not long enough…
The story is quite simple; two friends in their late teens/ early 20s friends find an inter-dimensional portal to a fantastical world with trolls, goblins and a creepy mountain with one eye… What to do? Why make a documentary about the place, of course! However, plans go awry and there is a larger conspiracy involving an old industrialist, a conglomerate and the rust belt town.
There is potential here but having read the complete series it’s all really ... bland and lacking something. I think a big part of that is that the characters are a bit meh, there are no real character quirks or individuality that makes you root for the characters, in fact, some are just plain annoying and unlikable. Also, the issue of a decaying town in thrall to its industrial past has been covered extremely well in video game 'Night in the Woods' and the fantastical alternate world has done extremely well across media, especially cartoon series like 'Adventure Time', 'She- Ra' and 'Over The Garden Wall' but what's on show in this comic series is so generic that I felt disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, the artwork by Christine Larsen is solid overall but again, there is nothing really standout to rave about. The town is presented in hue of blacks, greys and oranges so there isn't much potential for flourish or embellishment. The Otherworld is a little more creative but nothing to write home about.
So, overall 'By Night' is an okay read but I'm disappointed with the whole thing as it had potential. The conclusion is not very conclusive and it felt like a rushed ending. Much like this review!
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