Cover Up: The Nocturnals: Black Planet #1

It's been a long, busy day, so let's just say I'm a big fan of Daniel Brereton, creator of the creepy-crawly noir series The Nocturnals. His watercolor painting style is gorgeous to look at, and is especially well-suited to the characters and storylines that are a mash-up of 50s horror, sci-fi and crime movies.

Brereton does have a habit of giving every man he draws a serious case of five o'clock shadow — which was distracting on that Worlds Finest mini he did — but it works perfectly in a series where every guy is tough as nails and ready to prove it. And of course, he portrays women that would make a priest kick out a stained glass window and are just as tough (if not tougher) than the mooks around them.

I especially like Brereton's use of light in this cover to The Nocturnals: Black Planet #1; coming from the bottom it looks like fire or candlelight, while at the left it could be the glare of oncoming headlights (emphasized by Polychrome's pull-back stance). But at the top of the cover you can also see the highlights from that swollen full moon that almost seems to be acting as a character in itself. Taken all together, the artist is playing with the shadows and colors to great effect.

Brereton's style is beautifully lush and bigger than life, and I think this cover shows it's at its best when put to work on his creator-owned Nocturnals.

What do you think?

Trick-or-Treating with Halloween Girl

OK, I think I've got everything ready; decorations are up, spooking sound effects are playing on the hi-fi and I've got a big ol' bowl of candy. All we have to do now is wait for the ...

Hey, look everybody — it's Eve, our very own Halloween Girl! Stop being wet blankets, guys, and say hello!

... um. Geez. Maybe you two should lay off the Pixie Stix. Anyway, you're our first trick-or-treater, Eve! Are you having fun?

Oh, that's too bad. That Doc Horror, he's got a million of 'em, huh? Oh, sure ... go ahead and dump those out anywhere ... I guess ...

Well, no one likes to hear their name mangled. Right, guys?

Er ...

HOT TAMALES!!

Wow. Eve, you're really ...






... sweet? Uh, why don't you go ahead and take two candies, OK?

Happy Halloween from Great Caesar's Post!

Panels from The Nocturnals #1

Friday Night Fights: Don't get fresh with Starfish

She really doesn't appreciate it.


Panel from Nocturnals #6

Bahlactus knows what the ladies like.