Tales of the Night Watchman
| Tales of the Night Watchman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | So What? Press |
| Format | ongoing series |
| Genre |
superhero horror drama slice of life |
| Publication date | 2011-present |
| Number of issues | 9 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Dave Kelly |
| Artist(s) |
Lara Antal Molly Ostertag Amanda Scurti J. Vigants Simon Fraser |
| Creator(s) | Dave Kelly & Lara Antal |
Tales of the Night Watchman is an ongoing horror comic book created by Dave Kelly & Lara Antal and published by So What? Press. The series revolves around a young woman named Nora, her roommate Charlie, and their co-worker Serena, who live in Brooklyn and get caught up in an onslaught of supernatural occurrences around New York City. It began in 2011.
The series features the work of several artists, including Molly Ostertag of Strong Female Protagonist and Simon Fraser.[1][2] In an interview with Rue Morgue magazine in 2016, series writer Kelly stated, "...we’ve worked with several artists, but I grew up loving anthology horror, so I liken it to that. Each artist brings something different to it, and that helps develop the characters and their world."[3]
The characters in the series work at Think Coffee's Union Square location in Manhattan and live in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg, both of which are prominent fixtures in the series.
Publication history
The series (2011-present)
The main series follows the life of Nora Cashin, professional barista and amateur writer, and her roommate, Charlie Maxwell, who happens to be possessed, in the nicest way possible, by a spectral detective who calls himself The Night Watchman. Their co-worker, Serena Filby, is a casual grifter who lives in a tent on a Brooklyn rooftop. In the first issue, she was caught by the Night Watchman stealing a man's wallet. As a form of punishment, he forces her to get a job at the coffee shop. Serena's trouble-making tendencies are the impetus for many of the stories.[4]
The Long Fall
The first story arc of the main series is called "The Long Fall". It centers around the redevelopment of the Williamsburg waterfront by a corrupt city councilman named Dan Deane. He has a plan to build a high rise apartment building banked on a scheme to offer low-rent housing to area residents. He has also come into possession of something called "the fragment", which promises to give him greater political advantage. However, it has also unleashed a far greater evil connected into the world. The main story arc is illustrated by series co-creator Lara Antal.[5][6]
Staycation
There is an eight-page prologue issue to the series called "Staycation", which involves Nora and her friend Trish taking a trip to the beach. Over s'mores and an open fire, Trish reveals that she brought some ecstasy for them to take. Nora is upset that she brought an illegal substance with them in the car and chides Trish. This fractures their relationship and keeps Trish from telling Nora about her affair with Dan Deane, which ultimately gets her killed. This issue was illustrated by Lara Antal and is considered by the creators to be a part of the "The Long Fall" story arc.[7][8]
The Dwellers of Big Bogie
A backup story appears in Issue Three and Four entitled "The Dwellers of Big Bogie". One night, Serena is coming home from the grocery store and is mugged by a subway-dwelling girl. She tells Nora about this who later encounters the same girl. Chasing her into the tunnels below Brooklyn, she is drugged by the dwellers and made to be a sacrifice for their ruler, Big Bogie. However, Nora is not one to go down easily and defeats the giant creature with the help of renegade dwellers. Both parts were illustrated by Amanda Scurti.[2][9]
The one-shots (2013-present)
There have been three one-shots published that tell stories outside "The Long Fall" story arc. These stories take place in various parts of the city and are also homages to some of co-creator Dave Kelly's favorite golden age horror films.[3] They all take place between Issues Two and Three of the main series.
The Mad Mind of Anton Sebaum
After Nora discovers that counterfeit twenty-dollar bills are passing through the coffee shop's register, she makes Charlie and Serena check every single one used in transactions. Serena finds one and confronts the customer trying to spend it, who flees. She chases after him and is captured by the minions of a decades-old counterfeiting operation in Chinatown. The Night Watchman infiltrate their warehouse in an effort to have save her, but not before he confronting their leader, Anton Sebaum. This issue was illustrated by J. Vigants.[3]
It Came from the Gowanus Canal
Serena fills up the coffee shop's office computer with articles about urban legends around the city. In particular, the Gowanus Golem, a toxic sludge monster that takes revenge on those who have slighted it. The creature has resurfaced after an extended dormancy and is more real that they anticipated, especially to the Night Watchman. The story is set in Brooklyn's infamous Gowanus Canal, a real-life EPA superfund site. It was illustrated by Molly Ostertag.[10][11]
The Night Collector
After a young woman is mysteriously killed, the Night Watchman learns that a coven of vampires has taken over the bat exhibit at the Bronx Zoo, and they may have a sympathizer in the form of an odd zookeeper fascinated by bats. This issue was illustrated by Molly Ostertag.[5]
Main characters
Protagonists
- Nora Cashin – Nora is an aspiring writer, but her real job is managing a coffee shop. Charlie and Serena are her employees. She desires to do something bigger in the world but finds herself stymied by her day job. That said, she often accompanies the Night Watchman on his missions and has proven herself able to fight evil alone, as seen in "The Dwellers of Big Bogie".
- Charlie Maxwell/The Night Watchman – Charlie's real identity is unknown. He showed up one night in Nora's apartment and what happened thereafter is a mystery. What is known is that he was allowed to stay in her guestroom and work at the coffee shop. He is also the Night Watchman, a spectral detective from the 1940s who has been thrust into the present for reasons not yet fully understood. He has taken it upon himself to police the city's supernatural happenings. He took both his secret identity and his nom de guerre from an old movie serial he likes to watch, coincidentally called Tales of the Night Watchman.
- Serena Filby – Serena is a mischievous street urchin who lives in a tent on a Brooklyn rooftop. She has a penchant for thievery and hucksterism but has also found herself at home working the straight life at the coffee shop. The Night Watchman keeps an eye on her, much to her chagrin. He will show up on her rooftop to hang out, usually after work, when she would rather be eating dinner or watching T.V. (via binoculars aimed at her neighbors' windows).
References
- ↑ Means-Shannon, Hannah (23 March 2014). "MoCCA Fest Previews: It Came From The Gowanus Canal And Invisible Wounds From So What? Press". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- 1 2 Means-Shannon, Hannah (4 September 2015). "SPX Preview: Supernatural Noir Returns With 10 Pages From Tales Of The Night Watchman # 4". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Snellings, April (29 June 2016). "Sinister Seven: DAVE KELLY on TALES OF THE NIGHT WATCHMAN". Rue Morgue. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ↑ Dillon, Bryant (19 October 2012). "'Tales of the Night Watchman #1:' Comic Book Review". Fanbase Press. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- 1 2 Dillon, Bryant (18 September 2013). "A Review of 'Tales of the Night Watchman: Volume 1 #2' and 'Tales of the Night Watchman Presents: The Night Collector' (New Hires and Nude Vampires)". Fanbase Press. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ↑ Means-Shannon, Hannah (12 September 2013). "Seven SPX Debuts That Are Like Crack: Tales of the Night Watchman, Behold the Killbot, Rushes, Journey into the Valley of Whispers, The Black Feather Falls, Cartozia Tales #2, Vs.". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ↑ Means-Shannon, Hannah (15 March 2014). "Get Your MoCCA Fest Preview Of Tales Of The Night Watchman: Staycation". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- ↑ Dillon, Bryant (14 August 2014). Fanbase Press http://www.fanbasepress.com/index.php/blogs/bryant-dillon/item/4008-tales-of-the-night-watchman-presents-staycation-comic-book-review-break-time. Retrieved July 22, 2016. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ Marx, Sam (30 November 2014). "Advance Review: TALES OF THE NIGHT WATCHMAN #3". Comicosity. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ↑ Dillon, Bryant (7 August 2014). "'Tales of The Night Watchman Presents: It Came from the Gowanus Canal' - Comic Book Review (Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Slimy)". Fanbase Press. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ↑ Salvatore, Brian (17 March 2014). "What is Lurking in Brooklyn? Find out in "Tales of the Night Watchman Presents: It Came from the Gowanus Canal" #4 [Preview]". Multiversity Comics. Retrieved July 21, 2016.