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A review by mediaevalmuse
Gotham by Midnight, Volume 1: We Do Not Sleep by Ray Fawkes
3.0
I bought this book purely for the art, and I needed something quick to read, so I figured I’d actually sit down and review this trade. I initially wasn’t expecting much, based on online reviews, but when I read it for myself, I was actually pleasantly surprised. There were definitely aspects that I loved, and overall, it was a fun supernatural detective story.
Things I Liked
1. Art: I love, love, love the spooky art in this book. All the pages are some mixture of green, blue, and orange, which gives an eerie feel to the shadowy horror and monstrous imagery in the story. It’s not quite “realistic” in the sense that all proportions, coloring, and perspective are 100% correct, but that didn’t matter so much to me because I was delighted by the look of the characters, especially the Spectre and the creepy things Corrigan and his team face.
2. Jim Corrigan/The Spectre: I really enjoyed Corrigan’s characterization in this run. The Spectre (the entity that lives in him) only appears sparingly - and I think it’s a good way to get to know the host and, at the same time, save the Spectre for moments when the story needs a good punch. I also liked how Corrigan attempts to do everything in his power to solve crimes before the Spectre comes out (because if it comes out, everyone will be judged and probably killed) - it really shows this uneasy relationship between them, and as always, I’m a sucker for these types of characters.
3. Monster Motivations: I kind of love that the monster’s motivations for wanting to essentially destroy Gotham were rooted in the history of the city itself. It added for a bit more complexity in the universe - not of the story in this book itself, but in the understanding of Gotham as a setting.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Narrative Fluidity: There were a lot of times when I wasn’t quite sure what was going on or how moments connected to one another. A bit more explanation of how things are happening or clearer definition of characters in the flashback sequences would have been helpful.
2. Narrative Complexity: Overall, this is a rather simple horror/supernatural story. I’m all for a simple, cheesy, horror story, and I did have fun reading this book, but I wish at the same time that there was more to it. Maybe a more complex story or a deeper understanding of the characters.
3. Characters: I love the idea of a group of investigators from all walks of life, but there was so little time devoted to them that I could hardly care if they were in danger or not. As a result, the death at the end of the book feels empty, not like a hard-hitting tragedy or noble sacrifice or anything. It just was.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in supernatural mystery and horror or Jim Corrigan/The Spectre as a character.
Things I Liked
1. Art: I love, love, love the spooky art in this book. All the pages are some mixture of green, blue, and orange, which gives an eerie feel to the shadowy horror and monstrous imagery in the story. It’s not quite “realistic” in the sense that all proportions, coloring, and perspective are 100% correct, but that didn’t matter so much to me because I was delighted by the look of the characters, especially the Spectre and the creepy things Corrigan and his team face.
2. Jim Corrigan/The Spectre: I really enjoyed Corrigan’s characterization in this run. The Spectre (the entity that lives in him) only appears sparingly - and I think it’s a good way to get to know the host and, at the same time, save the Spectre for moments when the story needs a good punch. I also liked how Corrigan attempts to do everything in his power to solve crimes before the Spectre comes out (because if it comes out, everyone will be judged and probably killed) - it really shows this uneasy relationship between them, and as always, I’m a sucker for these types of characters.
3. Monster Motivations: I kind of love that the monster’s motivations for wanting to essentially destroy Gotham were rooted in the history of the city itself. It added for a bit more complexity in the universe - not of the story in this book itself, but in the understanding of Gotham as a setting.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Narrative Fluidity: There were a lot of times when I wasn’t quite sure what was going on or how moments connected to one another. A bit more explanation of how things are happening or clearer definition of characters in the flashback sequences would have been helpful.
2. Narrative Complexity: Overall, this is a rather simple horror/supernatural story. I’m all for a simple, cheesy, horror story, and I did have fun reading this book, but I wish at the same time that there was more to it. Maybe a more complex story or a deeper understanding of the characters.
3. Characters: I love the idea of a group of investigators from all walks of life, but there was so little time devoted to them that I could hardly care if they were in danger or not. As a result, the death at the end of the book feels empty, not like a hard-hitting tragedy or noble sacrifice or anything. It just was.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in supernatural mystery and horror or Jim Corrigan/The Spectre as a character.