By JUSTIN YOUNG
In the late summer of 1985, Tom Holland sank his fangs into audiences with his directorial debut, Fright Night – ushering in a new age of bloodsuckers by hearkening back to horror’s roots. Since the films release, there have been multiple attempts to recapture the lightning in the bottle conjured by the original cast and crew. From sequels, remakes, and previous comic book continuations, none have been able to fully quench the blood lust of fright fans.
Enter writer James Kuhoric and the team at American Mythology. TOM HOLLAND’S FRIGHT NIGHT is latest addition to the Fright Night series and sports a stamp-of-approval from Holland himself. Kuhoric brings his experience adapting horror into comic form from prior projects such as Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash and Kolchak the Nightstalker. The first issue will seem more than familiar to those aware of the story, though the retelling of the events of the first film is brief and necessary to bring any new readers up to speed. The recap is handled in a clever manner with the tale being retold by the one-and-only, great vampire killer turned author, Peter Vincent. True to form, Vincent is now attempting to cash in on he and Charley Brewster’s brush with the undead by chronicling their adventure in novel format. TOM HOLLAND’S FRIGHT NIGHT takes place mere months after the battle with Jerry Dandrige and Billy Cole. Similar to Tommy Lee Wallace’s sequel, Fright Night Part 2, Dandrige has been labeled a homicidal maniac by local news reports with no mention of vampirism.
There seems to be an amalgamation of ideas pulled from several of the other sources in an attempt to consolidate all the loose ends left within the extended lore of the Fright Night universe. Depending on the readers opinion of those other sources, this can be a positive or a negative approach. For instance, the vampire queen introduced in the first issue displays features that make her eerily reminiscent of Regine Dandrige, portrayed by actress Julie Carmen in the second film. The Queen is in search of the humans that killed one of her oldest children in Dandrige, which differs from the second film in that the duo are not siblings. With a pair of her children of the night at her side, the newly introduced Queen of the Damned purchases the vacant Dandrige house and Charley’s nightmare starts anew.
Readers will be happy to learn that questions left unanswered by the original film and subsequent materials will seemingly be addressed by the forthcoming issues in the series – the turbulent relationship between Charley and Amy after the battle at the Dandrige house being one of the primary plot points explored. Jason Craig, Neil Vokes, Jay Geldhof and Matt Webb round out the talented team of artists tasked with bringing these classic characters back to life for fans new and old alike to enjoy. The art style perfectly fits the mood established by the franchise by not being committed to an overly cartoonish approach. There is a lot of room for bold blood and brutality while still allowing the innate comedic nature of the characters to shine though. The cover art of the first issue features a stake-wielding Peter Vincent and is particularly impressive.
TOM HOLLAND’S FRIGHT NIGHT masterfully sets the stage for the long-awaiting continuation of one of horror’s classic stories that will appease fans of the original as well as rope in new readers. Nostalgia and new nightmares manifest in this first offering from American Mythology.
Grab the first issue of TOM HOLLAND’S FRIGHT NIGHT here.
