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“Night Jackal” Pits Superhero vs Superhero vs Society

Night Jackal cover

From the publisher, Nothing Rhymes With Entertainment, LLC comes Night Jackal,  a superhero comic like The Boys or even Watchmen. The creative team of Night Jackal is writer Heath C. Michaels, illustrator Philip Renne, colorist Falk Haensel, and letterer Marco Della Verde. Nothing Rhymes With Entertainment, LLC publishes Night Jackal as a shoot-em-style racing video game in May 2020. The game is available to buy on Steam. On ComiXology, the summary of the comic is this:

Recently released from prison, iconic 80s superhero Night Jackal comes face-to-face with a world he barely recognizes. Superheroes from his day are outlawed and sent into hiding, while a new and dangerous brand of “hero” are organized under a state-sanctioned, monolithic department known as the Bureau of Guardians. He soon becomes their main target as a larger plot unfolds pitting two otherworldly factions against each other in this nail-biting epic with unexpected twists unfolding in each heart-pounding issue!

From the opening pages, there are obvious similarities to The Boys. First, the leader of the Bureau of Guardians looks and acts like Homelander. Also, there is a haunting lack of separation between the State and the Capes. But there are key differences. One is that the pushback against unchecked power is far greater in Night Jackal than in The Boys. The opening scene presents superheroes as Machiavellian. Ordinary citizens riot against the mere concept of the Bureau of Guardians.

Unfortunately, Night Jackal is operating in an over-saturated genre. Aside from Watchmen and The Boys, many superhero stories explore the “what if superheroes weren’t so heroic?” theme. Even the MCU sort of addressed it with Captain America: Civil War. Because of this, Night Jackal is forced to compete with these popular franchises. It suffers because it can’t quite stand alone.

What fresh element Night Jackal brings is removing some of the binary of superheroes vs society. There are clear factions even among the heroes themselves. Enter our titular hero Night Jackal, also known as Jon Wagner, is a formerly-incarcerated ex-hero. Jon has some kind of history with the Guardians and their leader Ethan Masterson (hero name Peace). The extent of it is not immediately clear but Ethan reacts extremely to news of Jon’s release.

As far as art, the use of harsh shadows works well to convey tone. There is quite a bit of tension present in the story. The way the shadows frame the characters creates an intensity to their emotions. Renne conveys this tense world well through his illustrations. Another element that works quite well is the way in which Renne draws eyes. He exaggerates the eyes of even minor characters. The fear of the ordinary citizens among the Capes is clear.

Screencap of Night Jackal Panel

The eyes “pop” right off the page

The story plays out by giving small pieces of Jon’s past. Despite his intimidating presence and unflattering reputation, Jon isn’t confrontational. He even allows himself a beating by several rich punks. Jon has to deal with vicious harassment from anti-Capes citizens.

Ethan pays Jon a visit and warns him to refrain from super activities. Jon comes from a rich family and pleads unsuccessfully for Ethan to help him save face. At this point in the story, allegiances are unknown. The characters all appear to have some ulterior motive. The Capes are the worst offenders.

The first issue of Night Jackal is interesting but its worldbuilding is familiar. The political and larger social conflict is less engaging than Jon’s past. He appears to have gone on a failed revenge mission that led to his incarceration. What led him to regret his actions enough to make him a pacifist? The gentle-giant nature of his character works well. There’s a clear consequence if he snaps but it’s likely the story will push him to. That tension carries into the next issue.

When Issue 2 begins, Jon is on the run after an anonymous attack at the end of the last issue. Flashbacks from his past haunt him. A repeated image: a half-nude woman, bloody and dead on a bed. In his flashbacks, a much younger and leaner Jon is at a socialite’s party. His attitude is far more playboy. He’s joined by naked women despite having a fiancé.

The stark contrast here may remind readers of another superhero story. It’s like the transformation of Arrow‘s Oliver Queen from a rich playboy to a traumatized vigilante. Violence breaks out and Jon rushes to his fiancé…the half-nude woman, bloody and dead on the bed. In the present time, Jon is a man out of time searching for answers to his tragic past.

As previously mentioned, these flashbacks are Night Jackal at its best. The reader is left wondering why this attack happened and how it changed Jon. Also, what happened in prison to leave him so defeated? Jon is an intriguing character and the mystery of his past works well to guide Night Jackal.

Issue 2 expands the world. It shows heroes in their forced retirement trying to hide their costumed pasts. Further issues of Night Jackal would do better focusing more on the personal conflicts. There are unique characters but the “what if superheroes were bad” trope is overdone. All-in-all, there’s great potential with this comic as it expands its universe.

Night Jackal is available for purchase at ComiXology and you can find out more about the author’s filmmaking on his website. Are you enjoying Night Jackal so far? Sound off in the comments or send us your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter!

About the author

Elijah Johnson