Rough and gritty, John Carpenter’s Night Terrors: 13 Horsemen (Storm King Comics) is a hardboiled combination of biker drama, monster oddities, and bloody action. Readers will absolutely love this graphic novel about camaraderie and high octane testosterone by writer/artist Nat Jones, letterer Janice Chiang, and editor Sandy King.
“Sixteen years ago, James Walker’s wife and unborn child were brutally murdered by what he thought was his best friend. Now he is a pawn in a cryptic demonic prophecy and trapped in a bloody war between Heaven and Hell. Guided only by an unstable, alcoholic priest, James seeks revenge against the demon that killed his family. The streets run red with blood as James and his outlaw biker gang, the 13 Horsemen, battle demonic forces set on consuming humanity. Can a bunch of foul-mouthed, dirty bikers stop the end of days? Or will they cause it?”
Here are 5 reasons why you have to read John Carpenter’s Night Terrors: 13 Horsemen:
5) It’s The Mayans Meets Vampires!
The biker club, known as the 13 Horsemen, represents the best aspects of John Carpenter’s iconic movies. They’re a bunch of outlaws; they’re anti-heroes. In Chapter 4, the 13 Horsemen member, Michael, demonstrates anti-authority towards the police while valuing his respect towards the family. Janice Chiang’s lettering does a phenomenal job of capturing Nat Jones’ tough guy talk and mutual trust within the gang of rebels.
4) The Writing!
Each chapter feels episodic in nature like readers are getting an anthology of different 13 Horsemen stories. Towards the end, you can tell Jones is laying out the groundwork of an ongoing mythology. There’s a lot of promising potential with 13 Horsemen to explore if he wishes to continue the narrative.
3) The Artwork!
Jones’ illustrations impressively highlight the biker clothing, the monster designs, and the rural background. As if he’s been in one too many bar fights, James has his rough around the edges looks, like his ruggish beard and tattered jacket. When James fights back against a demonic monster, the panels smoothly cut to the hyper-violence and pivot towards the kinetic choreography.
2) The Colors!
The pages really have a striking color palette. The gothic hues of the dark-haired twin sisters really stand out. The pages containing the horror-action pop out with their red and orange tones. It’s a distinctive colorful look that feels quite cinematic.
1) Bad to the Bone!
After reading this tale of John Carpenter’s Night Terrors, you’re going to want to grab your motorcycle jacket and ride with the 13 Horsemen. Readers are definitely in for a wild and thrilling ride!
Readers can find out more about John Carpenter’s Night Terrors: 13 Horsemen here: