Imagine the Breakfast Club, but with a dash of Nancy Drew and a twist of Hardy Boys. But instead of wholesome adventures, or kid appropriate mysteries, the children who compose IDW’s newest title, The Night Owl Society, are obsessed with grisly murder and terrible revenge. And while the opening pages of these inaugural issue might feel a little trite, the ending is completely unexpected. And, yes, you’ll love it.

Here’s the official world from IDW:

When David’s only friend at school is killed by the local mob boss, David and his misfit friends take matters into their own hands by sneaking out at night to fight crime and take down the mob without getting killed . . . or grounded.

At first glance, writer James Vanhaus newest teenage crime fighting team feels oh-so familiar, and unabashedly 80s’. We have the jock, the goth, the geek, the drama queen, and the marginalized teenage boy who the reader is expected (and invited) to see as the emotional core of this developing narrative. In Vanhaus’ newest tale, this boy (who, as you might expect, has all the trappings of a frail outsider, but the heart of a lion) is simply known as David, and issue #1 of The Night Owl Society establishes David’s principal and nobel driving force: he wants to avenge the murder of Father Shawn. Who Father Shawn is, or what his connection to David might be is left unanswered in issue #1 — a decision that adds a nice touch of tension to the narrative. Instead, David is concerned with building of a vigilante team composed entirely of classmates, each of whom offers a latent talent that David needs to meet his meta-goal.

Interspersed with David’s tale, is that of Viceroy, the assumed villain who (we further assume) is directly responsible for the death of Father Shawn, and who spends most of issue #1 lamenting the tedious work of murder. While Vanhaus’ adolescent set of characters might feel overly familiar, Viceroy feels delightfully unique. Bland, and dressed in the uniform of a middle manager, Viceroy is a man who commits crimes not for ego, but to support his family, and his pragmatism is chillingly effective.

While the issue #1 is mostly a success — and the closing pages offer an engaging cliffhanger — it’s clear Vanhaus is still working out some of the kinks of how these characters will interact. There more than a few awkward moments, but the latent chemistry is certainly there. Luckily, the art, provided by Pius Bak, goes a long way to smoothing over some of the rougher introductory moments. Bak’s expressive lines, emotive gestures, and strong sense of pacing adds humor and connection to otherwise quiet scenes.

Overall, The Night Owl Society offers a promising start, with excellent momentum. And I can’t wait to pick up issue #2.

Review by Max Delgado; max@comiccartel.io ; Twitter: @LongBoxProject

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