If you grew up in the ’90s, chances are you’ve at least heard of Gargoyles. Whether through the television show, Sega Genesis video game, or other merchandise, for a few years in the mid- to late-’90s, Gargoyles seemed to be everywhere. Well, after 25 years since the show last aired, and 14 years since the last ongoing comic, the Gargoyles are back in a brand new adventure. Show creator Greg Weisman writes and George Kambadais illustrates this incarnation of the stone sentinels.
The book is narrated by the Gargoyles’ human friend and NYPD detective, Elisa Maza, which is great for casual fans who don’t remember all of the Gargoyles’ names, relationships, or backgrounds. She gives us just enough information to get us up to speed, but not overwhelmed. There’s a power vacuum in New York City after putting two crime bosses in jail, and the Gargoyles are doing their best to keep the peace. There’s another group of “mutates, outsiders and even a few gargoyle clones” called The Labyrinth. They are led by Maza’s brother Talon, a panther/bat/electric eel mutate. And finally, there is a third, shadowy gargoyle figure who isn’t explained, but looks like he will soon be in conflict with The Labyrinth.
There’s clearly a lot of setup and exposition in this first issue which some may find tedious, but it was definitely necessary to get fans caught up with the status quo in the Gargoyle universe. There’s a lot of standing around and talking on the rooftop interspersed with narration. The couple of action sequences in the book were well done and have me excited for future issues. The artwork is very reminiscent of the ’90s cartoon. Though the issue takes place almost entirely at night, Kambadais finds interesting ways to include some great colors, like police lights and a big full moon in many of the panels. One panel in particular caught my eye – the yellows, pinks and oranges create a neon glow to the city that really pops. The dialog flows well, even with all of the narration boxes.
Whether you’re a casual fan of the ’90s cartoon looking to satisfy your nostalgic curiosity or a diehard Gargoyle aficionado, this book should be up your alley.
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