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“The October Faction #1” Reunites Steve Niles and Damien Worm for a Haunting Tale of Gothic Dysfunction [Review]

By | October 9th, 2014
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The creative team behind the haunting and atmospheric “Monster & Madman”, which was released earlier in the year by IDW, return as Steve Niles and Damien Worm bring us a tale of gothic family dysfunction in “The October Faction” #1. Check out our spoiler free review down below to see why horror fans should definitely be checking this one out.

Written by Steve Niles
Illustrated by Damien Worm
The creative team behind Monster & Madman would like to introduce you to the ongoing adventures of retired monster-hunter Frederick Allan and his family… which include a thrill-killer, a witch, and a warlock. Because sometimes crazy is the glue that binds a family together.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 2014 is a great year for horror comics. From the big dogs like Marvel and DC entering the realm with serious forays like “Magneto” and “Swamp Thing” and “Justice League Dark” to the indier side of things with amazing horror books like “Hexed”, “The Empty Man”, “Sheltered” and “Nailbiter”, there have been some stellar examples of horror in comics this year. One of those examples was “Monster & Madman” as Steve Niles and Damien Worm took an idea that could have really fallen flat (Victor Frankenstein’s creation meets Jack The Ripper), but was infused with such atmosphere that it became truly frightening. The pair have teamed up once again to bring us “The October Faction”, another tale full of atmosphere that shows that these two are an excellent creative team.

An easy way to describe “The October Faction” is to call it a modern day Addams Family, but that’s a little too easy and doesn’t quite get to the heart of what Niles and Worm have created. The Addams Family were a satire on the nature of the idyllic American nuclear family which has, for the most part, dissipated only for real life to reflect the satire. Instead, “The October Faction” is closer to the Addams Family as filtered through The Simpsons. Niles and Worm use the genre of horror and its gothic sensibilities to examine the modern nature of familial dysfunction here in an issue that focuses more on introducing the readers to the characters and world of the story, but which does so in style.

Much of the reason “The October Faction” stands out is, as with “Monster & Madman”, because of Damien Worm’s artwork. I was already impressed with the way Worm was able to bring such atmosphere to the page that just the aesthetic of the book was enough to give me chills, but here he has outdone himself. With this issue, Worm’s artwork is a lot less minimalist and instead Worm puts a lot of work into establishing the scene and location, allowing him to build the world very easily on the page. He does this with just as much style as before, but the use of more extensive backgrounds in his work allows for a clearer sense of his storytelling abilities. It’s a much less abstract style that Worm employs, allowing the reader to grasp the connection to this fantastical reality that he and Niles have created, but it doesn’t lose any of textured gothic aesthetic that made his work stand out.

Worm’s pencil work is obviously more detailed here as he builds out the world through the details as opposed to focusing on details of the story filtered through the colouring and textures of his work. However, in contrast to that detail is a looseness and scratchy quality to the lines that evokes a feeling of a cross between Tim Burton and Dave McKean. Combining that with the washed out hues of grey and orange and brown, using extreme hot and cold colours like deep reds and blues to highlight details when needed, gives “The October Faction” a haunted, rustic look. It marries a sense of gothic suburbanism with the dark pits of a living nightmare. Thanks to Worm’s artwork, “The October Faction” looks like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

While Damien Worm goes all in on the style, bringing a flair to the issue that makes it memorable, Steve Niles plays it a little more simple with his storytelling. Niles barely hints at the larger story to come, focusing instead on introducing the readers to the family and the myriad of characters that make it up and of establishing a history of the family, especially its patriarch, Frederick Allan. Niles paints the portrait of an estranged family, being pulled apart by the seams, and does not shy away from announcing that these people are the focus of “The October Faction”. While that means that, barring a final page cliffhangar, there’s no real plot-focused hook to bring back a reader for the second issue and instead trusts that the reader will have established a connection to this family by the end of the issue and will want to come back for more.

That does mean that this book isn’t for everyone, which shouldn’t be surprising as Worm’s artwork should have already told you that. It’s a very backhanded compliment to say that the people who would like this book likely wouldn’t need this review to win them over. The style of the book or even just the creators’ names would have already done that. Anyone else checking out “The October Faction” best know what they are getting into as it is so far a measured look at the dysfunctions of familial relationships told through the hauntingly beautiful lens of Damien Worm’s gothic artwork. If that sounds like the kind of book you would devour in a heartbeat as I did, then there is no reason for it to disappoint you. On the other hand, if this isn’t your bag, then I don’t think it’s the kind of book to win you over. “The October Faction” is a very niche book and proud of it, waving its flag of gothic melancholy and bucking the trends to deliver a measured and beautiful look into the lives of these characters. It’s definitely not for everyone, but the ones who will enjoy it will find a well-told and extremely well-crafted story inside.

Final Verdict: 7.8 – Haunting and beautifully told, this is a book to keep an eye out for as it could really go places.


Alice W. Castle

Sworn to protect a world that hates and fears her, Alice W. Castle is a trans femme writing about comics. All things considered, it’s going surprisingly well. Ask her about the unproduced Superman films of 1990 - 2006. She can be found on various corners of the internet, but most frequently on Twitter: @alicewcastle

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