A comic with its title in Latin means that the writer has high expectations of the reader. There are no apologies. Either you’re brave enough to pick it up and start reading or keep it moving because no one has time for a cowardly reader. Written by Martin Dunn with the co-plot and art of Derrick Fish “Carpe Noctem†is no joke. Rather, it is an inventive story that weaves the modern day horror genre while paying homage to the old greats such as HP Lovecraft.
In this trade (comprised of the first three issues) Dunn and Fish use the Rivera brothers to bring back the cool in vampires, goblins and the assorted monsters of the otherworld. The type of nasties where if little children don’t behave are threatened with. The creatures under the bed and the things that go bump in the night have real meaning. There aren’t any vegetarian vamps or perpetually-morose undead teenagers. No, these are grown entities who don’t care about adolescent girls with sad-face syndrome. And just when you think you know what’s going on you get kicked in the face with another twist. Essentially this trade will make your heart jump, stop, then jolt it back into action. You just can’t stop reading.
What makes this story compelling is not only the vampiric Rivera brothers, it is their anointed scribe Chelsea Nobles. Why was she chosen? And who took umbrage to the point where there sentence her to such dangerous servitude? There is no surprise in who chooses her, still as the story unfolds there are only more questions. Why would Mynoghra, daughter of a chief elder god be intimately involved with the volatile Dante Rivera? What is she protecting him from and more importantly how does keeping him from being destroyed benefit her?
Although this tale is multilayered and complex, don’t mistake these traits for a dark and brooding, drawn out story. There are some hysterical moments that you never see coming. Those unexpected incidences make nearly every page memorable, particularly the interactions between the goblin and Mynoghra. Essentially this trade is filled with one liners that you can’t wait to use. You’ll force them into even the most mundane of conversations just to hear them out loud. People may look at you as if you’re crazy, instead of snickering to yourself let them in on the joke, share the experience of what you’ve read.
What can be frustrating is there are still too many comics that are just under the radar. And too many people out there have this notion that Marvel and DC are the only games in town. While those companies are doing some inventive work, stories and characters like those in “Carpe Noctem†should have just as much name recognition.
All in all, we should the seize the night, even if it is the seedy side of Las Vegas where prostitutes throw dead bodies out of windows to make a point, vampires have obscure dating standards, and scribes literary has their veins ripped open for their craft.
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