One truth about me is that I can’t refuse a weird-fiction graphic novel. I just recently finished my first Brubaker and Phillips title, and I couldn’t say no to reviewing another. I enjoyed Where the Body Was, and its story has stuck with me far more than I thought it would. I found the story in Night Fever even more compelling, with enough shocking moments, Parisian streets, and fever-like dream states to last a lifetime.
| Title: Night Fever | Author: Ed Brubaker |
| Illustrator: Sean Phillips | Colorist: Jacob Phillips |
| Release Date: June 13, 2023 | Page Count: 120 |
| Publisher: Image Comics | Genre: Noir/Crime/Horror |
Synopsis
A dark new graphic novel thriller in the tradition of Patricia Highsmith
In Europe on a business trip, Jonathan Webb can’t sleep. Instead, he finds himself wandering the night in a strange foreign city, with his new friend, the mysterious and violent Rainer as his guide. Rainer shows Jonathan the hidden world of the night, a world without rules or limits. But when the fun turns dangerous, Jonathan may find himself trapped in the dark… And the question is, what will he do to get home?
Night Fever is a pulse-pounding noir thriller featuring the Jekyll-and-Hyde story of a man facing the darkness inside himself. This riveting tour-of-the-night is a must-have for all Brubaker and Phillips readers.
Review:
Jonathan Webb is a middle-aged man working in the publishing world. He isn’t disgruntled, because he would actually have to care to be considered disgruntled. Webb is on his way to Paris for a work event and decides to pick up a forthcoming book he is supposed to promote there. The book mentions a dream – a very specific and haunting dream. It’s a dream he knows well because he has had that dream before.
Once Webb reaches Paris, he can’t sleep. How could he? It’s too bizarre a situation. So he walks the streets of Paris late at night. What he stumbles into is a bizarre world of parties, crime, and power. He meets a man who changes his life and seems to know him intrinsically.
Night Fever is a noir masterpiece. It is a deep dive into the spiraling mind of a man in the middle of the worst sort of mid-life crisis. I loved every second of it. It is weird, incredibly dark, and even has a couple of (maybe not real) aliens.
Art:
The art in Night Fever is remarkable and perfected by the coloring of Jacobs Philips. To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement. There is one particular scene where Webb is high out of his mind. The art in that scene could not have been better. Those few pages include some of the best graphic novel art I have ever seen.
Final Thoughts:
I know Night Fever is more of a middle-aged man’s comic. It practically has mid-life crisis written all over it, but I loved the heck out of this. I even enjoyed it more than Where the Body Was, which I enjoyed a great deal. I can’t wait to read more Brubaker and Phillips.
Content Warnings:
murder, sexual acts depicted, nudity, and mentions of suicide
Rating: 5/5 stars.
#COYER
Thanks to Image Comics for providing a review copy. All the above thoughts are my own. Art assets belong to Image Comics.
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