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By Night #2
By Night, Vol. 2
Two estranged childhood best friends unexpectedly travel through a portal into another, spookier world where they attempt to create the greatest documentary of all time.
Jane Langstaff and Heather Meadows have been to the other side...and now it’s just a question of how to bring proof back home with them. And then there’s the question of how the portal got there in the first place...and whether or not the town of Spectrum, South Dakota is safe, or monsters are about to start pouring through to our world. Not to mention, with Gardt facing the consequences for Jane and Heather’s invasion, have the girls actually been the monsters all along? From Eisner Award nominee John Allison (Giant Days, Scary Go Round), and artist Christine Larsen (Adventure Time), join Jane and Heather as they journey into Eidolon and a mystical world of adventure and laughs!
Jane Langstaff and Heather Meadows have been to the other side...and now it’s just a question of how to bring proof back home with them. And then there’s the question of how the portal got there in the first place...and whether or not the town of Spectrum, South Dakota is safe, or monsters are about to start pouring through to our world. Not to mention, with Gardt facing the consequences for Jane and Heather’s invasion, have the girls actually been the monsters all along? From Eisner Award nominee John Allison (Giant Days, Scary Go Round), and artist Christine Larsen (Adventure Time), join Jane and Heather as they journey into Eidolon and a mystical world of adventure and laughs!
116 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 13, 2019
5 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
John Allison
320 books829 followersJohn Allison is the author and artist of the British webcomics Scary Go Round and Bad Machinery.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See other authors with similar names.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
February 14, 2019
By Night keeps being delightfully goofy. The storytelling here is very low-key and kind of slow, the jokes may not be as laugh-out-loud funny and the characters aren't as loveable as in John Allison's Giant Days, but dammit, I still really enjoy this quirky cast and this silly story about two girls accidentally discovering a portal to another dimension. Plus, hey, occasionally it can be hysterical, too.
February 16, 2019
I’m really enjoying this book. A great mix of the paranormal and the hilarious. I was constantly reading parts out to my wife and passing it over to her so she could see the visual gags... so, I guess you could classify this as ‘wife-annoyingly-funny’. (Please feel free to use that quote on the cover of future printings, Mr. Allison.)
‘Wife-annoyingly-funny’
- Some gimboid on Goodreads
‘Wife-annoyingly-funny’
- Some gimboid on Goodreads
January 9, 2024
The main cast gets distracted by a loan shark sub-plot that keeps them away from the alternate dimension they discovered in the last book. The character interaction is fine, but the whole book amounts to nothing but spinning wheels in mud to gain an inch.
Next book is the conclusion, so here's hoping something happens.
Next book is the conclusion, so here's hoping something happens.
October 2, 2023
Look, John Allison writes some weird stories w/ weird characters...but they eventually grow on you, and you can follow the plot. But this one is weirder than his others & having this story broken up in to multiple volumes is making it pretty difficult to keep track of what's going on. These characters aren't as likeable as the ones I ended up *loving* in his Giant Days (college girls) or Bad Machinery (teenage sleuths of the supernatural) series...but I'm holding out hope.
Seeing as I read this a while ago & can't remember what exactly happened, I'll leave the synopsis to someone else.
For right now, I recommend holding off until the whole thing is published, THEN having a crack at it. In the meantime, go & read one of this other series. They're delightful! (If you look at my reviews for Bad Machinery, I've included links to the books you can read online for free. I still recommend reading them in book form, but you can get a feel for whether or not his style is for you)
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2023
I will say that being able to read these back to back means that I can actually follow the plot. It's not that it's a *complicated* one, just that it's a bit strange.
A failing, run-down, town
A missing owner/CEO/visionary who ran the town's lone factory decades ago
A portal into another dimension
It has some interesting elements, but it feels like the story doesn't really go anywhere.
Seeing as I read this a while ago & can't remember what exactly happened, I'll leave the synopsis to someone else.
For right now, I recommend holding off until the whole thing is published, THEN having a crack at it. In the meantime, go & read one of this other series. They're delightful! (If you look at my reviews for Bad Machinery, I've included links to the books you can read online for free. I still recommend reading them in book form, but you can get a feel for whether or not his style is for you)
====================
2023
I will say that being able to read these back to back means that I can actually follow the plot. It's not that it's a *complicated* one, just that it's a bit strange.
A failing, run-down, town
A missing owner/CEO/visionary who ran the town's lone factory decades ago
A portal into another dimension
It has some interesting elements, but it feels like the story doesn't really go anywhere.
Read
May 23, 2021Still far from my favourite Allison, but amply supplied with his mainstay of dialogue which is at once relatable, yet could only ever be found in a John Allison comic:
"So, do you ever think about the first person who tried to ride a wild horse? The stones on that guy, the absolute stones."
Or:
"I always wondered, is there Amazon on the dark web?"
"There is, but they only sell rusty knives and battery acid."
The situation (dimensional portal shenanigans - yes, that old chestnut) is perhaps less oddball, and maybe that plus the US setting is why I wouldn't put this among his best. But the characters do include a would-be star motivated mainly by his love of hamsters – "I got mad dreams of vintage European Rotastak for my furry fam."
"So, do you ever think about the first person who tried to ride a wild horse? The stones on that guy, the absolute stones."
Or:
"I always wondered, is there Amazon on the dark web?"
"There is, but they only sell rusty knives and battery acid."
The situation (dimensional portal shenanigans - yes, that old chestnut) is perhaps less oddball, and maybe that plus the US setting is why I wouldn't put this among his best. But the characters do include a would-be star motivated mainly by his love of hamsters – "I got mad dreams of vintage European Rotastak for my furry fam."
August 1, 2019
[This review covers all three volumes of By Night]
By Night, from the mastermind behind Giant Days, John Allison, is a twelve issue maxi-series that features two friends who are trying to work out what to do with their lives when they uncover a conspiracy that spans dimensions and decades and could shake their tiny little town to its core.
I don't really know what to make of By Night, honestly. It meanders along for twelve issues after establishing its characters, finding a few tangents to go on instead (like the random issue about one of the characters getting their legs broken by a local mob boss, because sure), only really remembering the true plot of the book near the end and then reaching that ending on a bit of an anticlimax. It's strangely paced to say the least, and feels like both too much plot for just twelve issues and at times not enough plot to justify running that long.
I wanted to try not to compare this book to Giant Days, but it's difficult when that one's so good and this one's just kind of there. The characters aren't nearly as likeable as those in Giant Days, and it's hard to root for any of them when you can forget their names at times.
On art we have Christine Larsen, who does a fine job, but really doesn't get enough to work with. The sequences set in the Otherworld are fun and her designwork is great, but the human world stuff gets pretty bland when the town of Spectrum is basically various shades of grey.
By Night's not a bad book - it just can't seem to decide what it wants to be, and by the time it does, it's run out of pages to tell the story successfully.
By Night, from the mastermind behind Giant Days, John Allison, is a twelve issue maxi-series that features two friends who are trying to work out what to do with their lives when they uncover a conspiracy that spans dimensions and decades and could shake their tiny little town to its core.
I don't really know what to make of By Night, honestly. It meanders along for twelve issues after establishing its characters, finding a few tangents to go on instead (like the random issue about one of the characters getting their legs broken by a local mob boss, because sure), only really remembering the true plot of the book near the end and then reaching that ending on a bit of an anticlimax. It's strangely paced to say the least, and feels like both too much plot for just twelve issues and at times not enough plot to justify running that long.
I wanted to try not to compare this book to Giant Days, but it's difficult when that one's so good and this one's just kind of there. The characters aren't nearly as likeable as those in Giant Days, and it's hard to root for any of them when you can forget their names at times.
On art we have Christine Larsen, who does a fine job, but really doesn't get enough to work with. The sequences set in the Otherworld are fun and her designwork is great, but the human world stuff gets pretty bland when the town of Spectrum is basically various shades of grey.
By Night's not a bad book - it just can't seem to decide what it wants to be, and by the time it does, it's run out of pages to tell the story successfully.
September 19, 2019
Whoops, something got out of the portal because of Teens.
Still love the art and the voices in this, and I like where the premise seemed to be going except here it makes a sharp turn into organized crime territory, which I don't care about. I want friendship and mysteries from John Allison, not whatever this is that also, if I'm remembering correctly, showed up in Giant Days, where I also didn't care for it.
This volume relies a little too much on coincidence and betrayal and not near enough on teamwork for my liking, but I'll read the next one if I don't have to drive too far to get it.
P.S. I read the Johnny Cash joke to my dad and he laughed.
Still love the art and the voices in this, and I like where the premise seemed to be going except here it makes a sharp turn into organized crime territory, which I don't care about. I want friendship and mysteries from John Allison, not whatever this is that also, if I'm remembering correctly, showed up in Giant Days, where I also didn't care for it.
This volume relies a little too much on coincidence and betrayal and not near enough on teamwork for my liking, but I'll read the next one if I don't have to drive too far to get it.
P.S. I read the Johnny Cash joke to my dad and he laughed.
January 28, 2022
This second volume in the series really picks up the pace on both the story and the character dynamics, making it a much more propulsive read than the first (which is to be expected with the set-up vs. forward motion dynamics). The small-town-mystery aspects become more focused and yet are also allowed to spread out across different subplots in a way that widens the overall story. I especially appreciate that the parents of the main characters are given useful and interesting things to do, rather than just being clueless authority figures vaguely in the background. By Night is filling the Stranger Things shaped hole in my heart very nicely.
January 8, 2021
A solid middle act, but aside from a comicly horrible monster there's not much to remember it by. Hopefully the final act delivers a satisfying payoff.
November 12, 2021
una segunda parte que más que resolver misterios va sacando otros que te dejan al final de este volumen con muchas ganas de seguir leyendo. Y no solo de fantasía y ciencia ficción vive esta historia, tiene un trasfondo con muchos problemas de la vida.
Más sobre mi opinión en la reseña del blog
https://almalectora.wordpress.com/202...
Más sobre mi opinión en la reseña del blog
https://almalectora.wordpress.com/202...
December 1, 2020
I have no idea how I feel about the story, but I love the art and the colouring.
April 28, 2020
There’s some quirky humor and funny lines, but I’m not totally hooked by this series. I want to see how the story ends though, so I plan on reading the final volume.
Volume 2 picks up right where volume 1 left off. Jane gets to work editing the footage from the other dimension, but a friend steals the footage and tries to sell it to pay back money owed. Meanwhile, Heather’s dad and uncle take apart the device at the Charleswood estate to keep other people from accidentally turning the machine on. This book is definitely setting the story up for the third and final volume. Volume 3 should wrap up the mystery of Chet Charles, the portal, and Spectrum, South Dakota.
Volume 2 picks up right where volume 1 left off. Jane gets to work editing the footage from the other dimension, but a friend steals the footage and tries to sell it to pay back money owed. Meanwhile, Heather’s dad and uncle take apart the device at the Charleswood estate to keep other people from accidentally turning the machine on. This book is definitely setting the story up for the third and final volume. Volume 3 should wrap up the mystery of Chet Charles, the portal, and Spectrum, South Dakota.
May 26, 2020
Okay, so the new hints about the other world were intriguing, but once again I had problems with the character interactions, especially with the weird reveals about one of them, and that character's interactions with a criminal element that seems a little out of place in a smallish town in the Dakotas. So do the punk rockers but their lyrics are funny enough that I will forgive that.
I really do want to read volume 3, though, so I guess that means I'm enjoying the series, but part of that is so that I can see just how the writer will connect the dots that make up the story so far.
I really do want to read volume 3, though, so I guess that means I'm enjoying the series, but part of that is so that I can see just how the writer will connect the dots that make up the story so far.
Read
April 5, 2025Most of the weirdness gets shoved into the background in this volume as the character race around Spectrum, their terrible little dead-end town, and deal with various inter-personal stuff, including betrayals and confessions about their pasts. I actually enjoyed it more than the first, even though I'm still disappointed that I don't love it as much as Giant Days. I have no idea where the plot about the doorway to the other dimension is going and I don't actually care. Give me more former best friend interactions, sprinkled with appearances by their parents.
November 28, 2020
This book is really picking up. I still don't love it. It still feels like it's missing a core somehow and the jokes aren't fast enough to make up for it. But it's definitely getting better.
This seems to fall into this trope where everyone in town actually knows about the mystery except the main character who is the only person whose character traits (rebellion, curiosity, desire to explain/explore) would cause them to seek out the hidden truths.
This seems to fall into this trope where everyone in town actually knows about the mystery except the main character who is the only person whose character traits (rebellion, curiosity, desire to explain/explore) would cause them to seek out the hidden truths.
July 14, 2022
My Rating: 1.75/5
I have liked Giant Days for so long that I just wanted something a little bit similar. I was hoping that with their similar art style and the same-ish-aged main characters I would get the same feelings. But this series is completely different and that's fine, it's just not what I wanted. I think that the plot isn't enticing enough for me to keep going at this point, but I also have a few lingering questions and there is only one more volume. Dare I go for it?
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
I have liked Giant Days for so long that I just wanted something a little bit similar. I was hoping that with their similar art style and the same-ish-aged main characters I would get the same feelings. But this series is completely different and that's fine, it's just not what I wanted. I think that the plot isn't enticing enough for me to keep going at this point, but I also have a few lingering questions and there is only one more volume. Dare I go for it?
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
January 23, 2023
I am flying through these comics and having a fun time as well. This series deals with other dimensional creatures, how difficult adulting after college can be, and forgiving those we care about. All that and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, with its dry sense of humor and colorful artwork. Can’t wait to get to the third installment!
October 21, 2019
Still doesn't have the same impact as Bad Machinery, and I don't know if it's the protagonists or the setting. A bizarre fantasy land should be hilarious! But our characters aren't really grabbing me.
January 29, 2020
Continuing my quest to read books over 100 pages and to expand my teen/adult reading, the second book of the series "By Night" continued to be snarky-fun. Warning: it ends on a cliff-hanger! At 3 stars I wouldn't normally continue on, but this is silly, shallow fun.
February 21, 2020
This took some dramatic turns from volume 1 but I'm still into it and curious to see how everything wraps up. I think this is a series that will benefit from a reread where I can read all of the issues close together.
September 6, 2020
Tanti particolari iniziano a essere aggiunti, i personaggi non vengono approfonditi caratterialmente ma solo dal punto di vista di "storia", non ho idea della piega che potrà prendere questa mini-serie; per ora sono abbastanza confusa e interdetta, continuerò perché manca un solo volume al termine.
February 11, 2021
This is probably my least favourite of all the series that Allison has written. I guess I can get behind the story line and concept, but it’s just kind of boring. I like the 4 main characters and their personalities, but something major is missing. I’m just not feeling this series.
July 9, 2021
This was better than vol. 1 but still not my favorite Allison. The dialogue is saving this for me. I’ll read the final volume because I have already invested time in this series so I might as well finish it.
September 4, 2023
Another instalment of By Night! Things get a bit more complicated here, with more characters bouncing off each other and less of a reliance on the supernatural world. It's fine! I was more invested in the plot but it wasn't as funny.
August 23, 2019
I am adoring this series. Reminds me of early Lumberjanes. Fun and funny with deft character work and just absolutely amazing art.
September 6, 2019
Fun wish the third was already out
September 17, 2019
Fun, but it is no Giant Days.
September 28, 2019
I liked this but I wanted to see more of the other world.
October 14, 2019
3 1/2. This series continues to be weird and goofy and intriguing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews