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Count Crowley #1
Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter
Lock your doors and gather close . . . if you dare! Once a rising TV journalist, Jerri Bartman has returned to her small Midwest hometown station. Demoted to hosting the nightly Creature Feature, Jerri's professional humiliation is eclipsed by the discovery that her new job comes with a secret, supernatural duty.
Her missing predecessor, Count Crowley, was one of the last "Appointed" hunters of monsters. Yes. Monsters. They're real and they're hell bent on controlling the news and information consumed by humans. Everything we've ever been taught about monsters is a lie and Jerri's only possible advisor is a senile male chauvinist. It's 1983 and the outlook for humanity is getting . . . gnarly and their only hope is an alcoholic, acerbic horror host from Missouri.
David Dastmalchian's authorial comics debut with artist Lukas Ketner--this terrifying trade collects issues #1-#4 of the Dark Horse Comics series Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter!
Her missing predecessor, Count Crowley, was one of the last "Appointed" hunters of monsters. Yes. Monsters. They're real and they're hell bent on controlling the news and information consumed by humans. Everything we've ever been taught about monsters is a lie and Jerri's only possible advisor is a senile male chauvinist. It's 1983 and the outlook for humanity is getting . . . gnarly and their only hope is an alcoholic, acerbic horror host from Missouri.
David Dastmalchian's authorial comics debut with artist Lukas Ketner--this terrifying trade collects issues #1-#4 of the Dark Horse Comics series Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter!
104 pages, Paperback
Published June 9, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
March 3, 2024
Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter
Volume 1
Good stuff!
The cover was just campy enough to catch my eye, and since it was a Hoopla freebie I thought I'd grab it and see if it could hold my attention. It did.
And I love it when the carpet matches the drapes. The art inside was awesome.
Ok, so the gist is that an obnoxious alcoholic, Jerri Bartman, is a reporter at her family's news station. Her long-suffering brother hired her after she lost her dream job and had to return to their hometown. But her drunken antics come to an embarrassing climax on live tv and he's forced to take her off the air.
But even with her ungrateful attitude and belligerent outbursts he just can't leave his sister out in the cold. So he sets her up as Count Crowley, the new host of the late-night monster movie show. The last Count Crawley hasn't shown up for work in a while and the station needs to find someone else to put on gobs of makeup and introduce the schlocky horror flicks.
It should be an easy gig that will at least allow her to pay her bills.
Of course, no good deed goes unpunished.
After mocking the viewers and stalking offstage, Jerri grabs her trusty booze and stumbles into what may be the biggest story of her career.
It appears that the old Count Crowley was the real deal and now she's neck deep in a paranormal world that she has no idea how to navigate. It looks like she's going to have to face both her personal demons and some for-real demons if she wants to survive.
There's more to this than I thought there would be at first glance. It's a subtly deep storyline about the abuse of power, addiction, and that bone-deep love you find in good families.
BUT ALSO MONSTERS!!!
If you think this sounds like something you'd like, give it a shot.
Volume 1
Good stuff!
The cover was just campy enough to catch my eye, and since it was a Hoopla freebie I thought I'd grab it and see if it could hold my attention. It did.
And I love it when the carpet matches the drapes. The art inside was awesome.
Ok, so the gist is that an obnoxious alcoholic, Jerri Bartman, is a reporter at her family's news station. Her long-suffering brother hired her after she lost her dream job and had to return to their hometown. But her drunken antics come to an embarrassing climax on live tv and he's forced to take her off the air.
But even with her ungrateful attitude and belligerent outbursts he just can't leave his sister out in the cold. So he sets her up as Count Crowley, the new host of the late-night monster movie show. The last Count Crawley hasn't shown up for work in a while and the station needs to find someone else to put on gobs of makeup and introduce the schlocky horror flicks.
It should be an easy gig that will at least allow her to pay her bills.
Of course, no good deed goes unpunished.
After mocking the viewers and stalking offstage, Jerri grabs her trusty booze and stumbles into what may be the biggest story of her career.
It appears that the old Count Crowley was the real deal and now she's neck deep in a paranormal world that she has no idea how to navigate. It looks like she's going to have to face both her personal demons and some for-real demons if she wants to survive.
There's more to this than I thought there would be at first glance. It's a subtly deep storyline about the abuse of power, addiction, and that bone-deep love you find in good families.
BUT ALSO MONSTERS!!!
If you think this sounds like something you'd like, give it a shot.
September 20, 2022
It’s nearly Halloween in smalltown Missouri, 1983, and local news anchor Jerri Butler’s boozing gets her fired. Out of choices and in need of a job, she accepts the role of host of a cheesy horror movie showcase: Count Crowley. Except she finds out monsters do exist off the TV screen and her real job will be keeping them in check!
I initially ignored this book because it looked like those dodgy comics Dark Horse puts out in abundance like Barb Wire, The Mask, all those terrible video/board game adaptations (Starcraft, Mass Effect, Anthem, Halo, Vox Machina, Dragon Age, et al.), and stuff like Army of Darkness Vs Reanimator (I know this last one is Dynamite but both publishers put out so many Comics That Shouldn’t Be and both start with “D” that I’ve conflated the two in my head). But I remember reading the first ish a while back and I’m glad I circled back and gave the collected edition a shot because Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter is actually pretty decent.
It’s surprising that this is David Dastmalchian’s first comic because the writing is so solid and the storytelling so confident - it feels like this is someone much more experienced in the driver’s seat. Similarly, why Lukas Ketner isn’t more well-known, I don’t know, because his art is so fantastic that it really puts this comic over the top. The high quality art and mix of fun/dark writing reminded me very strongly of Eric Powell’s comics so I can see why this title wound up at his former publisher.
Jerri isn’t the most original character - she’s your average takin’-no-shit-strong-female-character you’ve seen a hundred times before - nor is the whole monster hunter trope new. The monsters are genre staples - the werewolf, the Frankenstein’s monster - and of course there’s the older chap with the books to tell our protagonist/audience all the info necessary at the right time, and even supply her with the magical weapon to take on her foes (because old folks’ homes are famous for allowing weapons storage in their residents’ closets).
Everything about this book screams Buffy the Vampire Slayer: similar protagonist doing similar things, the small town that just happens to be where all the monsters are appearing, the elderly chap with the books on how to defeat the monster of the week, and there’s even a vampire big bad hinted at behind it all. Even Jerri’s brother Ben gives off strong Xander vibes.
That said, Jerri’s a likeable lead and I was rooting for her from the start, and she has a reasonable but predictable character arc. The wry sense of humour throughout is appealing and gives the story style, and, despite the lack of narrative tension and a bunch of obvious jump scares, I did want to see what was going on in smalltown Missouri and where it’s all headed. There’s a lot here that’s generic and yet the book’s never boring either, so Dastmalchian’s doing something right. The fact that the writer also has experience with addiction (which he mentions in an afterword) lends weight to Jerri’s struggle to achieve sobriety.
Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter is another Buffy clone but not a bad one for that - it’s worth checking out if you’re a Buffy or Eric Powell fan. It definitely had its enjoyable moments - count me in for the next Count Crowley book!
I initially ignored this book because it looked like those dodgy comics Dark Horse puts out in abundance like Barb Wire, The Mask, all those terrible video/board game adaptations (Starcraft, Mass Effect, Anthem, Halo, Vox Machina, Dragon Age, et al.), and stuff like Army of Darkness Vs Reanimator (I know this last one is Dynamite but both publishers put out so many Comics That Shouldn’t Be and both start with “D” that I’ve conflated the two in my head). But I remember reading the first ish a while back and I’m glad I circled back and gave the collected edition a shot because Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter is actually pretty decent.
It’s surprising that this is David Dastmalchian’s first comic because the writing is so solid and the storytelling so confident - it feels like this is someone much more experienced in the driver’s seat. Similarly, why Lukas Ketner isn’t more well-known, I don’t know, because his art is so fantastic that it really puts this comic over the top. The high quality art and mix of fun/dark writing reminded me very strongly of Eric Powell’s comics so I can see why this title wound up at his former publisher.
Jerri isn’t the most original character - she’s your average takin’-no-shit-strong-female-character you’ve seen a hundred times before - nor is the whole monster hunter trope new. The monsters are genre staples - the werewolf, the Frankenstein’s monster - and of course there’s the older chap with the books to tell our protagonist/audience all the info necessary at the right time, and even supply her with the magical weapon to take on her foes (because old folks’ homes are famous for allowing weapons storage in their residents’ closets).
Everything about this book screams Buffy the Vampire Slayer: similar protagonist doing similar things, the small town that just happens to be where all the monsters are appearing, the elderly chap with the books on how to defeat the monster of the week, and there’s even a vampire big bad hinted at behind it all. Even Jerri’s brother Ben gives off strong Xander vibes.
That said, Jerri’s a likeable lead and I was rooting for her from the start, and she has a reasonable but predictable character arc. The wry sense of humour throughout is appealing and gives the story style, and, despite the lack of narrative tension and a bunch of obvious jump scares, I did want to see what was going on in smalltown Missouri and where it’s all headed. There’s a lot here that’s generic and yet the book’s never boring either, so Dastmalchian’s doing something right. The fact that the writer also has experience with addiction (which he mentions in an afterword) lends weight to Jerri’s struggle to achieve sobriety.
Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter is another Buffy clone but not a bad one for that - it’s worth checking out if you’re a Buffy or Eric Powell fan. It definitely had its enjoyable moments - count me in for the next Count Crowley book!
December 8, 2020
An ode to the midnight creature features of the past. Add in lots of poor choices and the fact those monsters from the movies are real and you have Count Crowley. Lucas Ketner was a perfect artistic choice. There is a manic, classic horror look to his art that could have stepped out of Tomb of Dracula. Hopefully Dastmalchian isn't so busy appearing in super hero movies that he doesn't have time to write more Count Crowley. He's set up some interesting world building that needs to be continued.
August 31, 2024
The first pages didn't grab me and I was a bit concerned that this was going to satirical about the genre rather than affectionate, but I kept reading and after a bit when the story got meatier I really enjoyed it and seeing Jerri become a more rounded and active character. I also liked the art and appreciate all the details that went into the sets (especially the old guys' rooms). I'll definitely be getting the next volume.
Recommended for people who watched too many late night creature features as kids, and for actual monsters.
Recommended for people who watched too many late night creature features as kids, and for actual monsters.
October 27, 2022
Great fun, particularly if you’re looking for an offbeat Halloween read that balances humour and heart.
Who knew the reigning king of comic book movie bit parts had these kind of writing chops?
Who knew the reigning king of comic book movie bit parts had these kind of writing chops?
February 9, 2020
Fantastic story and great art. I am only disappointed that this was a limited series. I hope they decide to write some more of it.
October 27, 2020
actual rating: 3.5
This was a really fun read with some great characters and designs. I think it would have been a bit better if there were one or two more issues because it definitely felt a bit rushed at times but overall a good Halloween read.
This was a really fun read with some great characters and designs. I think it would have been a bit better if there were one or two more issues because it definitely felt a bit rushed at times but overall a good Halloween read.
August 12, 2020
At once very modern in scope but with a retro feel which is amplified by the colour pallette, this book is perfect for those monster lovers who enjoy EC Comics and Misty.
You are immediately thrown into Jerri's world-she works as a roving reporter for the tv channel run by her brother, both of them grownup children of respected journalists. Jerri has a serious drink problem which has left her brother in a difficult position in how to help her whilst keeping her face off the air.
The perfect solution comes in the form of the late night horror movie slot which shows retor re-runs, fronted by Count Crowley (who can be rejigged a la Dr Who) and best of all, is hidden behind makeup and a costume.
With nothing left to lose, Jerri goes balls to the wall in her first appearance, doing the exact opposite of what she is supposed to do, and becomes an accidental hit. When she starts looking into what happened to her predecessor, however, she gets dragged into a world much, much darker than the one she inhabits inside her tortured mind...
What I loved about this comic was just about everything-the tonal shifts between issues
which were introduced and rounded off, Cryptkeeper-like, with monsters and ghouls, and the central character who is given room to breathe before being plunged into a monster fest.
The design of the creatures we know so well-werewolves, ghouls etc-is given a modern twist, so that they appear at once new and yet classic.
Jerri's addiction issues are dealt with in broad strokes that leave the reader under no illusion that this is a woman hell bent on self-destruction, and there are reasons for this which I won't spoil here.
It is a launch pad for a series which I hope will be a long lasting one, it's the type of book you fall into and read cover to cover, devouring it in one shot then returning to page one to note the tiny details, like they are the gravy you mop up after a meal (well if you are this Welsh girl you do, this is something we have done since I was little and only on the first 'outside' meal , did I realise that this is not what is done in polite society.They are 100% missing the best bits if you ask me!)
The world building is great, you are given just enough information, like Jerri is, to want to know more, whilst establishing the tale in its own right. It ends where it begins, in that it is ready and waiting for more revelations. I am very much looking forward to delving deeper into the world of Count Crowley.
You are immediately thrown into Jerri's world-she works as a roving reporter for the tv channel run by her brother, both of them grownup children of respected journalists. Jerri has a serious drink problem which has left her brother in a difficult position in how to help her whilst keeping her face off the air.
The perfect solution comes in the form of the late night horror movie slot which shows retor re-runs, fronted by Count Crowley (who can be rejigged a la Dr Who) and best of all, is hidden behind makeup and a costume.
With nothing left to lose, Jerri goes balls to the wall in her first appearance, doing the exact opposite of what she is supposed to do, and becomes an accidental hit. When she starts looking into what happened to her predecessor, however, she gets dragged into a world much, much darker than the one she inhabits inside her tortured mind...
What I loved about this comic was just about everything-the tonal shifts between issues
which were introduced and rounded off, Cryptkeeper-like, with monsters and ghouls, and the central character who is given room to breathe before being plunged into a monster fest.
The design of the creatures we know so well-werewolves, ghouls etc-is given a modern twist, so that they appear at once new and yet classic.
Jerri's addiction issues are dealt with in broad strokes that leave the reader under no illusion that this is a woman hell bent on self-destruction, and there are reasons for this which I won't spoil here.
It is a launch pad for a series which I hope will be a long lasting one, it's the type of book you fall into and read cover to cover, devouring it in one shot then returning to page one to note the tiny details, like they are the gravy you mop up after a meal (well if you are this Welsh girl you do, this is something we have done since I was little and only on the first 'outside' meal , did I realise that this is not what is done in polite society.They are 100% missing the best bits if you ask me!)
The world building is great, you are given just enough information, like Jerri is, to want to know more, whilst establishing the tale in its own right. It ends where it begins, in that it is ready and waiting for more revelations. I am very much looking forward to delving deeper into the world of Count Crowley.
November 23, 2020
I like the story and the art, it took time to pick up, but I think it has a lot of potential if it continues.
August 10, 2021
good for what it was, just felt too short and that a full volume definitely shouldn’t have been limited to just 4 issues, but maybe 5 or 6 to really flesh out the story. jerri bartman was a great character and i’m excited for more Count Crowley to be released. :•)
May 15, 2025
Elvira meets Buffy in this EC Comics inspired romp through small town Missouri. An alcoholic journalist stumbles into the dark, monster-infested underbelly of the Midwest and meets a Vincent Price type who will become her version of Giles, the keeper of knowledge and her guiding force. She takes up the role as the Appointed and tries to navigate a 1980s America that might not want a broken woman as their savior. Funny, refreshing, and intense for fans of horror and satire.
April 17, 2024
"Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter" is a brilliant tribute to shlock horror and 80's horror-comedy shows like "Elvira's Movie Macabre" and "Freddy's Nightmares" that also takes a deep look at the horrors of addiction and the promise of recovery. Expect, a strong but troubled female lead, enough 12 step addiction and recovery material to be interesting without overshadowing the shlock horror, lots of shlock horror and B movie monsters run amok. This book is recommended for anyone who loves classic monster movies and misses the 80s.
October 31, 2019
What's not to love in this book? Bad ass female anti-hero? Check. Monsters? Yup. Horror hosts and classic monster movie cinema? It's in the title! Jerri is everything we want female characters to be: complicated, brave and completely independent - fighting literal and figurative monsters. Can't recommend this enough, from the art to the writing - just do yourself a favor and read this comic.
March 4, 2020
I grew up with Bob Wilkins as the sardonic host of Creatures Features coming out of Oakland. And, his honest view of how bad some of the movies that they were showing was fun.
So change genders, give the show host a downward spiraling career due to poor choices and alcoholism , and then said host finds out her predecessors were monster hunters.
Really good idea, average execution.
So change genders, give the show host a downward spiraling career due to poor choices and alcoholism , and then said host finds out her predecessors were monster hunters.
Really good idea, average execution.
August 23, 2020
3.5 stars
June 4, 2024
I love how David Dastmalchian turns an 80s horror b-movie into a personal character study of someone fighting their inner monsters of addiction and the past. He still manages to make this a fun read filled with laughs, monsters, and small town 80s nostalgia.
Lovely painted covers and a lovely vintage wash over the interior art by Lukas Ketner. I'm not familiar with his work, but he has me sold on this series. Jerri's Count Crowley character design is memorable and fitting for a low budget cable access host.
With excellent characters, heart, humor, and classic horror homages, plus an interesting cliffhanger hook, Count Crowley is a series worth continuing, to see where the mystery goes.
Lovely painted covers and a lovely vintage wash over the interior art by Lukas Ketner. I'm not familiar with his work, but he has me sold on this series. Jerri's Count Crowley character design is memorable and fitting for a low budget cable access host.
With excellent characters, heart, humor, and classic horror homages, plus an interesting cliffhanger hook, Count Crowley is a series worth continuing, to see where the mystery goes.
April 9, 2022
I bought this because David Dastmalchian seems like such a cool guy, and because the cover is at least as cool as he is.
Jerri is a reluctant monster hunter indeed - but one with style, whatever she thinks about her costume! More "realistic" darkness is also explored through her character, which was a nice surprise and added some too-often-missing-depth-in-comics to the story.
I really liked David Dastmalchian's lore, and I'm now waiting for the second volume next autumn when all the issues will be available in one!
Jerri is a reluctant monster hunter indeed - but one with style, whatever she thinks about her costume! More "realistic" darkness is also explored through her character, which was a nice surprise and added some too-often-missing-depth-in-comics to the story.
I really liked David Dastmalchian's lore, and I'm now waiting for the second volume next autumn when all the issues will be available in one!
February 19, 2024
"There's consequences, Jerri. Consequences for what you do... and consequences for what you DON'T do."
A campy callback to the creature features of days gone by.
I wouldn't put this comic quite at 4 stars, but close enough to round up.
Characters are somehow both unlikable and likeable at the same time, but I overall dig it for a world that obviously isn't taking itself too serious.
I only wish there was more. I see that there's a 2nd volume and I wonder how that is because this volume feels like it ends a little too abruptly as very little actual plot gets resolved.
A campy callback to the creature features of days gone by.
I wouldn't put this comic quite at 4 stars, but close enough to round up.
Characters are somehow both unlikable and likeable at the same time, but I overall dig it for a world that obviously isn't taking itself too serious.
I only wish there was more. I see that there's a 2nd volume and I wonder how that is because this volume feels like it ends a little too abruptly as very little actual plot gets resolved.
October 19, 2022
Finally the type of story I was looking for to honor spooky season. This was a lot of fun and a really interesting story. I can't wait for more. I liked the humor and the monsters. I'm enjoying getting to know the characters. I really like the cat. This was cool.
May 17, 2021
Love this!
August 16, 2021
Such a cool little ode to creature features with a genuinely emotional heart regarding addiction. I truly hope we get more!
August 28, 2022
While it's ultimately a pretty familiar story - an arrogant individual heading straight for the bottom, only to be broken out of the spiral by unusual circumstances, the setting of the story (with an unwilling horror host) and some decent worldbuilding do a lot to make it memorable. The art is also well done, capturing the characters well and balancing modern sensibilities with a sense of the EC era classics (especially the cover work). Jerri starts out as an utterly unlikable protagonist, and it's a credit that the book uses that to build on - no one trusts her, so no one listens to her increasingly absurd sounding experiences, even as she is actually telling the truth. The story leans even more into unpleasant characters with Vincent Freis, a misanthrope who ends up being pretty pivotal.
This first collection ends just as it really starts getting good, so I will definitely be following up on the next volume. I'd recommend this to anyone who is interested in classic monsters and doesn't have an issue with very unlikable characters being front and center to the story.
This first collection ends just as it really starts getting good, so I will definitely be following up on the next volume. I'd recommend this to anyone who is interested in classic monsters and doesn't have an issue with very unlikable characters being front and center to the story.
January 12, 2021
Fueled by nostalgia for all things classic horror, Count Crowley is a fun read with fantastic artwork. There are callbacks to midnight creature feature shows, as well as, universal monsters. If you love B-movies or anything monster-themed, you will feel right at home with Count Crowley.
August 20, 2022
This was great fun, a comedic homage to Horror B Movie nights on late night tv with a retro, 70s horror comic artistic style. There are some darker elements too, such as our reluctant heroine's alcoholism and the event that possibly sent her spiralling out of control. And "Mr. Fright" is a great character, a curmudegeonly old ex-hunter living out his remaining years in a nursing home with only his bitterness, his dark knowledge and the props of his time as the original host of the show for company - until Jerri stumbles into his life.
January 19, 2023
I don't get it. I love the idea of the main character being a horror b-movie presenter (Svengoolie for the Chicago area) but that is where the intrigue ends.
The main character is one you have seen many, many, many times before. A hateful drunk and mess of a person who is forced into the spot of antihero. Except this time she has boobs? Otherwise there is nothing else notable about her personality.
I was utterly bored even though this was a very quick read.
The main character is one you have seen many, many, many times before. A hateful drunk and mess of a person who is forced into the spot of antihero. Except this time she has boobs? Otherwise there is nothing else notable about her personality.
I was utterly bored even though this was a very quick read.
July 18, 2020
As a huge fan of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and Svengoolie I was looking forward to reading about a horror movie host hunting down actual monsters. But what I actually got was a less silly and fun monster movie parody and more of a light supernatural mystery with action involving a recovering alcoholic thrusted into a bad situation involving classic horror monsters.
This is quick read that ends just as the story gets really interesting, which sucks. Hopefully, another book is in the works. I really like that each chapter ends with a different comic book horror host teasing about the next issue. Very reminiscent of the classic EC comic books like Tales from the Crypt.
The art is well done with great coloring throughout.
This is quick read that ends just as the story gets really interesting, which sucks. Hopefully, another book is in the works. I really like that each chapter ends with a different comic book horror host teasing about the next issue. Very reminiscent of the classic EC comic books like Tales from the Crypt.
The art is well done with great coloring throughout.
October 31, 2019
Never grew up reading comic books, yet this one grabbed my attention and interest by taking a flawed female character and turning her into a bad ass. The mix of fantasy and real issues are what make this comic stand out from others, and the art... what’s not to love about it. I highly recommend it and cannot wait for #2 to hit the stores!!!
December 7, 2024
So up my alley, it might as well have poured right from my brain into the page. Only reason I’m not giving it a perfect score is that I feel like it could have used two more issues to really flesh out some story beats, especially near the climax. But here’s hoping for LOTS of sequels.
June 17, 2020
This collection is a blast and I really hope we’ll see more installments of Count Crowley.
Dastmalchian has created a great character in Jerri and tells a great story too. Ketner’s Art has that perfect classic monster movie feel and the entire book hangs together beautifully.
Dastmalchian has created a great character in Jerri and tells a great story too. Ketner’s Art has that perfect classic monster movie feel and the entire book hangs together beautifully.
December 13, 2020
I don't know how folks are liking this.. may be they're part of a closed community.
This reads like some stuff I read when I was 11.
This reads like some stuff I read when I was 11.
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