Clive Barker's Nightbreed Comics - Issue 8

Nightbreed 8 - “Light me a candle” said Flesh to the Flame

This continues the story of The Blasphemers. Opening with the near-zombified, insane Ashberry and an inexplicably more youthful and athletic looking Eigerman establishing a blasphemous altar in Ashberry’s old church where he has been reclaiming some of his old ‘things’. This could have been a great storyline but is over too soon as the Priest-in-residence attacks them with a burning candelabra, driving them out of his church. Shame- it was a nice altar, complete with goat’s head and candles! As Ashberry shouts at the Priest to join in their hunt for the Nightbreed, we’re left to wonder whether Ashberry is insane or has himself become Nightbreed- he appears to be sprouting Shuna-Sassi style spines from his head where his burnt-off hair once was.

Meanwhile, Ritegrig is stacking up an armoury to go on his own Nightbreed hunt. The arms supplier, bored with his lot, wants to join Ritegrig as a mercenary, not caring for who, where or what might be Ritegrig’s target. Preparing the Blasphemers for combat with Boone’s party, Ritegrig’s ‘battle tactics 101’ is interrupted by the arrival of the arms dealer. He unwittingly supplies the Blasphemers with a feast while they’re discussing whether to stick with Ritegrig’s plans to help them destroy Boone in exchange for becoming ‘Breed himself, or to just ‘ice’ him… Baphomet’s law of meat is at the ‘heart’ of the discussion, and whether they can overthrow Boone and prevent Baphomet from re-gaining power- and therefore retribution against them for breaking his law.

Back at Old Woman Nickneven’s pad, Boone’s party are holed up to discuss what to do about the Blasphemers. While Boone wonders whether to continue with the mantle of ‘saviour’, Lori decides to have her own crisis of confidence because she doesn’t know what ‘she will become’ or if she’ll sprout tentacles from her eyeballs. And if she does- whether Boone will keep his promise to never leave her…

Old Nickneven knows how to answer the question- by using a magical egg to see where Lori’s past lay, she can see where her future lies- we will discover exactly what that is in the next issue. For some lame reason, Guido and Narcisse take a trip to the food store in what seems like an inane opportunity for more puerile jokes (tampons and acne this time…)

This issue concludes with a bang, quite literally, as the Blasphemers arrive, armed to their massive teeth with Ritegrig up front; “Lock and load troops- It’s Nightbreed time!”

To summarise so far: We have three groups, all hunting each other. All are either A) Nightbreed (Boone’s party and the Blasphemers), or B) Tainted with it (Ashberry) or C) They want to be Breed (Ritegrig) or D) They want to destroy them (Eigerman). The humans are just here to supply the meat and the gross-out effects and ‘comedy’ value…