The October Faction Comic Review

Summary

The October Faction is about a family of monster hunters. Fred Allan has retired from the business and is instead teaching a class about monsters at the local university. He is estranged from his wife, Deloris, who appears to be seeing one of his old rivals. Their kids, Vivian and Geoff, have supernatural abilities and want to follow in their parent’s footsteps. When a monster gets loose and starts attacking his family, Fred is forced to end his retirement and bring his kids into the fold.

The series follows the family through ups and downs, from the kids’ training, family members being kidnapped, and Fred trying to retire again. New members are added as the series progresses, such as Fred’s old partner who is stuck as a werewolf, a cyborg teenager, and a flesh-eating ghoul.

In their line of work, the Allans face many monstrous threats. Everything from a family of zombies (the voodoo kind), a coven of vampires, evil elves, and an unstoppable demon. Just another day in the October Faction.

My Thoughts

I love the concept of The October Faction. It’s basically the Addams Family hunting monsters. However, I found some of the execution lacking.

A lot of the story seemed rushed and jumbled. The Allan family is at their best when fighting monsters, but many times how they end up fighting the monsters is vague. Additionally, some of the character’s decisions are poor, or even contrary to their own interests. These problems are especially prominent in the early issues, but get better as the series goes on.

As much as I love the aesthetic, some of the art was wanting. Simple character designs blend into the color-washed background, making it hard to follow at times (particularly during action scenes).

The October Faction still has a lot to love, but these issues keep it from being great.

My Rating: 3/5

Written by: Steve Niles

Art by: Damien Worm

The October Faction #1–18

The October Faction: Deadly Season #1–5

The October Faction: Supernatural Dreams #1–5