The tagline on the front of the graphic novel, given by the comic website Newsarama, I would have to say fits this trade paperback of the IDW Comics mini-series perfectly. Five high school misfits band together to take down the mob boss who killed one of the teachers at their Catholic school. But what happens when they find out that the mob boss is actually the father of one of the boy who brought the team together?
Night Owl Society, which was originally published as a four-issue mini-series from IDW Comics, tells the story of high schooler David Foxworth, who is pretty much a loner that no one at the school really ever notices (emphasized by the fact that two of his recruits sit next to him in classes and don't recognize him or even know his name). His best friend at the school was one of the teachers, Father Shawn, who was brutally murdered by a local mob boss. David has been going out each night to exact his revenge on his crime lord, and when he realizes that he is going to need help, he reaches out to three other school misfits (with a fourth showing up because one of them can't keep a secret).
Laura is in it because she can slip in and out without anyone knowing. She's the stealth.
Darsh is in it because he is a computer genius whiz-kid. He's the techie (think Felicity or Cisco...)
Sarah is in it because she's A.J.'s girlfriend, and she's got strength, brains, and determination.
Together, these five set out to systematically dismantle and destroy the local mob boss's enterprises and to bring him to justice for killing Father Shawn. Until they uncover the true identity of the mob boss - and for them, it changes everything. It seems the mob boss knows all of them. All it will take is for someone to see them, and their whole family could be threatened. But when David takes it upon himself to face the mob boss in one final confrontation, the team realizes they need to have his back, or it could all go south - which it does very quickly!
Writer James Venhaus provides a fascinating tale of mob-related drama in pure soap opera style, throws in some teen angst and vigilante/superhero (non-powered) justice, and just for good measure, drops in a bit of surprising twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing - and finishes it off with a single line at the end that is a true game-changer and hopefully signals a sequel in the future!
Artist Pius Bak does an amazing job with the art - providing pencils, inks, and color for the story. It's probably silly, but I love the fact that whenever he does a flashback, he grayscales it, rather than presenting it in color, giving it that sense of "past." And although there are a number of characters involved, each one is distinct and easily discernible from the others, and regardless of the dark colors (remember, a lot of this story takes place during the nighttime hours), the visuals are clear and crisp.
I'm happy IDW published this - it's definitely not something you'd see from either DC or Marvel, as it's not flashy, it doesn't have capes or wanton destruction, but it is definitely a people story, a drama ... a story with real feeling. I would without a doubt recommend this for reading.
RATING: 10 silver chafing dishes out of 10 for, in just four short issues, making me feel for each of the characters and providing a satisfying story that is complete, yet open for more.
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