Now, here we are, more than 35 years later, and while DC has attempted to revive the title twice (in 1996 for 12 issues, and again in 2012 for 7 issues), neither of those revivals managed to capture the mystery, intrigue, and horror that worked so well in that first run by Wolfman and Colan, despite the fact that Wolfman remained the writer for all three incarnations. Perhaps it was because neither of the later series carried over the story threads from the original, nor did there seem to really by any connection between the three series. (DC has most recently attempted to revive Night Force yet again in the Raven, Daughter of Darkness 12-issue limited series; unfortunately, though, this was an instance of Baron Winters gathering supernatural themed heroes and anti-heroes to fight for him, rather than using regular agents…)
But DC has done something I never imagined would come to pass. DC has collected all 14 issues, including the free 16-page preview) into one hardcover collection. I have not read the original run since it first came out and I bought those issues, so it was with much pleasure that I sat down to re-read the stories that so enthralled me when I was in my early teens. I absolutely LOVE the mystery surrounding Baron Winters. Who is he? How does he know so much? How in the world does his house have doors that lead to different points in time throughout history? How does he know what people to use (manipulate, really) as his agents in the war against supernatural evil?The first seven-issue arc introduces readers to Vanessa Van Helsing, a young woman who is believed to be mentally unbalanced, but who in actuality is the doorway to something very evil; Jack Gold, a down-on-his-luck journalist who may have hit the story of a lifetime when he is called upon to save Vanessa; and Dr. Donovan Caine, a research professor who is trying to figure out a way to channel the energy people refer to as “evil” – and when the Baron brings all three of these people together, an unnatural terror is unleashed that only they can stop. But at what cost? While the Baron seems to be fighting for the good of humanity, he does not seem particularly concerned about the lives that are lost or forever changed by his use of them in this war…
The final story, which comprised the last four issues, sees the return of Vanessa and Jack, with Vanessa once again becoming a key component in the Baron’s plan. However, this story reveals the origin (of sorts) of Baron Winters, introduces his former paramour and his son, as well as reveals a surprising secret about Vanessa and why she is so important in the Baron’s battles against the rising tide of evil.
There are so many fantastic elements to this series – Baron’s pet leopard, Merlin; Baron’s attorney, who happens to be from the past; Vanessa’s inherent goodness and naivety; the variety of evil and how it changes the people who battle it; the police officer determined to bring the Baron to justice; Baron’s house and its never-ending source of possibilities; the Baron himself, with his enigmatic ways and unlimited source of knowledge. I think the series was definitely ahead of its time, and it is so sad it was not given a longer life span to really develop a larger readership. There were plenty of hints within those 14 issues of potential future stories, and I have to wonder if Wolfman had other ideas already in mind that never got to see the light of day.
This series epitomizes the true joy of comic book reading, and it a series I would recommend to any comic fan of any era!
RATING: 10 doorways to the past out of 10 for giving readers a horror story that was thought-provoking, terrifying, engaging, and all-too-short-lived!
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