Goodnight #1 Review

Writer: Fey Nefeloma / Artist: Fey Nefeloma / NEVO DIGITAL

Originally getting its start as a webcomic, Goodnight #1 is the adaptation of the first chapter of the comic that tells the story of Ayesha. This adaptation is brought to us by the folks that have been bringing us one of my faves, including ones like Starpunch Girl. I had seen a tweet from Nevo Digital some months ago about this series and I’m finally glad to see it for sale on ComiXology!

But back to this comic: Ayesha is an inquisitive little girl (with the thickest hair by the way) who, like many young children, fears the monsters that lurk in dark places like under beds. This isn’t unusual or irrational because most small children are afraid of such things.

We’re introduced to Ayesha and her father, one Mr. Conway (Pops got gauges and locs!) and what looks like their nightly, bed-time ritual: starting with checking for monsters, ending with a goodnight kiss and tucking into bed. But before that ritual comes to a close…

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But Pops isn’t too alarmed? There seems to be more behind the scenes here — it looks like Ayesha and her father live in a universe where monsters are actually real and Daddy Dearest is well aware of that fact! Couple this with Ayesha questioning her father on the whereabouts of an absentee mother and that her bedroom is littered with drawings and paintings of monsters leaves a taste of mystery and a lot of unanswered questions with whatever may be a special guest paying a visit in the later pages of this comic.

This is a short intro to an adorable comic with an equally adorable main character, who just may have a coming-of-age type of story with all the things that go bump in the dark. Whether this comic is about confronting your worst fears, growing up, or learning about who you are, I just won’t know until I read more!

Perhaps the best thing that grabbed my heart strings was the presence of Black fatherhood here — seeing Ayesha being put to bed and loved on by her daddy was comforting and appreciated. Seeing Black families, no matter how small, represented in even the panels of a webcomic don’t go by unnoticed by me, and surely many others. While I am hell curious about Ayesha’s mom, I’ll patiently try to bide my time and wait and see.

7 (NO JUMP SCARES HERE, THANK YOU) out of 10 stars

(Note: Recommended for ages 9+, so it’s safe for the younger crowd with no explicit content for mature audiences. Just some creepy monsters like the one in the panel earlier in this review)

See more of Nefeloma’s work on her website here. And if you’re soaking up the comic love on the Tapastic app, see more of Goodnight there! If Goodnight #1 sounds up your alley, purchase #1 here!

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