Werewolf Wednesday Entry 2/5/25

Title: After Dark.

Media: Comic, written and illustrated by Al Berg.

After Dark is currently an ongoing Webtoon original with one completed season currently available. The story follows the protagonist Drew as he flees his past after the sudden death of his girlfriend. As he flees, he begins to succumb to a peculiar illness accompanied by visions of his dead girlfriend, Julia, rotting and blaming him for failing to save her. Upon the full moon, Drew inevitably undergoes his first transformation into a werewolf at a small motel, where he attacks the owner and is shot in the arm. He manages to escape and survive, yet his supernatural fears are confirmed. 

The comic takes place in British Columbia, and draws heavily on idealistic small-town imagery to immerse the reader with gloomy shading and the constant presence of trees and snow. Upon fleeing the motel, Drew eventually settles in an apartment in the town of Black Marsh. (A name which is coincidentally reminiscent of Blackwater, a comic I plan to include in a future entry.) He begins to learn more about himself during this period of self-isolation, such as the fact that partial-shifts can be brought on by excessive stress, the existence of carnivorous habits, and the fact that an unavoidable change occurs on the day of the full moon. 

Similar to Larry Talbot in the 1941 Wolfman, Drew maintains his relatable human identity despite his newfound affliction. Drew also changes into a werewolf on the night of the full moon as does Larry in later adaptations. Although it has been confirmed by the creator, Al Berg, that Drew’s supernatural affliction operates on a cycle that coincides with the full moon, but has no direct correlation with it. An interesting fragment of the lore Berg has crafted which provides a direct nod to the influence of Hollywood horror, yet remains wholly loyal to Berg’s vision. 

Where the comic currently stands, three possible new werewolves have been introduced with an interest in Drew. Meanwhile, Drew is struggling to shake the visions of his dead girlfriend taunting him while he attempts to make new friends, and grows reluctantly closer to his coworker Gabby. As much as I would love to speculate, to avoid heavy spoiler territory, I will leave you to draw your own conclusions in your own time. I implore you to check out the series, as Al Berg deserves all the love they can get for creating such a multifaceted visual story. 

As always, stay curious, and give your local monsters some love.