A Vampire Book that Doesn’t Bite

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TPB:  American Vampire Vol. 1
Writer:  Scott Snyder, Stephen King
Artist: Rafael Albuquerque
Price:  $19.99


American Vampire follows the exploits of the first American vampire as he kills his way from the 1920’s forward.  A former outlaw who stole from European bankers, Skinner Sweet is bitten by the distinctly Old World monsters but rises as something entirely new. 

You may know Scott Snyder as the writer of a little book called Batman.  You may also know Stephen King as the undisputed king of horror.  Rafael Albuquerque who shares co-creator credit here has previously worked on Blue Beetle and is currently on Charle Soule's Letter 44. 

In the first arc of this Vertigo series, the A story is Skinner Sweet explaining to a victim of Hollywood vampires how she can get revenge for her untimely death.  Lucky for her, Sweet revived her after she was left for dead and being an American vampire comes with immunity to sunlight and increased strength and speed. 

The B story is written by King and follows the life of a fiction writer who wrote about Sweet’s origins but in his golden years decides to reveal he’s only retold a story that he witnessed as a young man.

The interior art walks the line between clean lines and stylized as few books can successfully do. 

Sweet’s outlaw charisma steals the show whenever he’s on panel.  His dark humor and cynicism almost excuse his reprehensible behavior.  This book recommends itself simply by the fact that the protagonist feels like an old friend by the end of the first arc. 

Final rating (out of 5):
5_Star

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