A Vampire Book that Doesn’t Bite

By -
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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Robert Kirkman: Invincible, Walking Dead, Wolf-Man

By -
Image
I wasn't actually a huge fan of Robert Kirkman when I first started reading his books.  He was competent, sure, but I didn't see the appeal-- The Irredeemable Ant-Man was a boring side story in the middle of  Civil War and  The Initiative (although I've since changed my mind about this), and his  Ultimate X-Men run was, in many places, a mixed bag (although I did very much enjoy his "Phoenix?" storyline).  And  Marvel Zombies  just seemed like a ridiculous idea--not that I bothered to try it at the time. Now, though?  I've completely reevaluated my opinion on his work, and when his name is attached to a project, I'm far more likely to give it a look.  I don't know if I'd classify him as a master storyteller or a comics icon--but he's very skilled, he has an incredible knack for dialog, and he writes stories that, no matter how ridiculous, seem real .  In a medium where characters frequently violate the rules of physics, that's not alway
Read more

more random readings from May 2009

By pghhead -
Image
What else did I finish reading last month?  Here’s a cross-section of various titles . . . . . . . . . WITCHBLADE #126 “War Of The Witchblade Part 2” by Ron Marz and Stejepan Sejic  (Top Cow/Image) Preface:  Now here’s an interesting concept! = In order to attract new readers to its’ titles Top Cow is giving out free books each month as part of it’s Let Us Win You Over project.  ( www.topcow.com/freecomics )  Every month it’s a different title. And they work through different comics shops each month as well.  In April the title was Witchblade #126 and one of the participating dealers was Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, DE (my preferred supplier) so voila! - - - I find a copy in my hands. Since the last time I explored the Witchblade series the mythology has expanded to a battle between the forces of light and dark with each side choosing its agents on Earth, hence the Darkness vs. the Witchblade.  I’m still not overly interested in this type of fare on a regular basis, but
Read more

Best descriptive 2013 title: Vampire Vixens of the Wehrmacht

By pghhead -
Image
VAMPIRE VIXENS OF THE WEHRMACHT “If You Want Blood” one-shot (Bump and Grind Comics, August 2013, second printing with foreword by film maker Paul Campion) Writers: The Emperor + Alex Ronald.  Artist: Alex Ronald.  Letterer: Jim Campbell. Original Concept: Alex Ronald.  (Parental Advisory, Adult Content)  Limited print run, but digital copies are available from http://www.vampirevixens.co.uk/           If you can’t figure out what this comic is about from that title, then I’m guessing you’ve been living for decades in a cave without a DVD player and no access to cable television.   VAMPIRE VIXENS OF THE WEHRMACHT is a fast-paced horror comic driven by action, rooted in World War II history, and dripping with blood, gore and tantalizing sexual imagery.  What makes it work is a light-hearted approach to the subject matter, all in fun but never silly or stupid.  You may find yourself laughing at several of the scenarios or chuckling at the devilish dialogue.           VAMPIRE VIXENS O
Read more