American Vampire TPB Vol.2

American Vampire By Vertigo Comics. Written by Scott Snyder. Drawn by Rafael Albuquerque and Mateus Santolouco. Single Issues $2.99, HC $24.99.

Once again Scott Snyder brings life to the old days of America to life in his horror epic. Comprised of two story lines, 6-9--Devil in the Sand, 10-11 The Way Out, the unique vampire world of Snyder continues.

In the Devil in the Sand, we are given a glimpse at a old breed of vampire that is killing people in the city of Las Vegas, during the construction of the Hoover Dam. Also we see the return of Sheriff Book's Goddaughter and the Child they produced, along with The Vassals of the Morning Star the vampire killing organization that they belong too. Skinner Sweet takes on the name Mr. Smoke and has helped shape what would now be the city of Sin. earl is back as well and her Husband strikes a deal with the Vassals that no harm comes to Pearl if he tells them how to kill Skinner/Pearl's type of vampire. With a twist ending that I honestly didn't see coming, these four issues bring alot to the title.

The second deals with the return of Hattie along with Pearl and her Husband. This is a development story that brings Hattie back as a villain and revels some of Pearl's current life. Well written, it helps define the love and romance of the two and why she hasn't just bit him yet.

Yet again Scott Snyder and crew bring a well thought out story and exceptional art that brings the time and characters to rich life that makes you want to continue reading, curious on what is going to happen next.

American Vampire TPB Vol.1

First let me say, it's about damn time! I am so sick of the glowy, crying pussy vampires that have been the staple in current movies and media. I don't know when everybody decided that a race of humans that suck blood to survive should be teen models and be so indecisive on how much their soul will suffer by taking the blood of some whiny-assed woman. Now that I have dug my hole to all the fans of those bloody pussies, we can get on with a real set of vampires.
Scott Snyder's creator owned title starring a new kind of vampire called Skinner Sweet, is one of a kind. First off, he got Stephen king to do the back story in these first five issues, detailing Skinner Sweet's origin. Second he got the amazing artist Rafael Albuquerque to bring all the characters to life in a vivid style that makes this title in a league of its own.
Starting out in the 1880's and continuing to 1926, the story is based around the well known killer vampires of old, that are rich aristocrats, that mistakenly make Skinner Sweet a vampire when they attempted to kill him. Here is the unique part, Skinner awakes as a different kind of vampire, one that gets weak and vulnerable when the new moon is up, but can walk in total sunlight. The story continues as Pearl Jones is made a vampire like Skinner, and takes revenge on those that originally killed her.The cast of characters are unique and original for an ages old tale about vampires.
Scott Snyder nails it on the head with gruesome and blood thirsty vampires set in a time frame when America was coming into the modern age. Rafael adds several background images that chill you bones on top of his haunting visuals, and unique character designs. Plus, come on, Stephen King is your writer to flesh out your main characters origin? How could you go wrong.
In my opinion, I give the first five issues of American Vampire by Vertigo, Five out of Five for it's uniqueness and innovative story-telling. This is one you really should be adding to your read list.

Review - Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars

Often things will enter a person’s life either exactly when they need it or exactly when it’s capable of taking on another meaning, one so subjective and personal that it is almost impossible to be impartial. I’m not here to write impartial reviews, so it appears we are all in luck then. What I will do is give you my honest opinion sandwiched between a whole lot of neurosis and quite possibly an out of control foot fetish, but I digress. I wanted to dislike Full Dark, No Stars. I wanted to dislike it in the most pompous, holier than though, “what ? that must be your shit or possibly your dog’s, because mine simply doesn’t stink” kinda way. King’s latest is actually quite good. Good in an unexpected way, and good in a very subjective way.

If you’re looking for bump in the night, fur and fangs horror, then keep on movin… this one aint for you. Horror however, again, is a very subjective thing, and that is where Full Dark No Stars hits the hardest. King not only vacations in some very morally grey areas in his new story collection, but gets downright native with the blackest cores of the human heart.  In doing so King might let down hardcore horror readers and admittedly, I might have felt differently had I read FDNS (oh yeah, shat that little nugget out quick enough to go acronym crazy by the third paragraph) ten years ago. I didn’t though. I read it at a time when my own relationships are as unpredictable, heavy handed and maybe even as morally complex as those King breathes his life into.

ome may find the stories in FDNS a little hard to digest. They are provocative and unrelenting in their portrayl of the depravity of their characters. In that respect they are cinematic enough on their own that I can imagine any single story being made into a film that would carry the same weight of their literary counterpart. A Good Marriage, the last tale in the collection immediately comes to mind.

King channels his inner Poe in the opener and lets a little of the ole supernatural into the second story, Fair Extension. It is the suspense and drive of his characters in the latter tales that shine here though. For those of us who are examining our own human condition a little too thoroughly those are the ones with the “sticky”, the ones that linger, and the ones that are shockingly probable, maybe even right next door to our little yard gnomes, lawn jockeys and pink fucking flamingos.