Vampires Fighting During a War?
War is Hell but what happens when you're trying to hunt vampires in the middle of one?
The Good
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not a big fan of vampires. Because we've been hit with so many different vampire stories, it's been hard getting into some of the stories, even if everyone says they're good. American Vampire is far from just another vampire story.
Continuing from the new arc last issue, it's 1944 and we're seeing the war in the Pacific...but with vampires thrown in. Of course we have the American Vampires, the new breed that is changing everything. Henry is out with a group of vampire hunters after being blackmailed and they're in the thick of things when Skinner Sweet works his way along side of them. Having the book change locales has been a drastic change in the tone of the series but then we've been seeing different places as time moves around the immortal vampires.
With the change in the setting, Rafael Albuquerque gets the chance to dazzle us with his renditions of the soldiers on the hunt and engaging in battle. I found myself just staring at the double page spread on pages 2 and 3. We've seen the scene many times when soldiers land on the beach and get out of their boat. The perspective here with the faces of the men along with the colors by Dave McCaig was pure brilliance. It also feels as if we have two stories in one as Pearl is still in the States trying to figure out what she can do.
The Bad
Nothing bad here. I've been enjoying this series from the beginning but each issue I dig it more and more.
The Verdict
Vampires might be played out elsewhere but Scott Snyder tells a great tale of a new breed of them. Because of their immortality, we are now set in 1944 and have journeyed to a remote Japanese island. This arc makes the book feel like a new series even though we still have the familiar characters of Skinner Sweet, Pearl and Henry. There is a big battle brewing, bigger than the war that is taking place at this time and Rafale Albuquerque's art beautifully captures the setting and, at the same time, creates an eerie vibe that fits perfectly. People need to be reading this book. I almost envy those that haven't been and have the chance to read all fourteen issues in one sitting. And things are about to get even crazier in the next issue.
