The popularity of the vampire comes and goes in pop culture, but those blood-sucking creatures of the night are always lurking around somewhere. The idea of the vampire is as immortal as the creatures themselves. Just when audiences get tired of them, somebody finds a way to re-invent the vamps and they come back more powerful than ever. If, like me, you aren't a big fan of the current wave of angsty, pretty, sparkly, vampire lover-boys, then American Vampire may be just what you need to make you love the undead all over again.
Vertigo's newest series, American Vampire is brought to you by a team consisting of Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerue and, a promising writer you may have heard of, Stephen King. The series asks the question, what if vampires change and evolve over time? As new people in new places are "turned," they may well bring something new to the table. If the stereotypical "Old World" vampires infected the landscape of rough and tumble early America, what would be the result?
The first arc of this series tells the story of two particular American vampires. First up is Pearl Jones, a tough young lady trying to make something of herself in 1920s Hollywood. She works hard to survive in this town that tends to chew up and spit out the weak, and she succeeds. That is, she succeeds until she runs into some blood-sucking producers who are actually blood-suckers. Of course, Pearl's story only begins with that fateful encounter...
Next up is the tale of 1880s Western outlaw Skinner Sweet. He's a bad, bad, man, but Skinner is smart enough and mean enough to thrive in the lawless world of the Old West. Little does Skinner suspect that the bloodless banker he's been robbing is something even worse than the outlaw himself. It is clear from the start that Pearl and Skinner's stories are interconnected, and they are just the beginning of generations of American vampires. (I suspect Skinner Sweet is on the fast-track to comic book icon status. You read it here first!)
American Vampire was created by Scott Snyder, but King was so impressed and excited by the pitch he read for the series that he asked if he could contribute. This is not one of those comics adapted from King's work, or based on a story idea he gave someone, this is an actual, scripted comic written by King himself. For the opening arc of this series, he is writing Skinner's introductory tale while Snyder handles Pearl's story. With these two great writers on board, Albuquerque's amazing art seals the deal. He does the art for both stories, but brings a different style to each time period, perfectly capturing the "feel" of both eras.
Vertigo's newest series, American Vampire is brought to you by a team consisting of Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerue and, a promising writer you may have heard of, Stephen King. The series asks the question, what if vampires change and evolve over time? As new people in new places are "turned," they may well bring something new to the table. If the stereotypical "Old World" vampires infected the landscape of rough and tumble early America, what would be the result?
The first arc of this series tells the story of two particular American vampires. First up is Pearl Jones, a tough young lady trying to make something of herself in 1920s Hollywood. She works hard to survive in this town that tends to chew up and spit out the weak, and she succeeds. That is, she succeeds until she runs into some blood-sucking producers who are actually blood-suckers. Of course, Pearl's story only begins with that fateful encounter...
Next up is the tale of 1880s Western outlaw Skinner Sweet. He's a bad, bad, man, but Skinner is smart enough and mean enough to thrive in the lawless world of the Old West. Little does Skinner suspect that the bloodless banker he's been robbing is something even worse than the outlaw himself. It is clear from the start that Pearl and Skinner's stories are interconnected, and they are just the beginning of generations of American vampires. (I suspect Skinner Sweet is on the fast-track to comic book icon status. You read it here first!)
American Vampire was created by Scott Snyder, but King was so impressed and excited by the pitch he read for the series that he asked if he could contribute. This is not one of those comics adapted from King's work, or based on a story idea he gave someone, this is an actual, scripted comic written by King himself. For the opening arc of this series, he is writing Skinner's introductory tale while Snyder handles Pearl's story. With these two great writers on board, Albuquerque's amazing art seals the deal. He does the art for both stories, but brings a different style to each time period, perfectly capturing the "feel" of both eras.
So, with a viscious outlaw vampire, a '20s Hollywood starlet, intense characters, and great art, there is no possible excuse for you to miss out on this new series. Especially now that American Vampire is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. If you're ready for some blood-sucking fiends with no sparkle whatsoever, you need to sink your fangs into this comic!
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