Just in time for Halloween, DC Comics has a new horror book on the stands and, lucky for you vampire fans, it is a winner. No, it does not reinvent the wheel or redefine the genre, but for a comic titled DC vs. Vampires, you get exactly what you would expect — vampire shenanigans, at least one fantastic twist, and a scene involving a blender that may be the most ghoulish thing I’ve ever seen in a Big Two comic.
The first issue of this 12-part series revolves mostly around a conversation between Andrew Bennett (of I…Vampire fame) and Hal Jordan, who receives a nearly-incoherent Bennett at the Hall of Justice, ranting about an incoming vampire war.
Co-writers James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg catch readers up to speed on the state of vampires in the DC Universe — which fans of Bennett from his New 52 series might vaguely remember — and let the story unfold like a ticking time bomb.
Artist Otto Schmidt gives the comic a throwback feel by mooring the Green Lantern scenes in a more traditional, blue-sky DC style while Bennett’s flashbacks are bathed in red with more jagged linework. The combination could be jarring, but serves the horror vibe very well, especially as the present-day scenes slowly become more sinister.
DC has really amped up its horror offerings in recent months, from imprints like Hill House Comics and DC Horror (home of the recent, surprisingly good Conjuring book) to more conventional fare like Tynion’s The Joker. Within this framework, DC vs. Vampires is much more similar to a comic like DCeased. Both are out-of-continuity stories that use horror tropes to tell stories that are mostly character-driven affairs (as opposed to something more overtly scary).
That being said, DC vs. Vampires does not shy away from some gross stuff, and that blender scene is one you’ll almost definitely see around Twitter (or in your nightmares). And we have Rosenberg to thank for it, according to Tynion’s newsletter.
This comic hits all the important notes for a first issue and serviceably sets up the rest of the series, which appears to focus on two characters that I certainly cannot wait to see together. (The cover should give you a clue.)
My one, minor complaint is why a fairly standard vampire-takeover plot needs 12 issues to complete its story. This strikes me as a storyline that could wrap in six or eight issues, but I imagine Tynion and Rosenberg have a few more surprises in store for us. Hopefully just no more blenders.
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