The escapism of comics is never more present than in out-of-continuity tales like DCeased or What If…? and today DC vs. Vampires #2 continues the trend. From the minds of James Tynion IV, Matthew Rosenberg, and Otto Schmidt comes a tale focused on vampires which could get every human, superhero, and supervillain turned or killed. In the latest issue, enjoy the characters and looming threats.
This second issue opens with Green Lantern mercilessly killing a character, which is very unlike him, but he follows a voice in his head. The threat of vampires intercepting the superheroes is already present, which leads to the next scene as Batman calls his various sidekicks together to figure out what to do. To say it’s scary that even Batman is too late is an understatement. Paired with the final scene of this issue, Rosenberg and Tynion have plotted a second issue that has positioned the heroes in a very dangerous spot.
The joy of this issue resides in the character acting and character interactions. Batman’s entire family is present and each has a unique personality that is tapped into. As Batman informs them of the looming vampire threat, Alfred gives each character a different beverage. There’s a kind of joy seeing Damian get a hot chocolate, or Batgirl gently being asked to drink tea before coffee. Added to this are small moments and interactions between the characters that suit each one very well.
Green Lantern is bad, but also a victim of something bigger.
Credit: DC Comics
That carries over in other scenes with the Justice League, Green Arrow, and Flash too. It’s clear the creators have taken a lot of time to get the voice right with these characters. Every scene feels natural to the characters.
For an event-caliber story like this one, it’s moving much too slow. Sure, it’s great to see these characters look, talk, and act themselves, but on some scale, it feels like the story is taking its time to get going. The larger story of the vampires and their attack on Earth is only grazed.
Schmidt’s art is great. Much of the book is talking heads, but the book does open and close with good action. Energy projections, Flash’s speed, and Green Arrow looking like a total badass are all on full display. There’s a great scene with each Batman adjacent character holding a cross to prove they aren’t vampires and Schmidt nails the energy and vibe of each character.
This is a highly entertaining second issue thanks to the fantastic characterization of many DC Comics mainstays, especially those in the Batman family. DC vs. Vampires #2‘s strength is in its characterization that feels real and true to life.
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