DC vs. Vampires: World War V #1 reminded readers of the crazy twists and turns of the first series by supplying plenty of its own. With the series off to a head start, Damian Wayne is the driving force ruining world peace between humans and vampires. In issue #2 this week, the plot thickens nicely to a nice boil.
As far as second issues go, DC vs. Vampires: World War V #2 does a lot of dancing around the world to progress subplots. By my count, there are five scenes with different groups of characters, and each plot progresses decently. This makes the issue feel bountiful in progress, yet slim, too, since each subplot can only get so much done. By the end of the issue, you’ll feel the story, but it’s inching rather than rushing toward big story beat moments.
The first subplot involves a mysterious man freezing in the snow, holding a baby. I won’t spoil who he is, but know his identity being revealed could mean a big deal to the larger story.
The second involves Aquaman and a brokering of peace now that Damian has thrown a wrench into vampire power dynamics. He meets with Lois Lane and a few others, and it’s clear the dynamics, like any world war, could hinge on key decisions by key characters.
Nice to see Lois helping out.
Credit: DC Comics
The third subplot involves Green Arrow and a motley crew attempting to take out vampires in Dakota City. The back and forth between Green Arrow and Swamp Thing is fun, and what they discover could mean big developments, though it’s far too early to tell.
The fourth subplot has writer Matthew Rosenberg catching us up on John Constantine and his whole deal. It’s quite weird, and his real location involves a few familiar faces. I can’t say this scene adds a lot, but it feels like the start of something larger.
The last character check-in involves Talia and a major confrontation. The meatiest scenes in the issue, except death, another familiar face, and a great action scene drawn by Otto Schmidt. Similar to the last series, Rosenberg and Schmidt know how to surprise with big in-continuity reveals. I can’t say I saw a specific hero rising up, but it’s intriguing, to say the least. That’s especially true since a few Green Lantern characters died in the last issue.
Visually, outside of the action, Schmidt plays around with the layout in fun ways. Panels sometimes have no gutter at all or shift diagonally from one to another, adding nice movement. When it’s cold, it feels it thanks to his use of negative space and Pierluigi Casolino’s colors.
This issue feels important, but it also feels thin. Having the story jump around to so many locations and characters reminds us this is a battle across a lot of areas with a lot of characters, but it also means slight plot progression in each chapter. Still, meaningful moments take place, and the larger war and all the implications become more clear.
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