With Matthew Rosenberg and Otto Schmidt’s DC vs. Vampires: World War V effectively taking a bit of a breather midway through its maxiseries, fans have respite in the special DC vs. Vampires: World War V – Darkness and Light #1. Containing two stories connected in surprising ways, the series continues to flesh out Alfred Pennyworth as one of the lone saviors of humanity and one of the only Green Lanterns left alive. It’s also a special that offers a glimmer of hope for the good guys.
This one-shot kicks off with a tale focused on Harper Row, aka Bluebird, and an ally of Batman. She’s just a kid at the start, and she’s hiding from Wonder Woman and her vampire goons. Things go from bad to worse, but luckily for Harper, Wonder Woman takes her under her wing. It’s a bit of a shock, considering Diana has been incredibly evil in this series, which, in effect, makes her a bit more developed.
As Harper learns to be a vampire there’s plenty of moments catching us up on her developments. Nikola Čižmešija maximizes these moments via montage and dramatic effect. There are some seriously awesome moments involving a Green Lantern you won’t want to miss. Dressing up the scenery in cold winter, Čižmešija might send a shiver down your spine.
Epic top left panel.
Credit: DC Comics
The story, “Darkness,” deals with suicide and takes place in dark places as Harper wants to stop being a vampire. It also ends tragically, although one could argue that it has a happy ending.
The second tale, “Light,” features art by Daniel Bayliss. It begins when a young boy named Josh Jackam finds Alfred in a crater. Alfred is in his battered Green Lantern suit. The story eventually leads to a reveal connecting this second tale to the first. That includes Wonder Woman showing up and plenty of action.
It’s fair to say Green Lantern fans won’t want to miss this. There are constructs made in this story that are impressive, to say the least. Stuff like a snake’s body for a character who lost their bottom half. There’s some training up for Alfred that helps develop his superhero abilities and a killer montage you won’t want to miss. This second story ends up adding to Alfred and his growth, which will be important when the main series picks back up in March.
As an extra-sized issue, this second story starts a bit slowly. However, it picks up once Alfred gets into training mode. The journey Alfred goes through isn’t as complex or emotional as Harper’s in the first story, either.
DC vs. Vampires: World War V – Darkness and Light #1 delivers two engaging, interconnected stories that deepen the lore of the series while offering a mix of tragedy and hope. While the pacing is uneven at times, strong character work and striking visuals make this a worthy read for fans invested in the series. Gear up, readers, Alfred is beginning to become the star of the show.
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