When it comes to vampires, is there a more romantic monster? Judging by Summer Shadows #2, out this week, the answer is no. This series focuses on a young man named Nick looking for his ex-boyfriend on a faraway Greek island. Seemingly gone from the face of the Earth, a mysterious dark yacht off the coast has nefarious intentions. In issue #2, Nick may let love get in the way of reason as he falls deeper into danger.
Summer Shadows #2 opens in a temple with a naked man standing forlorn before a woman in a vampire-like cloak. The caption includes a chilling quote from Sylvia Plath: “Something very wicked, this way comes.”
So begins an issue that perfectly weaves romance in a few different ways. The romance of a man lost without his lover. The romance of travel and the romance of the rich and powerful vampires who want Nick. Heck, there’s even a little romance as far as music goes, especially in a small bar where we meet Nick. Writer John Harris Dunning captures romanticism well, especially through Nick’s captions.
Dark Horse Comics
Nick is sad when we first see him but soon gets some intel. His ex-boyfriend has gone to the yacht. Also nearby is a detective on the trail of another missing person. The issue splits at this point, giving the detective more attention, including some friends at home and some new leads. One person he meets leads to a story within the story that helps lift up the agelessness of vampires, as well as their vanity.
Vanity is an interesting aspect of beautiful vampires in storytelling, which is very apparent in this series. Artist Ricardo Cabral captures the vampire beauty in their perfect faces and slender bodies. They’re like Greek statues themselves, yet behind that beauty lies something violent. The juxtaposition is apparent in this issue.
This issue is also quite dark, with extended scenes at night. The night sky is quite pretty under Cabral and Brad Simpson’s colors. Like the vampires, moonlight can be haunting but also quite pretty, as is apparent visually in the issue.
One of the most unsettling scenes in this issue takes place at night and utilizes a clever visual of a telescope. We get another look at how vampires work in this story, and it’s a bit more than undead bloodsuckers—something almost spiritual and supernatural.
This issue isn’t just fact-finding and ruminating on romance and lost love – there’s also some action. Nick has a bit of an accident, which leads to a tragic accident. This scene feels natural to his state of mind, lost and accident-prone. That leads to an even bigger mistake that should make the next issue a must-read.
My only gripe with the issue is how similar Nick looks to one of the vampires. I don’t think that’s on purpose, but it threw me off, making me think there’s some connection.
If you were on the fence about Summer Shadows #1, the second issue is a home run. It combines compelling themes and horror in a delicious dish. Not since Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula has there been a horror that feels so romantic, haunting, and hypnotizing.
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