Ada the vampire’s backstory is revealed in Blood Type #2, written by Corinna Bechko with art by Andrea Sorrentino and colors by Dave Stewart. She reveals her past to her hostage/food source, a human who she calls simply “The Beast”, but The Beast may have his own secrets to reveal.
Ada continues to be a refreshingly anarchic character. She’s a creature of pure habit, and her habit is killing and feeding on blood; everything else is secondary. The only reason she’s keeping The Beast alive is that his blood has an exceptionally good taste to it.
I love that writer Corinna Bechko doesn’t tilt Ada toward good or evil. Yes, she does some despicable things to get nourishment, but it’s no different than when a tiger chases down a zebra, maims it and kills it. It’s all nature, baby. You know, like in those old “Trials of Life” videos sold at 2am on Thursday mornings on local TV. Unfortunately, Ada has competition, because it seems the island paradise she’s living on now that’s so full of victims…er, I mean tourists, is being occupied by other vampires too, and they’re a powerful bunch.
The most enjoyable part of the issue is Ada’s backstory, which is told in a framing sequence that looks like a picture book. It’s a book within a book, read by The Grave-Digger, one of the Crypt Keeper-style hosts of the EC comics that Oni has rebooted. He’s the omnipotent observer of the story which is sometimes jarring when the story cuts back to him and his gnarled hand’s turning the page of the book we’re currently reading.
Oni
It’s a bit disturbing, feeling akin to Grant Morrison’s run on DC’s Animal Man series back in the late ’80s/early ’90s, when he routinely had the characters in the book realize that they’re being “watched” and at times directly addressing the readers. It’s fourth-wall breaking to the nth degree, and at times feels a bit unnecessary, but I suppose it’s a way to keep Ada firmly tied to the EC Universe that Oni’s building. Aside from that, it further drives home how manipulative and ice cold Ada is and how she’s able to turn a hopeless disadvantage into a win. And it also reveals her deep love for reading – who can resist a fellow book lover?
Andrea Sorrentino and Dave Stewart’s art continues to amaze. The island backdrop, from its beaches to its cliffs, looks photorealistic. The rocks, the sand and the water have texture. The characters themselves, even the generally emotionless Ada, are expressive and never look frozen or “posed”.
The panel layouts are innovative also, from the “storybook” style sequence showing Ada’s past to the one splash page that’s divided by a mysterious fang necklace that Ada discovered, the layouts keep the book visually stunning throughout. Speaking of the necklace, it brings Ada one step closer in figuring out the mystery of the island and the vampires who inhabit it, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she (and the Grave-Digger) do next.
Ada continues to be one of the more fascinating characters currently in comics, neither good nor evil, only focused on surviving and survival isn’t easy for a vampire on a tropical island.
You must be logged in to post a comment.