Assisting Mr. Snyder is the Master of Horror himself, Stephen King. This is the horror writer's first ever comic book effort and his skill level doesn't waver one bit.
It's actually fitting that Snyder chose the novelist to help with the writing duties since Stephen King's 1975 'Salem's Lot' is considered the work that modernized the vampire for the late 20th Century. With that novel, bloodsuckers were no longer viewed as just the Bram Stoker Dracula that spent it's days in the dungeon of Castle Dracul. Vampires were mean, cruel, and eerily able to blend into any situation or setting.
American Vampire builds on that lore and the modern archetype established by King's masterpiece. Snyder makes this new world bloodsucker literally unstoppable unless it's a moonless night. It actually makes sense to retool the vampire for the superhero age. The Bela Lugosi-type vampires established in the Victorian Era were pretty vulnerable for being the king of the monsters. Mild sunburns are deadly. A misplaced pencil could be lethal. And if you worked at an Italian restaurant, you were probably going to live to see another day from a vampire attack because you reeked of garlic.
Series creator Scott Snyder crafted the American Vampire as the perfect vampire to the point it's enough for wrestling fans to chant 'USA! USA!' Stephen King takes Snyder's blueprint and weaves a sweeping origin tale that spans over 50 years of American history. Added to the mix is the deft artistic style of Rafael Albuquerque (Blue Beetle) which blends European gothic with American realism
Needless to say, by the very last page, I was lamenting that I didn't have volume 2! I'll be rectifying that problem real soon, believe me. But this wasn't a bad investment of only $3 from the year-round book sale shelf at my local library and I wouldn't have been upset if I paid more for this either.
Worth Consuming
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
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