The audio review:
American Vampire is a comic split into two sections, one written by Scott Snyder and one by Stephen King. One would think that King's towering list of accomplishments would override the piece written by Snyder, but I can safely conclude that this is not the case. The two stories that begin in American Vampire #1are both strong, mysterious, and attractive in their own ways.
First up is Snyder's story, "Big Break," about two starlets looking to make it big in the 1920s film industry. The plot centers around Pearl, who gets invited to a special party of producer B.D. Bloch's (perhaps referencing Robert Bloch?), although a mysterious man who has been hanging out by her apartment tells Pearl not to go. But she does anyway with her friend Hattie, discovering a strange room of odd individuals with sharp teeth and gleaming eyes, and Snyder ends the last panel with a screaming Pearl being pounced upon by vicious shadowy creatures.
Snyder's section doesn't have the action one would expect, and yet it still works because of the exposition that he infuses throughout. Some horror comics lack that feeling of knowing the title character, but "Big Break" doesn't fall in this hole because of Snyder's characterization throughout this first chapter. Even then, there's enough creepy atmosphere and suspense to keep the reader wondering just what Pearl has gotten herself into. This is helped by the fantastic opening sequence, which hints at the very gruesome demise of the two featured characters.
The next story is King's, "Bad Blood," which takes place in Sidewinder, Colorado in 1880. King follows the story of Skinner, a bank robber who is on his way to being hanged when he and his band of fugitives crashes the train - but in the getaway, Skinner's bitten by the vampires posing as bankers. All of this is told by a narrator named William Bunting who was at the scene and kept the memories.
King moves back and forth through time throughout the chapter, effectively detailing Skinner's backstory while remaining in the moment as well. Skinner is, surprisingly, the same character as the mysterious man in "Big Break," but it's unclear the connection at the moment. But King's success is in combining action, exposition, and multiple characters into a short chapter that must juggle all three. The violence, horror of the vampires, and iconic Western gun battles are all present as well, making King's opening chapter a great cliffhanger to the issue.
Albuquerque's artwork is spot-on, and it's beneficial to the reader that he illustrates both stories because of the reoccurring Skinner character. Oddly enough, he looks the same in both, casually hinting at the fact that he may not age... because he's a vampire, ya see? But Albuquerque's dusty settings and grisly art, which is well-represented in this issue, help to further the already-effective stories Snyder and King have created, and it's this type of teamwork that will bring readers back for more.
With Snyder's talk of evolving vampire characteristics, plus the cliffhangers present in both stories of this issue, it's hard to not foam at the mouth in anticipation of the next issue. American Vampire is well on its way to becoming another iconic horror comic, and I'll tell you one thing - it's not just because King's name is tacked on the cover.
Wasnt aware that King was writing comic books these days, sounds interesting! Im always up for a good comic book read...Ill try and snatch this one, thanks!
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