I, VAMPIRE #11
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art by Andrea Sorrentino
Release Date: July 25, 2012
It’s vampires versus zombies. Not really sure what else needs to be said.
Centuries old, supernatural title character Andrew Bennett is walking a perilous line. He’s taken it upon himself to simultaneous police and protect his race by assembling the majority of the world’s vampires in the middle of Utah’s desert. Meanwhile, the Van Helsings are not going to miss their chance to wipe as many of them out as possible — even if it means becoming something worse than what they’re meant to fight.
This book is so chronically underappreciated. Fialkov’s narration — mostly Bennett’s own in this case, but frequently that of his lover/antagonist Mary Seward and human colleagues — creates a crystal clear picture of his characters and their motivations. True wit and personal idiosyncrasies shine through the writing and set the protagonists apart from more instinctual, hungry vampire masses. The story has been fairly straightforward to date, and echoes the best of the vampire genre. Horror and romance intertwine, but without massively complicated twists and turns that so often permeate these types of tales. As a result, this title is very easy to pick up and get on board with at almost any point in the series.
It doesn’t take long to discover an even better reason to pick up this title. Sorrentino’s art is beyond gorgeous, almost painterly, with deep warm tones permeating the hot Utah scene contrasting with the more psychedelic coloring of Andrew’s amped-up magical power. Every page is a work of art all by itself. Mary is a figure of abject beauty. Explosions glow on the page. Andrew’s bravado shines despite his cool exterior. Even if you don’t read the book, it’s worth it to buy I, Vampire to look at the pictures.
If you’re a fan of True Blood, The Walking Dead or even The Vampire Diaries, this is a must-read series. Run, don’t walk, to your local comic shop. And be sure to keep an eye out for hungry strangers along the way.
Verdict: 9.5/10
