Tag Archives: Rafael Albuquerque

“American Vampire, Vol. 4” by Scott Snyder

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American Vampire, Vol. 4American Vampire, Vol. 4 by Scott Snyder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Site

The American Vampire saga enters the 1950’s, at least with two of the three storylines presented in this volume. The central arc takes place in Glendale, California in 1954 and features Fonzi-like vampire hunter, Travis Kidd, against the series’ central villain — Skinner Sweat. But the main story is bookended by two shorter stories. The opener is a cowboys v. indians tale, set in New Mexico Territory in 1871, that provides backstory on Skinner Sweat and James Book. The closing story is also set in 1954 but takes place in Alabama and features a black vampire hunter in the Deep South.

I found all three stories to be compelling and have greatly enjoyed this series.

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BOOKS: “American Vampire, Vol. 3” by Scott Snyder

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American Vampire, Vol. 3American Vampire, Vol. 3 by Scott Snyder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher site

The third volume of the American Vampire series advances the story into the 1940’s — World War II to be precise. The book contains two distinct storylines, both involving missions behind enemy lines. The first, “Strange Frontier,” is set in the Pacific theater and centers on the character of Henry Preston (the non-vampire husband of benevolent American Vampire, Pearl Jones.) In it, Preston is assigned to an elite fighting squad dispatched to investigate an island that turns out to be infested with a new strain of vampire.

The second story, “Survival of the Fittest,” takes vampiric vampire-hunter Felicia Book as its lead as she is dispatched (in partnership with agent “Cash” McCogan) to Nazi-occupied Romania to investigate claims of a “mad” scientist’s vampire-related research, only to find herself in a completely unexpected and daunting scenario.

I’m enjoying this series. The stories are satisfying and well-crafted, and the books somehow manage to not be just another set of vampire stories. Moving through time allows the stories to be self-contained while making it possible to continue with ever fresh material. (A tactic that works owing to the long lifespans of vampires.) The books also use genre mixing brilliantly, be it detective noir or — in the case of this volume — the war story. Snyder has breathed new life into the vampire story, and I’d highly recommend this series for comic book readers.

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BOOKS: “American Vampire, Vol. 2” by Scott Snyder

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American Vampire, Vol. 2American Vampire, Vol. 2 by Scott Snyder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher site

This six-issue volume, just like the first, intersperses the story of two American vampires, Skinner Sweet and Pearl Jones. For those who haven’t read Vol. 1, the American Vampire is mutated to have advantages of strength, speed, and UV resistance, but in vampire mode they are much more monstrous. The first four issues focus on a detective noir story set in 1930’s Las Vegas. Skinner Sweet could be said to be central to events in that arc, though not to be the lead character. (That would be the police detective trying to solve a string of gruesome murders.) The last two issues put the Pearl Jones story front and center. That arc is set during the same timeframe, but in Northern California. The first arc is tied up more successfully, but I suspect this has to do with the challenges of interspersing stories (the first arc also has twice as much space with which to work.)

There’s an interesting contrast between the stories. Skinner Sweet is villainous, was villainous before he became a vampire, and is even more so afterwards. The Pearl Jones story is more of a love story between Pearl and her human husband, Henry Preston — albeit a love story in which the couple is being hunted by nefarious forces and must fight to survive. She is trying to be free of the monster life as best she can.

I am enjoying this series. The journey through time and landscapes of America makes this not just another vampire story. If you enjoy comics that mix genres, I’d highly recommend this volume.

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