Scott Snyder sure has been busy this summer. If he isn’t working on Detective Comics or American Vampire; he’s mixing it up with other writers to give us enjoyable mini-series. First it was ‘Gates of Gotham’ and now we have ‘Severed’. Okay, I’ll admit that hearing it was another vampire story did make me question the need for this mini. I mean how many times can Snyder go to the horror well, let alone a vampire well again? But boy I shouldn’t question the man at all at this rate. He’s pretty much batting a thousand with the debut of this mini.

It’s quite obvious that tension is going to be the name of the game this mini. We get a little glimpse into the backstory of the main character, but it’s all about being unnerved by what’s going on around him. Whether it’s dealing with hobos on the train, or an elderly man in an abandoned house Snyder and newcomer Scott Tuft handle the tension so well. I feel like the more I read Snyder’s work the more likely he’ll give me a heart attack one of these days. (That’s a compliment btw Snyder). I feel bad ignoring Tuft for the most part in this review but it’s only because I don’t know much about the man. The bio in the back is helpful but I’m not sure what is his stuff in this issue and what’s Snyder’s. Hell most of it feels like Snyder so again it’s hard to tell.

What isn’t hard to tell is how amazing the artist is. Apparently this is Attila Futaki’s first major work into comics and boy how did anyone miss this guy before? I adore this painted style he has and it reminds me of  Jon J. Muth and his OGN ‘The Mystery Play’. The page of Jack looking back at his home in the middle of the night looks something straight out of a museum. But I also like the muted colors in his work, whether it’s the light greens in the daytime settings or the grays used throughout the night settings. Just an absolutely gorgeous looking book.

So yes it’s another horror comic, possibly involving vampires, by Scott Snyder. But don’t judge the book too quickly until you read this, trust me. There is a lot of tension throughout the issue and the gorgeous artwork by Futaki is worth the price of admission. I can’t wait to see what more disturbing elements this story has in store with Snyder, Tuft, and Futaki.