Pick of the Week
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Pulls
Art and cover by SEAN MURPHY
Variant cover by CLIFF CHIANG
Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99
I read several comics that I could have given Pick of the Week to this week. I couldn’t decide at first. I enjoyed several of them a great deal. So I started listing out the merits of the books as I scanned through them, and while going through the pages of American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest, one word occurred to me: scope.
This book is taking place in a world already established, but the sheer long term scope of the story, both forwards in time, and backwards is exceptionally attractive to me in a story. I love a good novel, or a long form television series told in a straight narrative. It is my storytelling drug of choice. When I look at this issue, I see the skeleton of that, and that makes me very happy. We’ve already read the history of the main characters involved with this story, Cash and Felicia, and we know there’s plenty of story to tell. Then you wrap them up in this worldwide conspiracy involving vampires wrapped up in everything from politics to media. Then you go a step further, and you find out about the secret vampire hunting organization (buried deep under the American Museum of Natural History!), and then you set it a few months before Pearl Harbor, while Hitler is rampaging across Europe. That is scope right there. The possibilities are almost endless, and I love it.
Scott Snyder spoke to us about how the real attraction to this story is the characters, and he wasn’t wrong. Cash McCogan and Felicia Book are my favorite characters in this whole saga so far, and for this series to focus on them, each with their own issues with vampires, and put them together on a search for a cure is exactly what I want to read. They’re both that older American version of tough. They don’t say a lot of words, or talk about what they’re feeling, but they get things done, and they don’t complain. They don’t guff is what they don’t do. Give them a gun or a stake or anything, and they’re going to just as formidable. But eventually that facade has to crumble, because Cash and Book have big issues. She is part vampire, and is really not happy about it. Cash might have her one better, as his baby son was injected with vampire blood and is a tiny raging rabbit sucking beastie. There is a lot of pain in these two, and if the cover is any sort of indication of what the future is going to hold, that pain is going to be released on Nazi vampires.
Let’s take a minute to talk about Nazis in comics, shall we? I’m not sick of it. I maybe should be. I’ve been on a steady diet of Captain America, Hellboy, this story, the Frankenstein book that came out this week, and so on. I should be sick of Nazis in comics, but you know what? I’m not. They are the Daleks of comics and I just haven’t gotten sick of them, provided there’s something interesting to do with them, and I have ultimate trust in Snyder making it interesting. I’ll let you know when I’m sick of Nazis in comics, but it’s not now. They deserve to have their asses handed to them in fiction for another dozen decades to come, as far as I’m concerned. But what’s more, the history of it is endlessly fascinating, and when you place a story like this in a true-ish historical context, it makes for good reading.
Sean Murphy is excellent. I could just let that stand as the summation of his work on this issue, and it would be enough. I’m not sure if anyone out there is doing dark, creepy, and moody as well as Murphy right now, and he’s doing it without ripping off Mike Mignola. At the same time, it doesn’t hurt that he’s got Mignola’s main color wizard, Dave Stewart adding the colors to this one. The action scenes are fantastic and riveting, but then quiet scenes have a wonderful weight to them at the same time. Particularly fun is the rendition of the secret layers of the Museum where the vampire hunters are headquartered. Felecia walks through the Museum, where I’ve been, and it feels just like the real place. Then you go a level down, which doesn’t (as far as I know) actually exist, and it’s got the same feeling of wood and austerity. Another thing I really enjoyed was Murphy’s rendition of period clothing. It looks a little like a vintage fashion magazine to be honest, but it makes for a very attractive book that feels entirely period appropriate. It all ties into that scope thing I was talking about. it makes the world feel real, and as soon as it feels real, you get a sense of how large and boundless it can be, and the scope of it all. I can’t wait to see what else Murphy has in store for this mini-series, and honestly whatever else comes next.
We’ve been raving about American Vampire for over a year, and the good news is, this mini-series is independent. It’s a perfect way to see if you like this or want more. You don’t have to have read anything ahead of time, and you’ll have all the information you need. You probably noticed that Scott Snyder is on his way to being one of the big guns of DC Comics’ future, and there’s a reason. The guy writes a great comic book, and one of the reasons for that is that he’s taking it seriously, and putting passion into it. Vampire fan, WWII buff, horror maniac, or whatever, it’s simply well done comics, and they deserve praise and attention in heaps.
Josh Flanagan
I want to go back to the museum.
josh@ifanboy.com
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This series just keeps getting better and Scott Snyder has quickly become one of my favorite comic book writers. Good pick.
Can’t argue with that; although, I thought Scalped #49 was a perfect issue.
Knew it! Haha, SO good.
@ComicBookGuy37 You’re not wrong.
@PaulMontgomery I am not hard to figure out.
I don’t want to read the review until I can get your answer on this (which I almost know anyway): I haven’t read any of the American Vampire books and have been meaning to go back and start, but I can just start here? Or would it be better to wait?
@nudebuddha You can start here.
I just downloaded this from Comixology ($2.99 day-and-date) because of your rave review. Good sign for #nuDC.
@PaulMontgomery I figured that would be the answer.. I’m headed to the shop in a bit, so I’ll be picking it up. I’m not normally a big vampire or nazi guy, but something about the combination. . .
Oh no, does this mean it’s gonna get canceled? ; )
@ScottH I know you’re kidding, but I wouldn’t be too worried about AV. Snyder even talks about the next arc of the series in this week’s Don’t Miss podcast. That would logically take it beyond this summer’s WWII stories.
Never read any of American Vampire, but I knew it was well recieved by the site here, so I picked this one up. Seeing it as the pick of the week makes me glad. Gonna read it asap.
Read this in trade. For me it was a very average week in comics and would struggle for a pick. I guess jeff lemire would get my vote with his Frankenstein flash point tie in
Thanks @Josh I picked this up because of you and mad I haven’t listened to all the praise you have given this book before. Guess I’ll be picking up the trades and wondering when I’ll start listening to you about Scalped.
I’ve been considering switching to trades on AV after the current arc, so I was gonna wait on this, but my retailer pulled this for me automatically, and I’m glad he did. I’m not a “vampire” guy, but I am a “awesome story with great art” guy, so it all works out!
So glad I pulled this, missed the train on American Vampire so i’m now on trades, good to hear u don’t need to be caught up with the main book to read this
Paul- not a hard guess to make here.
@ericmci Well, there were at least two other books that took place prior to 1950. 😉
@PaulMontgomery Yep no worries because of that fact and the fact that Rafael Albuquerque said he signed exclusively with DC for another two years of American Vampire in a tweet yesterday! 🙂
Paul- Hahaaha
True.
This was a great issue; loved, loved, loved the art. Hadn’t read anythign with Mirphy before and wow. He was able to keep that tone and feel that AV has had from the beginning. And Snyder wrote a great story here, provided all the necessary info, that didn’t feel forced at all, was able to answer all my questions about what was going on. And while the idea of the cure has been done before, putting Book and Cash (or cash and Book, which would make a great name and series on its own) characters who are clearly invested in the benefits of this cure makes this plot a compelling one.
and that cover rocks. please, please, please but in your cover picks this week!
This is a great value comic book. I didn’t count the pages on this, but thought it was very thick. Very deserving of PotW imho.
This was really great! I picked this up due to the POW recommendation and i’m glad i did. Even though i missed the boat on the regular series, i had no problem jumping right in cold. I sensed there was a backstory i wasn’t aware of, but there was just enough information to fill me in on some of it. i have the 1st trade on my ‘to read’ pile, and now i’m sure i’ll go back, read that right away and try to catch up. I absolutely LOVED the art in this. A nice balance of sketchy line work, with halftone and details.
Was curious about this as of recent and glad it made pick of the week (although it was a mediocre week) but still, it makes excited to run out and get a new refreshing title I know nothing about and Scott Snyder is already on my likes list with his work with Jock on Detective Comics and you sold me at Dave Stewart, his pallets set the tone and really give Hellboy, B.P.R.D. and they’re solo spin offs Lobster Johnson and Abe Sapien books the feeling of drab beauty I love about those comics….The Goon (love) as well. So AV is going in my pull fo sho.