DC Vs. Vampires #2 – James Tynion IV, Matthew Rosenberg, Writers; Otto Schmidt, Artist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The comparisons to DCeased started immediately when this book was announced, and it makes sense—they’re both horror stories pitting the heroes against an iconic movie monster. But vampires are different than zombies. Zombies are a fast-spreading plague that attacks anything it sees. Vampires are a slow-burning threat that can not only outfight the heroes, it can out think them. They look and act like us, and that means one thing—paranoia. Last issue saw the vampire Hal Jordan successfully infiltrate the League and cover up his existence, killing off both Andrew Bennett and Zan of the Wonder Twins. But Bennett was able to get a message to Batman before he died, and now Batman has one task—unite the Bat-family to lead the DCU against this menace, while also making sure that none of his family members have been corrupted before he could stop it.
I find it ironic that this is an apocalyptic AU and yet still feels more optimistic than the regular DCU in some ways. Not only does the Bat-family seem to get along, complete with regular snarking between Damian and Jason, but Alfred is alive! As Bruce briefs them on the threat, he also proceeds to pull his usual Bat-moves on the family by serving them tea made with holy water—just in case. This vampire mythology seems to be fully based on traditional Christian versions, complete with vulnerability to crosses, but the writers are injecting a great sense of fear into the whole affair. Subtle things like Jayna looking for her brother and increasingly losing hope and Green Arrow exposing an unexpected vampire really add tension. And then there’s the ending, when another DC titan falls in a brutal scene that drives home just how powerful the vampires are. It’s a top-notch horror book with a lot of promise for the next ten issues.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
