Many comic books often promise revitalization or “a new era”. In fact, we know a lot of publishers launch new #1 issues just to promote this marketing ploy (read our article Has the #1 Issue Lost Its Luster?). Even though it’s only on issue #6, Vertigo’s American Vampire feels rejuvenated, almost like an entirely new series. That’s not to say that it needed a refresher, but with the departure of Stephen King, Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque have put a brand new spin on the series.
Gone is the double narrative format that we’ve seen for the last five issues. In fact, gone are Pearl and Henry, the main characters from Snyder’s tale in issues #1-5. While I’m certain Pearl and company will make their way into the story very soon, it gives this new tale a wholly new vibe and structure that I think Snyder needed to make the book feel like his own.
The story picks up in Depression-era Las Vegas, with police chief Cash McCogan as he tries to deal not only with the increasingly frustrating federal involvement in “his” town as they build the Hoover Dam, but also a new series of bizarre occult murders. Of course, where there’s death in American Vampire, you can bet the vamps aren’t too far behind. Snyder is able to quickly build the newly introduced characters, including Cash and Felicia Book, an assistant to an FBI agent named Jack Straw who is presumably a descendant of the Jim Book introduced in King’s earlier story.
One thing that I do miss in American Vampire #6 is the varied art styles that was warranted by the two separate narratives. Albuquerque and his team’s style in issue #6 equates to the work that we saw during Snyder’s story in issues #1-5. It’s still great, but we get to see less of the diversity that made American Vampire one of the more unique comic books on the market in terms of art. There are some awkward facial features here and there, particularly when a character is seen in profile.
One gripe I do have to point out is that along with the departure of King is the departure of the 8 extra pages. Unfortunately, the $3.99 price tag remains. I know that it’s become more and more the standard for most comics today, but that doesn’t make it okay.
Overall, American Vampire #6 sets up some new interesting pieces to the series that bucks the expectations I had for it. Nowadays, there’s a certain formula that major publishers often stick to, including in creator-owned series. More and more, Vertigo is going the unexpected route and allowing Snyder and Albuquerque to reformulate American Vampire is testament to that.
