Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
American Vampire #7
Vertigo Comics (DC)
Snyder & Albuquerque
The second issue of the latest arc in American Vampire makes the murder mystery a bit, more murky. As the issue unfolds we find that things are not all that simple and that the plot goes a little deeper than one random vampire out there. The issue continues to do the things that have made this series great thus far. There is strong writing, excellent artwork, interesting characters and enough mystery with a good cliffhanger to keep the reader coming back for more.
This issue picks up with the reintroduction of Skinner Sweet; as local lawman, Chief McCogan, investigates the murder of one of the four key partners in the execution of the building of the Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam as it is now know). However, it's not just local police involved as two federal agents (Agent Straw and Felicia Book) are assisting in the investigation. They know more than they are willing to share with McCogan and Book may be even more familiar with Sweet than is made obvious (if you read the Stephen King backup in the first five issues carefully you'll understand). The tension is high for the first few pages as the law enforcers try to pry some information out of Sweet that seems to go no where.
The lawmen take their investigation over to the dam and one of the other four contractors where they hope to single out some suspects. What they actually discover is that some other party may have a very different stake in all of this and it may not have anything to do with the dam.
There are two excellent elements to this issue; the artwork and the character work. The artwork brings to life the 1930s vision of Las Vegas. It was still a cowboy town that was bursting at the seams with workers and people out to make a buck. This comic book feels like it belongs on a newsreel as it depicts this vision perfectly. However, the artwork never lets the reader forget that this is a vampire book, which means it's a horror book first and foremost. The artwork blends the two beautifully.
The character work is exceptional. Sure, you can praise the setup and the plot but it wouldn't be the same without the characters. In this issue we get a glimpse into the Chief's past, his work life and his private life. The character is now as grounded as any in this series. He's got a distinct voice and a strong presence in the book. In this issue alone there are roughly seven or eight characters that play a role and I would say each one leaves their mark on the story which is quite impressive for a series in only its seventh issue.
I enjoyed this issue as much as any other in this series. Sure you could make the argument that the book is about Sweet and all of the rest of the characters are dispensable but you would never know that to read this comic book. I found myself caring about the new characters and that is a credit to the writing. If you aren't checking this book out because vampire books aren't your thing you are missing out. This is a strong comic book from a talented team. I definitely recommend picking this up.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
