The Fires of Anubis
OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOD. I really didn't like the first few covers, but interior artist Andrea Sorrentino's covers were PHENOMENAL. But Sorrentino's off. But then who do we get as a replacement? FREAKING CLAYTON CRAIN. I mean, if Sorrentino absolutely HAD to quit the series for some reason, Crain is just about the only replacement I could accept, and this cover pretty much says it all on why. Really nice details, yet a really loose and sketchy style. I don't even know how that's possible but it's amazing and a perfect fit for this series. On top of that, Andrew Bennett right in the middle there is among some of the most perfect posing for a cover. The Van Helsings have him cornered and yet Bennett is unwavering, confidently standing there without a shirt on with a pose and expression that just bellows out 'COME AT ME BRO!' Wonderful on all levels.
But god damn... as good as that cover is, it's nothing compared to Sorrentino's interiors. Sorrentino's not as detailed, but the ATMOSPHERE. So much experimental layouts and intense images.... I lose myself in the world of I, Vampire every time I read it.
This series has always focused on the extremely fascinating love/hate relationship between Andrew and Mary. As much as they each loathe what the other stands for, neither of them can bring themselves to stop loving the other. This is definitely my favorite couple of the New 52, and probably one of my favorite in all of comics. Its not the healthiest or the most powerful, but it certainly is one of the most interesting.
This issue pulls off duality like no other. Most of the visual scenes are the fight between Andrew and Mary for control of the vampires. But most of the dialogue is the incredibly deep moral debate between John and a leader of the Van Helsings. Things get extremely intense on both sides, and this is just about the most brilliant use of a comic book as the medium, where you can have two scenes happening at the same time without interrupting the impact of either. Both scenes are sewed with such intensity on an emotional level, and when they collide it is in an explosion of fire and fury like no other.
The Van Hellsings are a REALLY interesting group. Beginning as a seemingly predictable Knights Templar type group, they slowly reveal their extra fanatical goals and motivations over the course of the debate. They're not simply 'vampire hunters,' they are purifiers of those who could harm the world. Slayers of those too powerful to risk becoming evil. They think of themselves simply as the sword. Unthinking. They are death incarnate, refusing to be tied down to human morals. They're not 'better' than the rest of mankind, they simply 'are,' as they compare themselves to napalm by itself. This leads to a finale that crushes with the genuine shock of the impact. Not a cheesy flashy 'cliffhanger/shock twist' contrived hook, but genuine fear for the future of the characters.
In Conclusion: 5/5
Yeah... so.... wow. This series has been one of the best of the best; but this issue was the best of the best of the best. It VERY heavily utilized its place in the DCU without compromising the integrity of the unique tone. I, Vampire sometimes feels like it might as well be a Vertigo series in its own little self-contained world, but when it flashes its connections to the full DCU it glows BRIGHTER instead of being contorted. These connections don't feel forced, they feel brilliant. I heard Joshua Hale Fialkov considered the end of this issue likely his favorite thus far, and I was skeptical, but DAMN is he right.
