Joshua Hale Fialkov's take on the world of vampires in the DC Universe continues and the appearance of John Constantine gives signs of a bigger threat approaching.
The Good
It's so great to be able to read about vampires and not have to worry about the story being watered down. There has been an overabundance of vampires in different media but this title (and Scott Snyder's AMERICAN VAMPIRE) give reassurance that the genre hasn't been ruined. The story centers around vampire Andrew Bennett and his desire to rid the world of the evil threat of the other vampires. Bennett may be more powerful than the other vampires but he is clearly out numbered. To make things worse, his former love that he turned into a vampire, Mary, the Queen of Blood, is raising an army of bloodthirsty vampires set to take over the world (or at least eat everyone).
From the first issue, there have been tiny acknowledgement to the rest of the DC Universe. With such a major threat and hundreds being turned into vampires, I felt this should have caught the attention of some of the other heroes. Last issue it was mentioned the story would be taking us to Gotham City (and most likely Batman) but this issue has Constantine show up.
Constantine's appearance is a little out of nowhere but we get some great interaction between him and Bennett. We also see Bennett forced to make a tough decision, one that will have some repercussions coming soon.
Andrea Sorrentino's art is amazingly beautiful. It's the perfect mood to make the entire world feel dark and dreary yet has a certain elegance that makes this stand out from a regular vampire story. Fialkov tells a great story but you'll find yourself staring and absorbing the details of the art.
The Bad
I thought Gotham was appearing this issue. It's not a problem waiting another month since there was plenty here to enjoy.
Constantine's appearance and the twist at the end felt a little too convenient but that doesn't change the fact that both are going to move the story forward in a big way.
The Verdict
There's a deep darkness present in the DC Universe. An army of vampires is being assembled and we're finally seeing some other familiar characters take notice. Andrew Bennett wants to do the right thing and is finding himself having to make tough choices. The idea of a vampire hunting vampire might sound familiar but the presentation here is top notch. Joshua Hale Fialkov's writing is something everyone should experience. Coupled with Sorrentino's vibrantly moody art, the story is shaping up to be a glorious experience. The world of I, VAMPIRE is a great place to see in comics but not one you'd want to visit. There is a feeling that this darkness could and should spill over into the rest of the DC Universe and Bennett is going to have his hands full. Fialkov and Sorrentino are breathing new life into the vampire genre and elevating it back to where it deservers to be.