Dark Horse Does Vampires Right Digital Sampler

If you've got a taste for bloodsuckers, then look no further! Dark Horse does vampires right and gives readers who crave creatures of the night a crypt full of creepy comics!

Step into the world of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9, as everyone's favorite Slayer adapts to her new life in San Francisco. Then check out Angel & Faith, where the vampire with a soul and the once-evil Slayer work to atone for past sins.

This preview issue also features Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden's Baltimore, which follows a vampire hunter living in a world beset by a post–World War I vampire infestation; samples from P. C. and Kristin Cast's story of a vampyre boarding school in House of Night; and Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain, in which Manhattan suffers from a vampiric plague!

• Issue features selections from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #1,Angel & Faith #1, Baltimore: The Curse Bells #1, The Strain #1, and House of Night #1. Plus, the entirety of a short story entitled "Magical Mystery Tour Featuring the Beetles," a previously unreleased, digital-only retailer exclusive from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9.

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As a reminder: ALL REVIEWS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Publication Date: January 11, 2012

Format: FC, 32 pages

Price: $2.99

UPC: 7 61568 19159 2 00311

Zoey Redbird has conquered two lessons, and learned to master two of the affinities she possess, earth and air. And with each mastering she learns a new life lesson as well, but this is still high school and high school can be hell.

As Zoey and her roommate Stevie Rae do the normal student thing and study, the radicals of the People of Faith look to vilify the vampyres. They peach hate, and threaten violence,  and Zoey knows their hatred firsthand, he stepfather was less than accepting when Zoey was marked through no fault of her own. But when confronted, Zoey misuses her powers, and so it’s time for a new lesson. This time it’s Circe and water.

The lesson is really subtle this time, and like both of the previous issues, Zoey screws up, Zoey learns element based lesson, Zoey applies lesson. It’s a good method, and the stories are a nice touch, but the formula is getting a little boring. This series looks to be lacking a bit of oomph as time progresses, but there are only so many affinities left and I hope that when the rest are covered the story picks up pace and becomes even half as good as the House of Night books are. 

A preview can be found at Dark Horse. 

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As a reminder: ALL REVIEWS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Publication Date: December 14, 2011

Format: FC, 32 pages
Price: $2.99
UPC: 7 61568 19159 2 00211

When we last saw Zoey and company, Zoey heard the story of Freya and learned a valuable lesson, bringing her one step closer to mastering her elemental affinities.

This time, after a confrontation with Aphrodite which leads to a misuse of power, Zoey looks to master the element of Air, which brings the story of Boudicca’s daughters.

The fantastic thing about the series is that for current readers of the books, it expands the story without changing it. Each of Zoey’s friends has an affinity, but there is never really any explanation or back story to them, only that they are elements, and that goddess Nyx bestows them as gifts to a select few.

The awful thing is that if you haven’t read the books, it greatly takes away from the pleasure of those discoveries, and makes the series a complete throwaway. The entire series takes place between scenes of Betrayed.  So rather than being an entire new story, it has so far followed the formula of problem, reaction, story, realization.

The artwork is amazing, well drawn for the high school set that will likely be attracted to the series, but right now this series as a companion piece to the books is lacking a meaty story to ensnare new readers to pick up the books, which is unfortunate. This series could be just as amazing as the books, it just needs a fuller story.

Check out a preview over at Dark Horse.

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As a reminder: ALL REVIEWS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Publication Date: November 09, 2011

Format: FC, 32 pages
Price: $1.00
UPC: 7 61568 19159 2 00111

Becoming a vampyre, taking down your new school’s bitchy popular in crowd and outperforming every other fledgling isn’t the way to fit in. Zoey Redbird just found that out. House of Night #1 is adapted from the books of the same name by PC and Kristin Cast.

The series follows Zoey Redbird, a sixteen year old girl who’s just received a vampyre mark. So not only has her life been flipped upside down by that, but she’s just shot ahead of all other fledglings when her tattoo suddenly fills in, which only happens as an adult if you survive the transition, but not only that her marking tattoo has grown because she’s blessed by the goddess Nyx.

The series is fantastic, but House of Night #1 is a little rougher going down. Unlike the books, the comic doesn’t start at the beginning, where Zoey’s mark suddenly appears. Heck it doesn’t even start when she first arrives at school. I’d have to refresh my reading, but I’m pretty sure after the first book.

Zoey’s backstory is told, but the reader has to put it together from the bits of dialogue mentioned in passing, which takes away a lot for a new reader to the series. To really get a good understanding of the story, one really needs to read at least the first novel in the series, which is unfortunate for this comic.

The artwork is superb, and the story telling is interesting enough that I’ll check it out again.

 

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