• • Comic Book Reviews
• October 27, 2021

DC Vs Vampires #1 Review

Written by: James Tynion IV, Matthew Rosenberg

Art by: Otto Schmidt

Coloring by: Otto Schmidt

Lettering by: Tom Napolitano

When it came to comic books this week, everything really did come up Millhouse. Between Red Hood getting a much-needed upgrade, and more Inferno, you miht think a vampire book wouldn’t hit my radar. You’d be wrong, because I freakin’ love vampires! To me, they remain one of the most compelling monsters in fiction. They are mortal, but they are not divine; they have free will, but are bound by a lust for blood; vampires are not human, but they can turn humans into vampires. This alone makes DC Vs Vampires one of my most anticipated books now.

With the first issue in hand, I have to say, it doesn’t disappoint. One of DC’s most underrated series is New 52 I, Vampire. It was a rather straightforward vampire tale, but considering comics are not home to many vampire comics, it was special. Bringing some of that series’s lore and a few characters to the wider DC universe makes the world feel fresh again. With vampires having infiltrated all major corners of life, it’s like Secret Wars as we guess who’s a vampire. Not even the heroes are safe, with one major hero already turned into a vampire. I wouldn’t be terribly upset that this hero is now evil because, in vampire lore, vampires typically lose their will to the one who turned them, but I’m sure that won’t stop anyone from getting mad.

Suffice to say, it’s a character I’ve only liked as a villain, so it’s an awesome twist for me.

What also works in this book’s favor is how it ties together the world-ending threat to the personal relationships of the characters. The end of the world at the hands of vampires feels threatening because we may see our heroes turn into the enemy… or even worse, have to fight their friends who are still human. It’s incredibly hard to establish these kinds of stakes, and DC Vs Vampires does it so well.

It would also be criminal not to mention Otto Schmidt’s amazing art. He brings vampires to life in DC vs Vampires. He makes them terrifying but seductive in a way only he can. I honestly can’t imagine another art style juggling vampire versions of superheroes without making them seem ridiculous. Schmidt’s art is worth the price of admission alone.

DC vs Vampires is the Horror Book to Get this Fall

I know what you’re thinking, ‘more vampires?!’ Well, you shouldn’t, there aren’t a lot of vampire comics, and of them, few start off as strong as this one. DC Vs Vampires is good enough for any horror comic fan to give a try. It’ll be amazing to see which heroes make it out to the end as humans, and who becomes vampires. I’m pulling for a vampire Batman, it’s got to happen!