I, Read This – Review Of I, Vampire #1

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: guy meets girl. Guy becomes vampire. Guy bites girl. Girl turns into psychotic hell bitch bent on world destruction. You have? Well, then apparently you’ve met my downstairs neighbor. Or, more likely, you read I, Vampire, either in its current release or in it’s original incarnation, as a short story series in House of Mystery, when it was written by J.M. DeMatteis, between 1981-1983.

The relaunch is written by Joshua Hale Fialkov, whose run of good luck will soon see him taking over writing duties at IDW for Doctor Who as well. He is joined on I, Vampire by Andrea Sorrentino, whose work can previously be seen on God Of War and X-Files: 30 Days Of Night, published by Wildstorm.

Now, to the important question: should you read this book? Answers (and spoilers) after the jump.

I must admit, I never read the original run of I, Vampire, but after reading issue #1 of the new series, I’m tempted to track the issues down to compare. Fialkov opens the story slowly, but succinctly. The two lovers/adversaries circle each other: Andrew Bennett and Mary, Queen of Blood, diametrically opposed to each other and, yet, inexorably drawn to each other. Although Andrew turned Mary centuries ago, he regrets what he did to her, as well as what he’s become. She, however, has no desire to lie down and die:

He also wants your key to his apartment back, his black t-shirt and that copy of Zeppelin IV he left at your place in 1971.

And, she has a plan:

Also, could you please water my ficus? Kthnx, bai!

It seems she’s unhappy that that guys like Superman and Batman are stealing the spotlight which she feels rightly belong to her fanged brethren. Or she’s a colossal drama queen. Or both. But Andrew, who has spent the better part of 400 years trying to kill her, as well as himself, would appear to have his work cut out for him.

I enjoyed this book and plan on going back for issue #2. It’s moody and atmospheric in just the right way. Fialkov builds up the tension between these characters, clearly and cleanly within just the first book, without leaving the reader to rely on 70 years of backstory that isn’t supposed to matter or exist anymore because this is the NEW DC universe yeah, right. The artwork by Sorrentino reminds me alternately of Rafael Albuquerque and Mike Mignola in his use of thick line work and contrast shading. It cements the story in place.

If this is the beginning of the Vampire Apocalypse, I would like to welcome our new, toothy overlords. Preferably from an underground bunker, but, still, nice to meet you.