The DC Universe has faced threats that go from the criminally insane to cosmic gods, but now something is moving in the shadows, something that is finally ready to strike. Villains are trying to save the world, and heroes can no longer be trusted. Vampires are ready to take over the multiverse and it’s time for DC’s heroes to save the world from these creatures of the night.
When I heard that DC was going to make a comic about Vampires trying to take over its universe I was curious. When I saw the two writers that would work on the project (James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg) I got excited, and when I learned who was doing the art (Otto Schmidt) I was delighted. This was the perfect team for a project like this, I just couldn’t wait… and finally, the wait is over, and it really was worth it.
Tynion and Rosenberg use this first issue as the perfect setup for their vampire invasion, explaining the place of vampires in the DC universe. The creative team does everything in its power to make the presence of the vampires feel like a natural thing, preventing it from feeling like there is suddenly a vampire society without any explanation. They set up the main players in a way that keeps the mystery up, but still lets the readers into the story
A great bonus to the story is the appearance of Andrew Bennett, one of the established vampires of the DC universe. He becomes the perfect character to introduce vampire society. He demonstrates what are the vampire’s abilities and weaknesses, and makes the seriousness of the upcoming threat pretty clear.
One of the best things about this issue is just how incredibly violent it gets, proving the creative team is not holding any punches. The vampires are truly evil and want to see humans erased from the planet and they show it. This all just goes to show that the highlight of this issue is Schmidt’s art and colors. His character designs and the action scenes are masterfully done. Most of the issue consists of a flashback that is colored all in red, giving it a perfect atmosphere, and making the reader excited for the upcoming vampire war. The way he draws vampires, giving them a classic look, helps set up the tone of the series.
While at first glance this series seems to be just another zombie invasion comic that replaces the walking dead with creatures of the night, it’s honestly so much more. Tynion, Rosenberg, and Schmidt do a wonderful job to set up a mystery that will evolve into a conflict that has a lot of potential. If you are looking for the perfect spooky read for this halloween featuring your favorite heroes this is the comic for you. I’m really excited to see how this story progresses, and how our heroes fight the vampires, or become them. So grab a cup of blood… I mean wine, sit relax and get ready to get into DC vs Vampires.