DC vs. Vampires vol. 1

“I, Vampire” Andrew Bennett has braved the sunlight to bring an urgent message to the Justice League.  That message being that vampires are coming out of the shadows to take over the world, and they’ve started with the Injustice League.  Now the DCU faces a crisis without Lex Luthor, but with all of his fellow villains who have been turned in the service of a greater evil.  Naturally, Batman is aware of the threat and is taking steps to fight back against it.  It’s just that you have to wonder if his efforts are too little, too late when the person next to you may be a bloodsucking undead thrall and you won’t even know it until it’s too late.

I’d like to think the main appeal of these out-of-continuity mini-or-maxi-series is how they showcase familiar characters in a different light and forge unexpected connections between them.  “DCeased” is a great example of this and this first volume of “DC vs. Vampires” isn’t on the same level.  The main appeal here is seeing familiar DC heroes act really evil – because they’re vampires now – and watching them turn on their fellow heroes.  That doesn’t really do it for me and the writing from James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg isn’t all that great.  While it may avoid the most formulaic tendencies of the former, it doesn’t generate a lot of the wit or irreverence I like reading from the latter.  I have to give them credit, however, for some clever moments regarding the identities of certain vampires and some imaginative deaths along the way.

Otto Schmidt provides the art (with assists from Simone Di Meo and Daniele Di Nicuolo in the last two issues) and he delivers perfectly solid work.  He’s good with presenting the action in a style that’s superhero friendly, but he also sells the horror elements when the blood starts flowing.  I wouldn’t say he elevates the material, and it all contributes to a first volume that’s most generously described as “good enough.”  I don’t regret having read this, but I’m glad I waited to read it in paperback, may pick up vol. 2 to see how it ends, and am deeply skeptical of picking up the two-volume “All-Out War” spinoff because it feels like too much to invest in based on what I’ve seen here.