Blood Stained Teeth #1
Christian Ward words
Patric Reynolds art
Heather Moore colors
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou letters
From Image Comics
Thirsty? Peep the solicit:
Atticus Sloane-misanthrope, criminal, asshole, and vampire-lives in a world where blood isn't the only thing vamps crave. And for the right price, he'll make you a vampire too. After all, immortality isn't cheap.
“There are two types of Vampire.
“One is born.
“One is made.”
I’d like to think that, by now, my comic book intuition picks up on the right vibes. When I first saw the press email for Blood Stained Teeth, I felt a resonance in my bones that undulated up into my skull and down into my teeth. The art was fresh and wild, a real solid fit for a stylistic vampire noir comic. The solicit was potent; its smell wafting up into my nostrils like garlic in hot oil.
Everything I felt when I first caught wind of this comic paid off. All the hype was legit, and now, on this twenty-seventh of April, it’s sitting on the comic shelves at all your favorite shops. It’s ready to lure you into its gaze and mesmerize you with its alluring cover art. Its secrets are already invading your skull and wrapping themselves around your brain.
It’s whispering, “Take me home. Make me yours” when, in reality, it’s readying to possess you.
Much like Atticus Sloane, this book is ready to change you. The way you think about vampire narratives is about to evolve. It’s going to make you into something new. Something dirty. It’s ready to remind you that you are a small piece to life’s greater horrors. Like an old novel, it’s here to put you in your place as it sneaks up behind and whispers “You are not your fucking khakis.”
“Immortality isn’t cheap,” seems to be a slogan that readers need to remember. With money comes power, but there is always someone richer readying to pounce on your chest and lean down on you. With every high there is a low. With every win there is a loss. You could say it’s about balance, but in balance there is equality. These vampires don’t care about equality.
One great thing I’ve found in strong vampiric literature is the use of culture and politics. Christian Ward effortlessly adds that to this script. The worldbuilding within Blood Stained Teeth is magic. It feels a little too real. It’s both heavy and curious. Readers get plenty enough to understand the narrative, but, like our undead subjects, we all come away thirsty.
The character work is strong. The spotlight is on Atticus, but the characters we briefly meet leave heavy footsteps within our memories. Brother Stoker and Mr. Tooth provide intrigue and discomfort. Both of them exude raw power in every panel they occupy and solidify the hopelessness that penetrates our greedy protagonist like the piston from a captive bolt gun. Their presence escalates the tension causing a type of spasticity within your throat making it hard to swallow. I haven’t seen a villainous introduction do that in quite some time. As much as I adore the narrative, of its characters and dialog, the art is ready to take the sequential narrative throne.
Patric Reynolds’ line work is sublime, and his attention to detail is intense. His backgrounds and cityscapes are rich with life. His characters richly emote. It makes everything feel alive. You could drive downtown, linger on your own streets, to gawk at the nightlife and see what Reynolds re-creates. You could curiously stare at the passersby and easily imagine that some are thirsty for blood and power.
Reynolds also has a flair for violence. There is a scene of feasting, and it’s not easy on the stomach. These vampires are ruthless. You won’t find bodies with two neat holes on the necks. You’ll find pieces, scattered flesh pulled away and masticated by abhuman strength. It’s intensely impressive how Reynolds utilizes his style to show the monster while keeping everything sexy. Reader voyeurism will entrance you, as there is no moment where your eyes will let you look away.
Heather Moore helps build this phenomenon with her color palette that is set to dress and impress. It’s a neon nightmare that clashes with the darkness of heavy inks. The controlled tone is undomesticated and hopeless. You’re a little scared. You’re a little turned on. The amalgamation of emotions you feel while reading this introductory issue sways your morals but leaves you OK with the fact that we’re all a little dirty, and we want to be scared.
As always, a great comic needs great lettering, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou delivers. This is not an opinion. This is a fact.
Another fact: if you don’t pick up this comic today, you’re making a mistake.
Blake’s Buzz Episode #33 is currently available. I was joined by Steve Foxe to talk about X-men ‘92 House of XCII. We also talk about life, action figures, dogs and cartoons. It was an epic chat, and I hope you all get a chance to check it out. Make sure to grab House of XCII as well! It was a solid issue, and I’m quite stoked to see how the series plays out. You can download Blake’s Buzz anywhere epic podcasts can be downloaded, or you can go to my Megaphone link here.
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Damn. I'm jealous of that first paragraph of your review. Talk about eliciting imagery.
The book sounds really cool and while not a unique take on vampires, it does sound like a unique take on the world and existence of them. I'm not even a vampire guy and this review definitely has me considering this title.
If I have one criticism of your review it would be that it is a bit heavy on the second person narration. Selling the outcome is powerful, but there is a tipping point where it becomes commanding of what the reader will experience. We read the review for your thoughts and opinions, not necessarily what ours will be.
But it works. You definitely put me into the story. And this review is very well written overall.
Thanks for sharing and I'll definitely be considering this book now because of it.