I, Vampire #13
Writer: Josh Fialkov
Art: Andrea Sorrentino
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo
Review by David Short
I, Vampire was the only book that, in my opinion, supplemented the ongoing story in DC’s zero month. Turns out, it did so more than we could have hoped for.
This is the only book that feels like DC can throw the status quo to the wind with. In the first 13 issues I,Vampire has seen its main character die, have him reborn, and now shift completely contrary to what we have come to expect of him. Andrew Bennett and company have been through a hell of a lot. And the story doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Issue #13 takes a different approach than previous installments. Fialkov uses Marry as his main protagonist, and the new perspective is refreshing. She hasn’t really been a likable character to this point, but she’s always been a larger than life personality. She could easily carry a book of her own, though it would be a dark and twisted, and probably absolutely hilarious. She is dealing with having her powers and immortality stripped away, and it’s very engaging. She has a completely different take on the vampire affliction, and is quite depressed.
Aside the new focal character for much of #13, we also get an entirely new character introduced to the story. She and Andrew are linked from fighting Mary a while back, and they may have been cuddle buddies as well. Debby Dancer seems to be yet another strong character added to the stable that I, Vampire boasts already, and I can’t wait to see how her addition stirs the pot even more.
There are a ton of great moments in this chapter. Andrew and Marry are both endlessly deep, and Fialkov and company are continuing to add depth to them in each and every page. It’s truly something to behold.
Speaking of something to behold, Andrea Sorrentino does phenomenal work, yet again. His layouts are so innovative, and flow so well that this book always feels like it’s a quicker read than it should be. That’s not a bad thing, because there is a ton going on in each issue and could get bogged down if things were clunky. He and Fialkov just seem to be on the same page (heh) with their vision. Sorrentino is so good at bringing a ghostly, haunting look to this book, and it is amplified by the dark but striking color palette from Marcelo Maiolo.
Verdict
There are only a few books in DC’s lineup that can compete with the consistent, grade-A quality of I, Vampire week in and week out. Quite frankly, there are few books that can compete with it regardless of publisher. I cannot stress enough just how much you need to be reading this book. It’s different. It’s funny. It is everything comics should be. If this book were to ever get canceled, god forbid, then I never want to hear a comic reader say they want “something different from the Big Two” again. If you don’t support the books that don’t follow the usual hero path, then all you’re going to get is what the publisher thinks will sell. Tell them what you want with your wallet, and you need to tell them: I want I, Vampire!
