Written by, Donny Cates
Art by, Lisandro Estherren
Colors by, Dee Cunniffe
Letters by, Joe Sabino
Reviewed by, Tom Zimm
Recap
The issue begins, JV stands over Bartlett asking him if he’s ready. Bartlett responds, “I’ve never been so scared in my life.” He’s wearing a tux and is preparing to marry JV’s daughter, July. The statement by Bartlett is a profound one as readers are reminded, through flashback-panels, of the amount of death, pain, darkness, and loss Bartlett and their family had experienced recently. Meanwhile, a nearby church is filled with vampires ready for the wedding to begin. Ingrid, JV’s wife, complains when he arrives late. JV’s son brings a human, a friend, to the vampire wedding making things interesting. But it’s the heartfelt ceremony and shared vows between Bartlett and July that highlights this issue.
The art is minimal. Arguably, it fits the emotional atmosphere of the book but at times it pulled me out of the story because of how poorly the characters were drawn. Anyone who’s read a vampire comic or watched a vampire show will agree that the book’s representation of the vampires is orthodox and doesn’t stray too far from the mythos. What does is Cates’ representation of the vampire family, the father-son dynamics, and the family struggles. In this issue, it’s the wedding ceremony itself that dropped my jaw, sorta speak. Spoilers aside, the sacrifice required by the Bartlett and July as part of the wedding vows is shockingly touching and cuts to the heart. Even with some of the struggles I had with the art, the story had me wondering if it wasn’t one of the better books I’d read all year. And, the art got better as the story continued. For example, the visual representation of the bride toward the end of the book was stunningly romantic and perfect! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves vampire stories and anything written by Donny Cates. Overall = 9/10
