Review: Dark Red #2

“From Moses to Luke Skywalker all the great heroes do it before they come around.” – Victor Varney

Synopsis:

It seems our Mr. Chip has had some cleanup duty to attend to. The Fringe vampires had a rough night it would appear and our protagonist has to dispose of some corpses. He’s not sure what to make of Kamille, but she insists that he is needed on this mission. It seems that the corpses at his residence were employees of the order of the Eventide. But Mr. Chip doesn’t want anything to do with the whole mess.

The Creative Team:

Tim Seeley has crafted a very adult themed series that most mainstream comics probably wouldn’t publish. Violent, gritty and laced with some, shall we say, more colorful metaphors. Chip works for a gas station and just wants to lead a normal life, despite his being a vampire and all. Seeley puts his vampires in everyday situations that most of us can relate too. But then they’re thrust into abnormal circumstances that force them to make decisions that they may not want to make. Introducing the abnormal into the mundane keeps this title interesting and compels us to keep reading. Chip wants to quit his job then pick up his final check. He arrives at the gas station only to find something wrong with the people inside. Similar to HBO’s True Blood, these vampires want to fit in with humans, or do they? There appears to be something ulterior in Victor’s pitch to Chip. Seeley combines gore with humor in the same vein (if you’ll forgive the pun) as an old Sam Raimi horror film. Victor even shouts “Let’s crack open some Bubbly” in celebration as he grabs a woman by the neck. A great mix of horror and humor ya gotta love it. Great stuff includes Chips wanting to be a “good” vampire and Victor’s reaction to Chip’s turning down of the “job” he’s been offered.

Corin Howell is also credited as a co-creator which is probably why this team is so great together. Her drawings complement the writer’s words as smoothly as chocolate complements peanut butter to a Reese’s cup fan you can’t imagine one without the other. The panels are manic and slightly cartoony but nonetheless horrific in an outrageous way. Highlights include the first page which lets us know this ain’t no Vampire Diaries or Twilight type of sissy vampires. This is the real deal! Also the first appearance of Victor, who might look a little preppie and innocent enough, but his soul masks a darker presence that’s up to no good.

In Conclusion:

The contrast between Victor and Chip is sharp. We feel that Chip is on a losing mission, being the odd vampire out. Victor intends to take this town and no one had better stand in his way. He wants to enter the town as a welcoming hero and wants Chip on his side. His ambition seems noble to him and we learn that he’s been driven out of Chicago for unknown reasons. He’s not the bad guy, simply an entrepreneur taking advantage of a situation that’s been handed to him. But Chip tries to reason with him. He tells him that we can still feed without killing anybody. Even though nobody wants war, can war be prevented, since neither side sees eye to eye with the other? The final splash page is a shocker! So I won’t tell you what it is here, ya gotta read the book! To be continued. **** (9.1 rating)

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Writer – Tim Seeley
Art – Corin Howell
Color – Mark Englert
Letters – Marshall Dillon
Publisher – Aftershock

Author Profile

Kevin Given

Kevin Given has studied with â€œ Longridge Writers Group â€ and â€œ Writerâ€™s Boot Camp â€ a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the â€œ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter â€ franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of â€œ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter â€ # 1 and â€œ Files of Karl Vincent â€ # 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series â€œ Dracula Rising â€ (working title) and developing â€œ Foul Blood â€ into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given