Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Rafael Albuquerque
Publisher: DC
Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque are a flipping powerhouse team. It seems that, whenever they produce a comic book, they can do no wrong with it, and American Vampire: Second Cycle #4 is no exception. Every month, it is consistently the best comic to hit the market, and that doesn’t change this month. The creative duo really do nearly everything perfectly. American Vampire is a special comic, it’s unique, it’s different, and it’s also stellar on its own merits. The series as a whole is the crowning achievement of both members of the creative team, and it will likely be what they are remembered for years down the road. And really, it will be a crime if it isn’t that way. This particular issue serves to solidify that.
American Vampire is, and always has been, a character driven story. The fact that, even now, Snyder can take the characters in new directions that are just as interesting as ever, is outstanding. This issue sees the build up of the first three issues come to a head, forcing the main cast to change and adapt to a new situation, especially Pearl, who’s entire livelihood is ripped away from her in this issue. Even while that is happening, we’re shown exactly who Pearl is. She’s compassionate, as illustrated in her scene with the younger vampires that she’s been harboring, and yet, she’s also ruthless when it comes to defending those she cares about, which is also illustrated in this issue. As she and Skinner ride away on Skinner’s motorcycle, there’s a great scene where she cuts open the oil tank so that she can light it on fire and burn the creation’s of the Gray Trader that are following them.
This particular set piece takes up the majority of the issue’s first act, and it is super entertaining to watch the battle unfold. However, the first act actually ends up being the weakest, believe it or not. That isn’t to say that it’s bad – I’ve just been raved about it for an entire paragraph. It’s just that the second two acts are better. Sure, they may lack action, but they make up for it because of Snyder’s excellent dialogue. The moments that the characters share with one another as they plan out their next steps is truly a treat to read, and every character is given great lines of dialogue. Of course, Skinner Sweet steals the show with his “Vampires in Space? F**k me.” line, but hey, not every line can be as good as that one. And if that’s foreshadowing on Snyder’s part… man, is that going to be awesome or what? It’s in these scenes that more plot progression occurs. The curtains are beginning to be pulled back a little bit more, and the plot of this arc is shaping up to be one of the best of the series.
Anyways, seeing the group of vampires in the swamp interact with one another is great. Snyder takes advantage of combining new characters who we may never see again with older characters. The interactions between characters are what make this book so great, and Snyder is at the top of his game, especially since he’s able to use characters of his own creation, that he can do essentially whatever he wants with. But he isn’t the only great story teller involved in American Vampire. No, this book would not be what it is without Rafael Albuquerque’s stellar artwork, which is just as important to the story as Snyder’s writing. He does a great job of conveying the tone of the book, as well as showing us character’s emotions in scenes where they aren’t speaking. As good as the dialogue is, it could be stripped away and Albuquerque’s artwork would likely tell a similar story. Maybe without some of the subtle nuances of Snyder’s dialogue, but it would still be awesome.
Combine the two, however, and you’re left with an amazing comic book. This is what happens when a great creative team fires on all cylinders, and it’s not something to be missed.
