American Vampire 13 to 18: Ghost War

I just finished up Ghost War, the latest storyline in the American Vampire comic by Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque.  A lot of people came to the American Vampire series because of Stephen King’s work on the first several issues.  I actually started following the series much later, after Scott had already began his run on Detective Comics.  It was Scott Snyder’s name that drew me to the comics, and his writing never ceases to amaze!

Despite my late arrival to the series, I started reading with issue #1.  I’m very glad I did, because the thrilling finale of the Ghost War storyline draws heavily from the events at the beginning of the comic.  Scott Snyder made a fantastic effort to reward the long-time readers of the series, while still making the story accessible to newcomers.

This story brings American Vampire out of the late Wild West era and into the struggle of World War 2.  The new setting works very well with Snyder’s characters, and I hope he keeps them in this time period for a little while longer. The vampire-hunting Vassals are growing into a larger and more influential organization in the world, and they draw Henry into a covert mission on a besieged island close to Japan.  The danger that awaits them is far more than they imagined, however.

The story is a great read with lots of exciting moments and plot development.  The epic conclusion that it builds up to plays out in a way that truly does not disappoint.  It’s going to be very interesting to see how the series continues after the events that unfolded on the island.

Rafael’s art just gets better and better.  The panels at times look like paintings, rendering the broad landscapes and visceral action in vibrant colors and harsh, jagged lines.  The recent “Strange Frontiers” issue that wasn’t drawn by Albuquerque made me realize just how much I enjoy his art.  It’s very good to see him back in action for this arc.

I really can’t think of anything I dislike about this story.  The surprise ending really has me on the edge of my seat, eager to see where Snyder takes his vampires next! I’d highly recommend Ghost War if you enjoy historical settings filled with the hissing, clawing, brutal vampires that you won’t find glistening in the sunlight.