Review: Vamp Nation From Outer Space
Chicago, night time, in a rainstorm. A lone figure walks the dark, deserted streets. When he he reaches the entrance to a subway he senses a sinister presence. He unsheathes a strange glowing sword and ventures down into the shadows...
In Vamp Nation From Outer Space by writer Jason Dyjak and artist Ted Lody a small band of vampire hunters wage a clandestine war against the blood-suckling fiends, led by Thoth ("tote"), a near-immortal humanoid alien with special abilities. He is seeking an extraterrestrial amulet of great power, stolen from him after it was recovered from an ancient temple. Evil forces are at work, both on Earth and out in the dark depths of space.
There is much fighting: swords, laser bolts and alien monsters with plenty of explosions (these vampires turn into light when you kill them, making for some dramatic visuals, especially when one falls from a great height to be impaled on a church spire). There is also a car chase, time travel and an alien invasion force for our heroes to deal with...
The artwork is created using 3D models, giving a unique look to the proceedings. Much use is made of contrasting shadow and bright sources of light for dramatic effect, in keeping with the relentless, high-stakes narrative.
The story blends sci-fi with horror/fantasy elements in a perplexing whirl, drawing inspiration from a variety of different sources. The overall tone is quite light, with some humorous moments (the car chase is a comical escapade, especially when Thoth cheats by using his powers to levitate their vehicle and one of his team asks: Why didn't you just do that all along?)
It's a bit of a crazy ride but enjoyable nonetheless. With dark forces at work from below and from above, our hapless heroes never know what they will be facing next...
Zak Webber
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