Review: American Vampire 1976 #3
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer:Â Scott Snyder
Artist:Â Â Rafael Albuquerque
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Letterer:Â Steve Wands
Reviewer:Â Tony Farina
Summary
Two subterranean showdowns escalate! Thousands of miles apart, rogue American vampires and the last remnants of the VMS chase the only known leads against the Beast’s looming plans for world domination. As Skinner’s crew fight for their lives aboard the runaway Freedom Train in the Tongue-infested tunnels of the Southwest, Cal and Travis scavenge the tracks below Times Square for traces of the Beast’s terrifying challenger—but when they get too close to the monster for comfort, they’re blindsided by the mother of all unexpected twists.
Positives
American Vampire 1976 #3 is terrifyingly beautiful. Albuquerque is in the dictionary next to “The man.” The action in this cinematic The pace is breakneck and at no point do I ever feel as though I am confused by anything that is happening on the page. Albuquerque simply keeps us rooted to each panel and gives us clear images, even in the dark. It is stunning. Feast your eyes below.
Snyder is telling the epilogue to an epic while also telling a mystery wrapped in a heist. It is a hard needle to thread and a lesser writer could not do it. Snyder is at the top of his game and the readers are all rewarded by his hard work.
Negatives
American Vampire 1976 #3 has a case of back-in-the-day-itus, which started to spread during the previous issue and has become a full blown infection now. Sure, most people who are reading this have read the original series, but that is not always the case. The great Stan Lee said, every comic is someone’s first comic. This book has a lot of “back in volume…” asterisks in there. It is a minor issue, but it is problematic. People want to read this story. Even if a person has read every issue of the first series, it is possible he or she does not remember every detail.
Verdict
American Vampire 1976 #3 is action packed yet it does not rely exclusively on the action to keep readers engrossed. There is a mystery here. Snyder is a master storyteller and he is clearly taking us somewhere that ties it all together. It is a worthwhile ride. I can’t wait to see what happens next. The cliff hangers have been spot on this whole series.
