Review: American Vampire 1976 #9
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist:Â Rafael Albuquerque
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Letterer: Steve Wands
Reviewer: Tony Farina
Summary
It’s the beginning of the end. With their numbers cut and only hours left before the Earth cracks and humanity is conquered, the VMS has exhausted every smart defensive strategy. Their last hope is a marathon of increasingly desperate Hail Marys—culminating in a high-speed face-off with the Beast, freshly emerged from Hell in his terrifying final form. Before the score is settled, Travis taps into new powers to rally a surprising source of backup, Felicia takes control of the president’s nukes, Gus fights for freedom, and Skinner and Pearl rehearse an unthinkable farewell.
Positives
American Vampire 1976 #9 features art by maybe one of the best working artists in the business – Rafael Albuquerque. Seriously, no matter what is happening, he makes the story better. I can’t express enough how damn good he is. There is nothing better than going through a book drawn by Albuquerque. Every panel is a gift for the sense. I swear, he is so good, he has almost invented smell-o-vision.
Scott Snyder is one hell of a writer. Honestly, even when I kind of don’t care anymore, he makes me care by throwing a clever little nugget in his story. He wastes nothing and I am in awe of everything he does. Aspiring writers should take note. He is just so clever. Something from issue 1 matters in issue 9 and we know, he knew it was part of the plan. He backs into nothing and it is all earned.
Negatives
I think the series needs to wrap it up. This story feels a bit bloated. Sure, the action is great. The small moments are deliciously wicked, but the overall story is going on for far too long. I mean so, so long. So. So. Long. See what I did there? I am starting to not care how it ends; I just kind of want it to end.
Verdict
American Vampire 1976 seemed like a good idea at first, but maybe, we have learned that some stories can just end. Snyder is a great storyteller. There is nothing inherently bad happening here, I have just run out of steam. Each issue ends with a bang, which brings me back to the next issue. I want know what happens next and this ending, boy, is it a curb stomper, but I still think the series has, pardon the pun, grown long in the tooth. Looking forward to see how they tie it all up.
