New 52 Review: Rise of the Vampires, paperback collection, featuring I, Vampire 7-12, and Justice League Dark 7 & 8. Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov & Peter Milligan. Art by Andrea Sorrentino & Daniel Sampere.
I enjoyed the first trade of I, Vampire very much (reviewed here, along with the first trade of Justice League Dark). The first half of
this collection is the “Rise of the Vampires” storyline that crosses over
through both titles. The team-up works
well, as Madame Xanadu, John Constantine and Deadman seem to be natural
compatriots for Andrew Bennett, Mary Queen of Blood, and their army of
vampires. One of the strengths of the New 52 initiative was the strength of
their “Dark” line, which also included Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Demon
Knights, and Resurrection Man.
Cain, the father of all vampires, has killed the sympathetic Andrew
Bennett. But that does not stick, and Andrew manages to return to life,
changed. The specifics of that change are unknown, making those around Bennett
nervous. He announces that he is Cain's opposite, meant to build and not
destroy. Andrew and Mary reunite in an embrace, as he will lead the vampires
with her. The vampires are reformed again with a thought, and they swarm Cain
while Andrew beheads the immortal evil. After undoing the slaughter and erasing
memories, the vampire couple walks away with their docile vampire army, leaving
up in the air the question of Bennett’s evil.
The last four issues of the collection deal with Bennett’s struggle
to control the entire vampire population of North America, without allowing
them to decimate the entire human population. He comes up with a plan to allow
them to feed as they wish, if they can beat him in a fight. One one vampire
accepts the challenge – Mary. And they fight for the right to control the army.
And the Van Helsings get involved. As does a team from Stormwatch. Because
comics.
Fialkov continues to do a terrific job humanizing Andrew
Bennett, and in these stories, he does the same for Mary. The tragedy of their
centuries-old relationship is clear whenever the characters interact.
The crossover with Justice League Dark may well have
been an attempt to bring readers to I, Vampire. At this time, Justice
League Dark was selling about twice as many copies per issue as we I,
Vampire. Unfortunately, this did not help save the I, Vampire title,
which was canceled after issue 19.
source: public library
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