I, Vampire Vol. 1: Tainted Love Review

I,  VAMPIRE VOL. 1: TAINTED LOVE

by Joshua Hale Fiakov and Andrea Sorrentino

Back at the end of August, I reviewed I, Vampire #12. I gave it such a good review, I said  that if it continued to be that good I would buy the trade no questions asked (since that was my first issue of the series). I kept my word. Well, I ordered it on Amazon, but it took 3 WHOLE WEEKS to get to my house. Now that it's finally here, let's get reviewing.

I, Vampire is basically Twilight, except much better. I mean, the cover screams Twilight, but inside, you will find a horror/romance/action/comedy. That's right, I said comedy. Fiakov makes great use of all of his characters, especially Mary and Batman.  There are tiny character moments spread throughout that are so effective, it greatly heightens the quality of the story, whether funny or tragic. I thought it was pretty funny when Andrew kept complimenting Batman. Fiakov crafts an interesting supporting cast, but the one character that sticks out in my mind is Tig. She's a pint sized vampire hunter, whose backstory is actually very sad. The twist involving Steve in issue 4 was freaking heartbreaking. Fiakov is able to keep the plot moving along at a brisk pace. He then drops a massive twist at the very end. At that, I nearly dropped the book out of shock. I mean, Fiakov ends up [REDACTED] and then [REDACTED] leading into [REDACTED]. Seriously, the twist alone is worth the entire price of the trade.

Underneath the spectacular story is Andrea Sorrentino's moody and gritty art. It will send a chill down your spine. Sorrentino's dark style really makes this feel like a horror movie. You get the feeling that something is hiding in every shadow he draws, and there probably is something in the shadows.

I, Vampire Vol. 1. Seriously, I would put this up there with Animal Man, in terms of the best debuts of the New 52.

STORY: 5/5

ART: 5/5

VERDICT: 5/5