I was entranced by the book as I thumbed through its pages. Nieves presents the reader with a fascinating psychological story that leaves the reader guessing as to who the real antagonist is. This book was shaping up to be one of the best books under the Moonstone banner... until the ending, when the story sort of fell apart for me. The clever nature of the story is lost in the final pages, making way for the more established parameters of the White Wolf Vampire world.
Anne's friend Beth sets her up with a cute stranger named Chris whom they met at the mall. Anne's getting over a sudden breakup with her last boyfriend, and Beth is determined to bring her out of her funk. The problem is, though, that Beth is a ravenous sexual predator obsessed with her roommate, and she's got her eye on Chris as well, who is ill at ease with Beth's advances. Beth struggles with her demons in a losing battle that threatens to drive her over the edge. Meanwhile, people all around Anne, Beth and Chris are being murdered, their blood drained from their dodies.
Bennett's art captures the creepy atmosphere of the story nicely, and his style is well suited to the fear and intimidation that's to be found in the various characters' eyes. His work reminds me of the style of Guy (Deadline, The Larquis) Davis, whose work is also at home in a supernatural story. Bennett's work kind of floats back and forth between realistic and almost crude, though, making for occasionally inconsistent visuals. The colors reinforce the sombre and tense mood of the story nicely.
Until the climactic finale, Nieves really had me guessing. The potential in the plot and characters was limitless. There's no way to tell if it's Anne, Chris or Beth who's really pulling the strings here. What was creepy about the story wasn't that people were being drained of blood all around them, but that one -- or maybe more -- of the characters were playing a dangerous headgame, manipulating the others.
Unfortunately, in the end, the story hinges on the traits of an entire clan of vampires, the Ventrue. What started as an enticing psychological thriller ends with an examination of a group of vampires that embrace a capitalist philosophy that doesn't really come off as sexy or dangerous. As the story ends, we're left with bloodsucking yuppies, and the characters don't turn out to be nearly as interesting after secrets are revealed.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
