American Vampire by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque & Stephen King

I thought I was done with the played out vampire genre, and then this beastly little beauty walked into my life. Creator Scott Snyder and the legendaryStephen King have penned a new breed of vampire, one who can walk in the sun and was born to wreak havoc from the day he was “born” by the rough rails of the Old West. Skinner Sweet (who Rafael Albuquerque has drawn to look like a bargain basement Brad Pitt from Legends of the Fall) was a notorious bank robber in the 1880’s who was known for his brutality and love of candy. But it was when he crossed paths with some pale European gentleman that he REALLY got fangerous. These dudes were businessmen vamps who tried to teach Sweet a lesson when he robbed their train, but they were the ones who ended up getting schooled when Sweet didn’t die. Instead, he evolved into something entirely new: an American Vampire, unique in his ability to feed in direct sunlight. Now it’s 1925 and Sweet has kept those old school vampires on the run for a few decades by popping up again every time they think they’ve buried him for good. And he’s added a new wrinkle: showgirl Pearl, who he has decided to turn into the second American vampire just for fun after she nearly dies from a night out with the European bloodsuckers. How will these two new creatures change the face of the young country? Only time will tell, and good thing these two have an eternity to find out! Now listen up, teen peeps. This horror comic, written for adults, is way more True Blood than Vampire Diaries. It’s graphic, gruesome and truly gory, not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. In other words, if the only vampire you’ve ever met is of the Edward Cullen variety, then Skinner Sweet is probably NOT for you. But if you’re looking for some scary sour to take the edge off all that stale Halloween candy sweet, then this insomnia-inducing, spooktacular GN might be just what the Dr. Frankenstein ordered.

3 thoughts on “American Vampire by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque & Stephen King

  1. Would you reccommend this for purchase for the teen department at a public library? Thanks! Laurie

  2. Hi Laurie,

    Only you can answer that question, as you know your community best. This is a work that was originally published for adults. You should probably look at it yourself to make that decision.

  3. Thanks for reviewing this. I’ve been looking for information about the book after seeing it pop up on the NYT Graphic Books list. Sounds intriguing and after reading your review I’m a little less hesitent to pick it up, as I, too, thought that vamps were starting to wear out their welcome.

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