Comic Review: 30 Days of Night #1

30 Days of Night #1 (of 3)

Part 1 of 3. The story of an isolated Alaskan town that is plunged into darkness for a month each year when the sun sinks below the horizon.

As the last rays of light fade, the town is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires bent on an uninterrupted orgy of destruction. Only the small town’s husband-and-wife Sheriff team stand between the survivors and certain destruction

At first I didn’t like the look of 30 days of Night. It was dark and smudgey like it had been drawn in a hurry and someone was trying to hide something.

Then, like a Monet, I found the ambiguity beautiful. It was a part of the story, the setting, and the feeling imparted by not knowing exactly what that thing might be.

There are a number of instances where the nightmarish vampires trickling into the remote Alaskan town are no more than shadows in the snow, watching with bright red eyes. The realism of that stylistic choice communicates so well the feeling of being hunted in a snow storm.

The art isn’t the only thing that works well in this comic.

The pacing, the dialogue, and the characters are all perfectly fitted to the story and the emotion it intends to evoke.

I was scared but not terrified; curious but not confused; empathetic but not emotional. I want to be able to pick up a story and be moved without feeling like it’s impact can’t be left in the book.

I read comics for entertainment, and this series is promising entertainment in a beautifully dark and whimsical sense.

From really regular folk just trying to live a little to playful vampires on the hunt, they’re all just making the most of the same circumstances.

30 Days of Night #1 (of 3) is currently a FREE digital download over at comixology and subsequent issues are $1.99.

[rating:5/5]

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