One of my favorite pop culture theories is the connection between vampire stories and recessions. While the macabre storytelling tactic has endured for centuries, some have noticed that it thrives in times of economic strife. Subconsciously, this has begun to be reflected in the world of comics, as other publishers have folded adult-oriented vampire stories into their superhero events. In their attempt to meet the moment, DC returns to the well of DC vs. Vampires, its fan-favorite violent alternate universe. Now under DC’s recently-relaunched Elseworlds banner, the franchise returns with the sequel series DC vs. Vampires: World War V. For better or for worse, this week’s debut issue essentially delivers more of the same – a flashy, but inconsistent battle.
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DC vs. Vampires: World War V #1 dives back into a DC universe ravaged by a vampire plague, with Barbara Gordon / Batgirl ruling over a vampire army, and Oliver Queen (a.k.a. Green Arrow) leading a dwindling human resistance. When Damian Wayne (a.k.a. Robin) goes rogue and begins upending the status quo, the two factions are tested in ways they could not have expected.
Compared to some of the other Elseworlds titles in DC’s banner relaunch, World War V may alienate those with no prior knowledge of the franchise, only making up for that with the occasional bit of expository dialogue. A lot of the issue’s other dialogue is devoted to pontificating about the power level of the various characters, or about the threat of being a human or a vampire in the central conflict, without effectively conveying to the audience why this world remains so intense. There are some successes in writer Matthew Rosenberg’s script—particularly a grounding heart-to-heart between two characters—but the vampiric dialogue displays a smug nihilism that grows grating as the issue goes along.
For any reader who isn’t a diehard fan of the DC vs. Vampires franchise, aware of all of the previous betrayals and heartbreaking descents into darkness, this all makes tension in the issue come across as uneven. Even then, a lot of specifics surrounding the original series were left nebulous, and there isn’t really a sense that this sequel series will tighten up its narrative. Especially on the heels of the original series’ controversial ending, the storytelling in this issue questions whether or not DC vs. Vampires can sustain itself as a storytelling universe unto itself, the same way that DCeased and Injustice were able to spin new yarns for several years.
Aesthetically, artist Otto Schmidt’s work on World War V is consistent with his work on the previous flagship series, with all of the good and bad that that can entail. A handful of panels, particularly when conveying gorey action, have a clear kinetic energy that is fun to behold. But there are some flaws: his penchant for sparse backgrounds not only make a reader feel less attached to the war-torn world, but feel a bit like cut corners. The many snarls and grimaces on the faces of characters also grow a repetitive, and some characters aren’t immediately easy to identify without their brightly-colored supersuits. One sequence, in particular, has to verbally address every character by name in order to help readers understand who is who. Pierlugi Casolino’s color work makes good use of blues, greens, and greys, but particularly shines whenever the violence is turned up a notch. Tom Napoitano’s claustrophobic lettering matches Schmidt’s general aesthetic, and conveys a scrappy sentimentality to the whole proceedings.
Just like its flagship series, DC vs. Vampires: World War V #1 isn’t necessarily a bad comic, but it is a frustrating one. This sequel drops readers right into the conflict regardless of their prior investment, and tries to keep them hooked with a story that is bombastic, but inconsistently executed. Even if vampires are a cultural harbinger of our times, there is an even better version of DC vs. Vampires percolating under the surface, and it remains to be seen if World War V will become a showcase for it.
Published by DC
On August 14, 2024
Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Art by Otto Schmidt
Colors by Pierlugi Casolino
Letters by Tom Napolitano
