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American Vampire, Vol. 1 (American Vampire #1; issues 1-5)

by Scott Snyder (Goodreads Author), Stephen King, Rafael Albuquerque (Illustrator)

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 6,873 ratings · 509 reviews

From writers Scott Snyder and Stephen King, AMERICAN VAMPIRE introduces a new strain of vampire – a more vicious species – and traces the creatures' bloodline through decades of American history.

This first hardcover volume of the critically acclaimed series collects issues #1-5 and follows two stories: one written by Snyder and one written by King, both with art by future...more

Hardcover, 192 pages

Published October 5th 2010 by Vertigo (first published May 2010)

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Apr 16, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, kick-ass

I've always loved vampire narratives, but these days I feel as though I have to make that statement with a "but not those sparkly Meyers' bullshit vamps" disclaimer because the term "vampire" now requires two definitions: 1) glittering and eternal boy band wannabe who tries to protect naive (and horny!) young women from the monster he's become while slurping up woodland critters like they're Hi-C fruit boxes, and 2) vampires who seduce and cruelly toy with their prey before ripping open a jugula...more I've always loved vampire narratives, but these days I feel as though I have to make that statement with a "but not those sparkly Meyers' bullshit vamps" disclaimer because the term "vampire" now requires two definitions: 1) glittering and eternal boy band wannabe who tries to protect naive (and horny!) young women from the monster he's become while slurping up woodland critters like they're Hi-C fruit boxes, and 2) vampires who seduce and cruelly toy with their prey before ripping open a jugular and letting someone else worry about the clean up. When it comes to vampires, I'm more of a "Team Kill" than "Team Brood." I tell you all of this to say that I really enjoyed American Vampire, which returns vampires to their more horrific origins: the single-minded drive of a predator coupled with human intelligence. Nothing is more terrifying.

The story is actually two intertwined narratives: the story of Skinner Sweet, a ruthless outlaw in the twilight of the Old West, and Polly, a Hollywood extra in the 1920's. Until Skinner is accidentally turned, vampires in America consist of Old World European vampires who have come to the United States to feed on the economic boom, as well as the unsuspecting populace. With Skinner's creation, a new kind of vampire is brought into being: one who can walk during the day and who is not susceptible to the weaknesses of the generation that came before him. It turns out that, with each new vampiric creation, a new and unpredictable strain of vampirism comes into being. Therefore, the European vampires jealously guard their "gift" lest they create a breed that can eventually overthrow them. This plot twist promises for rich and varied narratives as we follow these vampires into future storylines; Skinner creates Polly, a vampire whose powers mimic Skinner's but may ultimately eclipse his.

Of the two storylines, I preferred the Stephen King narrative about Skinner Sweet, but I'm a sucker for the Old West. However, it was a close call as Snyder's tale is equally intriguing and Polly is definitely one badass mamma-jamma.

While not quite as violent as I expected, Snyder and King have definitely given a tired genre a new life with plenty of subtext about American innovation versus European traditionalism. So keep the anemic Edwards of young adult narratives. From now on, I'll take my vampires like I take my tea--Sweet, please.

Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder (less)

17 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 Kemper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, comics, western, vampires, horror

“Hello, this is Scott Snyder.”

“Scott, this is Stephen King.”

“Wow! I’m a huge fan, Mr. King. It’s an honor to talk to you.”

“Of course it is. The reason I’m calling is that I was just looking over this American Vampire story you’re working up as a comic series. This is great stuff, kid.”

“Thanks! That means a lot coming from you, Mr. King.”

“Of course it does. This is a fun idea, and I really like this Skinner Sweet character. A vicious Old West bank robber who gets turned into a new breed of vampir...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Ronyell rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Vampire Comics!

Shelves: 6-star-reads, action-adventure, american-hero-or-heroine, best-books-of-2012, book-series, books-i-want-to-own, drama, fantasy, favorites, graphic-novels-comics, horror, monster-books, my-blog-reviews, mystery, read-in-2012, reviewed-books, sexy-bad-boy-hero, sexy-tough-heroine, strong-hero, strong-heroine, young-adult-teen-books, scott-snyder, stephen-king, vertigo-comics, ronyell-s-epinions-reviews

6 stars!!!

Brief Introduction:

Now, it is rare that I often read many vampire comics (with the exception of “Fray”), so when I heard so many good things about Scott Snyder and Stephen King’s graphic novel, “American Vampire,” I just had to check it out and boy, was I amazed at how creative and intense this story really was!

What is the story?

In this volume, we are introduced to two separate stories that feature a ruthless outlaw, Skinner Sweet and a young and beautiful actress, Pearl Jones. Ski...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Dan Schwent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christmas-2011, comics, 2011, homework-from-the-ladies

American Vampire tells two tales: the origin and early days of American vampire Skinner Sweet in the dying days of the Old West, and the tragedy of aspiring actress Pearl Jones, who runs afoul of old world vampires in 1920's Los Angeles. How will their tales intersect?

Where do I start with this? I've never read Scott Snyder before but I loved his writing in this. Stephen King's was also really good, not surprising since he did write my favorite epic of all time, The Dark Tower. Rafael Albuquerqu...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Sam Quixote rated it 1 of 5 stars

SPOILERS

Ok it’s my own fault for falling for it –I know vampires are overused in today’s culture, so much so that Amazon have a store called “Amazon Vampire”, but I still went ahead with reading this comic book, thinking that somehow Scott Snyder and Stephen King had pulled off a remarkable fresh version of the vampire story – I hoped, but I was wrong.

Snyder writes about Pearl, a wannabe actress in mid 1920s Hollywoodland working bit parts until one day she’s invited to the party of a big time...more SPOILERS

Ok it’s my own fault for falling for it –I know vampires are overused in today’s culture, so much so that Amazon have a store called “Amazon Vampire”, but I still went ahead with reading this comic book, thinking that somehow Scott Snyder and Stephen King had pulled off a remarkable fresh version of the vampire story – I hoped, but I was wrong.

Snyder writes about Pearl, a wannabe actress in mid 1920s Hollywoodland working bit parts until one day she’s invited to the party of a big time producer, where she finds out too late that he’s not quite what he appears to be. And we follow her journey thereon out.

King writes about an outlaw called Skinner Sweet who steals from the wrong person (a “euro-vamp”) and winds up dead. And then alive. You see where this is going. Blood and carnage follow.

Sounds promising, no? It’s not. King writes in his introduction “Those vamps got hijacked by a lot of soft focus romance”, talking about the recent explosion in vampire romance stories (think Twilight, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, etc) and yet “American Vampire” is just one more example of just such a book. Pearl meets Henry, a friend – or is he? Corny romance ensues, not to mention the obligatory pseudo-erotic scene where Pearl “drinks” from Henry. Is it me or has this become standard practice in modern vampire stories to have one hero vamp drink the blood of a hero human? Jim Book meets his goddaughter Abi who happens to be a twenty something girl in love with him and with a penchant for wearing very revealing outfits. King working the forbidden fruit angle there, which is bad enough but the dialogue is so stale and soppy. “Just promise you’ll send that monster to hell” (simper) or “I’ve lost everyone I love and now I’m supposed to lose you as well?” Yawn.

But the poor dialogue doesn’t stop there. Some memorable quotes include “You will never leave here alive!”, “Jim you don’t know how many times I’ve doubted what I saw that day”, “Been thinking it over the last couple days and it’s not that I didn’t believe you, it’s that I just didn’t care”, and “Yes, go run and hide! We’ll find you! We’re everywhere!”. Throw in the English aristocratic vamp who explains the nefarious plan in full at the end like a well-dressed Blofeld with hair and you got yourself the kind of script that you could catch mice in if you put it on a trap.

This isn’t a “new” version of a vampire story, just another vampire story that you’ve read before but with different costumes - 1920s Hollywood and late 19th century frontier America. Even the parts people will say are new – that Skinner and Pearl can walk in daylight and are unaffected by religious tokens – have been done to death before. And let’s not even begin to point out how long it takes everyone to figure out they’re vampires. It’s so tedious you want to shout at the page just so the story can move on.

And the artwork is nothing to write home about either. Rafael Albuquerque has his moments, creating genuine moments of horror with full page depictions of very warped looking vampires, but in between this are scores of pages full of rough sketching and even worse colouring. Not to mention the lack of imagination – some of the scenes look like campy 80s metal album covers with Sweet topless sat on a throne in a cave surrounded by fiery torches in the dark.

A friend and I are both fans of King but both of us have noticed, as have many others, that King tends to have as his protagonist/narrator a person, usually a man, who is a novelist. Guess who the narrator of King’s portions of the book is? Man, he really isn’t trying anymore is he? I’m beginning to think his blurbs and brief intros are better to read than his slow moving, predictable books.

And unfortunately that also includes this book, "American Vampire". Poor artwork, dull story, even duller characters, utterly unmemorable dialogue that disappears into nothing as you read it, all mixing together to create a totally uninteresting and trying-too-hard-to-be-cool book. Definitely doesn’t live up to the hype, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.(less)

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Apr 06, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, review

Review from Badelynge
Remember when vampires were still scary? Perhaps you don't. I should break out my copy of Salem's Lot to remind myself that these bloodsuckers used to be more than just pale possible boyfriends in the latest teen/vamp/rom. Stephen King is one half of the writing talent on duty for this tale of mostly very bad vampires in the wild west of the late 1800s and the movie making era of the 1920s. King's introduction to the book has a lot more to say about the current state of vamp...more Review from Badelynge
Remember when vampires were still scary? Perhaps you don't. I should break out my copy of Salem's Lot to remind myself that these bloodsuckers used to be more than just pale possible boyfriends in the latest teen/vamp/rom. Stephen King is one half of the writing talent on duty for this tale of mostly very bad vampires in the wild west of the late 1800s and the movie making era of the 1920s. King's introduction to the book has a lot more to say about the current state of vampire fiction and he doesn't mince words. This is also the first time King has written for comics. I know many of his stories have have been adapted for the genre but always by usually established comic book writers. This time he does it himself, which means basically writing the dialogue (no problem there) and, in place of the narrative, describing the contents and layout of the panels so the artist knows what to draw. He does a pretty good job barring a little muddiness in the way the supporting cast find their places in the opening part of the story. This book holds the origin story of our hero Skinner Sweet as told by King. Maybe I shouldn't have used the word hero as this guy was a very bad man even before he became the first American vampire. Sweet is a good creation, a vampire who revels in his new powers, whose love interest doesn't get beyond a craving for blood and candy. He's brash, violent, cunning and relentless. Alongside King's story in each issue is a later story set in Los Angeles about an aspiring young actress doing extras work for silent movies, who runs afoul of a nest of old European vampires who have an unstable truce with the powerful new vamp on the block, Skinner Sweet. This story is ably written by series creator Scott Snyder. Rafael Albuquerque does the artistic honours brilliantly in both arcs which helps the stories stand together. Under both stories is a suggestion of a subtext about America and its emerging place amongst the old world order. The book features the first 5 issues and also includes an afterword by Scott Snyder, variant covers by various artists, samples of script instructions by King and Snyder and early concept art. Altogether a nice piece of work. Book two is out soon.(less)

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Feb 02, 2012 James rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

Sweet is Alive and Thirsty!

American Vampire

I picked up this first volume for several reasons. Stephen King and Scott Snyder! King as anyone knows has written many mystery and horror novels, 50 plus. Snyder has written several takes on Lex Luthor, Batman and Superman. Before that, he wrote the American Vampire series.

This volume one is a compilation of the DC Comics series, issues 1-5.

It's a good time to be alive in the American West. The European vampires are slowly taking over, wanting money a...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Sofia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, thriller-and-horror

Posted on my book blog.

"American Vampire" follows the appearance of a new breed of vampire, an "evolution" that happens when the vampires from Europe travel to America to further their wealth, and one of them accidentally turns a local criminal. This new breed is a little different - they can walk in the sun, are immune to wood, their strength wanes during the new moon... The story follows Skinner Sweet, the first American vampire, from the wild west to 1920s Los Angeles, where we also meet Pear...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

How in the world can there exist a graphic novel with totally bitchin' artwork that takes place in both the wild west and 1920s Hollywood that is about awesome slavering vampires with gigantic spurting fangs & claws & cute little cloche hats who are at war with stolid, ancient European vampies & I haven't read it yet? Glad I took care of that.

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Apr 02, 2013 Ian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, horror, historical-fiction, alternate-history

Well done! This may be the first thing Stephen King has done that I've ever wholly enjoyed! Scott Snyder brings out the best in King and I'm looking forward to the next volume already! Also, Rafael Albuquerque's art has SERIOUSLY matured since his run on "Blue Beetle" -- the work he does in here is amazing!

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May 04, 2011 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really Really enjoyed this graphic novel. I loved the art and the story. I wasn't sure if I would read the next volume because King isn't writing in it but I loved it so much that I will for sure read the next one! I first decided to read it because I thought it was based on Salem's Lot. Well after picking up my copy from the library I discovered it isn't. At first I was disappointed but then was pleasantly surprised. Read this book!

http://angelasanxiouslife.blogspot.co...

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Apr 07, 2013 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, current-fiction, graphic-novel, american-vampire, library-book, series, vampires

Well- Scott Snyder and Stephen King make a badass writing team!! Then add the artwork of Rafael Albuquerque and it's a slam dunk. Frankly, it's a beautiful trio.

I've been waiting for someone to finally put the blood-sucking-monster back into the vampire folklore, and here it is, in it's bloody splendor. We begin the series by meeting Skinner Sweet, who is ruthless and psychotic...the perfect personality for vampirism. Skinner had robbed a bank, belonging to a clan of old world vampires. As they...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Tom rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've been going through the graphic novel collection at the library, and came across the first three volumes of this series. This graphic novel is the epitome of a particular phenomenon, which is the interesting idea that a journeyman writer fails to fully exploit. The eureka idea in this case is that old world vampires come to America and accidentally create a new vampire with new strengths and weaknesses specific to America. That is a great idea, which should have been the catalyst for plenty...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Vincent rated it 5 of 5 stars

American Vampire takes a unique twist concerning the vampire genre in that there is just not one vampire race per se, but based on where the person who is turned was born and the geographical area they were when turned they can create a whole new species of vampire! Part of the back story of American vampire is that all of the vampires shown mainly are the more traditional European vampires, with vulnerability to sunlight, etc, etc. So what happens when an American outlaw is exposed to vampirism...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Fizzgig76 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reprints American Vampire #1-5 (May 2010-September 2010). Skinner Sweet is a bit of a bad egg. He’s a crook and criminal and not above killing children. Unfortunately, Sweet has become something far worse. When he comes in contact with vampire blood as he’s dying, Sweet is reborn as something new…an American vampire with different abilities compared to the vampires of the old world. Sweet is still out to raise Hell and that includes in 1920’s Hollywood where he creates a new vampire named Pearl...more Reprints American Vampire #1-5 (May 2010-September 2010). Skinner Sweet is a bit of a bad egg. He’s a crook and criminal and not above killing children. Unfortunately, Sweet has become something far worse. When he comes in contact with vampire blood as he’s dying, Sweet is reborn as something new…an American vampire with different abilities compared to the vampires of the old world. Sweet is still out to raise Hell and that includes in 1920’s Hollywood where he creates a new vampire named Pearl who is seeking revenge of her own.

Written by Scott Snyder and Stephen King, American Vampire—Volume 1 is a DC Comic under the Vertigo imprint. The series was well received upon its release and was the winner of the Eisner Award for Best New Series.

American Vampire is a strange series and this volume is an even stranger format. Stephen King writes his first scripted comic for the first five issues and gives the background history of Skinner Sweet while Snyder’s story compromises an adventure in 1920’s Hollywood. King’s writing almost came by accident in that he just asked if he could write for the comic and of course it was approved (who’d turn him down?!?) Though I enjoy Stephen King, I much preferred the Pearl sections of the story and almost wish Sweet’s storyline had been included throughout the series…maybe as flashbacks.

What is interesting about this comic is that as of now, Sweet is pretty much out-and-out evil. In the flashback segments of the story, he kills a three year old (pre-vampire), poisons a Pinkerton agent’s wife (pre-vampire), slaughters a town in his way (vampire), and transforms an honest man into a vampire just to see him squirm under the hunger. He isn’t the vampire with the heart of gold as Hollywood often paints vampires nowadays. He does end up aiding Pearl in a sense, but I also feel that his help had some darker purpose.

This story in particular is interesting to me in that I like old Hollywood. It becomes an almost All About Eve style story with Pearl being the victim of a bigger plot. I don’t know what the future holds for Pearl’s character, but I hope that despite an apparent “happy ending”, that she returns in future storylines.

I find the art good, but not great. Rafael Albuquerque’s composition and designs are nice, but I almost wish it were a bit grittier. I love the covers (which are also by Albuquerque), and I think it is because they are very minimalistic (almost like Stray Bullets)…this series might benefit from being a stylized black & white with hints of color throughout.

American Vampire—Volume 1 is a quick interesting read. It isn’t my favorite title, but has got me curious to read more. Snyder in recent years has proven himself as one of the big up-and-comers in comics, and it is good to see some of his non-superhero work. American Vampire—Volume 1 is followed by American Vampire—Volume 2 which collects issues #6-11.(less)

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Nov 27, 2012 Carla rated it 5 of 5 stars

For all you creatures of the night, it succeeds on all the hype and goes beyond by being a great new vampire story. This one is a blood soaked new classic for our time.

The two main characters are both our American Vampires. Skinner being the first and Pearl being the second. Pearl's story chronicles her quest for revenge against the European Vampires that fed off her and then left her for dead. Skinner's story is more or less his origin as the first American Vampire while he faces off against a...more For all you creatures of the night, it succeeds on all the hype and goes beyond by being a great new vampire story. This one is a blood soaked new classic for our time.

The two main characters are both our American Vampires. Skinner being the first and Pearl being the second. Pearl's story chronicles her quest for revenge against the European Vampires that fed off her and then left her for dead. Skinner's story is more or less his origin as the first American Vampire while he faces off against a sheriff named Jim Book.

Both stories are great and a lot of fun to read. I honestly cannot say that one was better then the other. I loved both the stories just about equally, though for different reasons. I think Snyder and King together tell two great stories to introduce us to these wonderful new characters.

Both plots tell their stories different ways and both plots have their own mixed cast. With the exception of Skinner showing up a few times in Pearl's story and a couple of the European Vampires from Skinner's story showing up later in Pearl's; the two plots do not use the same characters too much and that is definitely one of the things that keeps it from getting stale.

Skinner is the perfect “love to hate” kind of guy. He is a terrible person that kills children and slaughters innocents for no better reason than to suit his own selfish gain. But every time he speaks I just cannot get enough of him. He is a total bastard but he is a bastard that is fun as all hell to read.

For being his first time ever writing a comic I was very impressed. I have been a big fan of King's since I discovered his stuff as a pre-teen and he does not fail here one bit. The master of horror that I grew up reading is still as strong as ever here in comic book form. Fans of King's work that may want to check this out for his name alone.

Vampires are everywhere nowadays so if you are going to tell a new Vampire story in a market crawling with the blood suckers then you have got to either be original and exciting or put a great spin on this classic. Snyder actually accomplishes both feeling unique and fresh, but paying tribute to what has made vampires so great over the years.

So, if the one thing that is still holding you back from reading American Vampire is the flood of Vampire stories out there nowadays I assure you this one is well worth checking out and it stands out amazingly well from its peers. American Vampire is a story that does not settle with being like the pack and its unique ideas and feel make it a must have.

American Vampires does a lot with the Vampire genre. It adds a lot, but also subtracts. Though, the only thing this sheds is the pretty boy angst feel that so many other Vampire stories have nowadays. Some may like pretty boy vampires, but I most certainly do not. Vampires are brutal monsters and American Vampire captures that perfectly and I love it for that.(less)

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Aug 25, 2012 Nicholas rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Twilight craze made me avoid vampire stories like the plague and it took the combination of Scott Snyder and Stephen King to bring me back to the genre. Of course, it didn't hurt that this is a bit of a historical narrative and probably the best example of team writing I've ever seen and that it contains Old West elements to boot. While Snyder weaves the tale of a young woman drawn in by the glamor of Hollywood in the story's present (1925), King fills in the backstory of the baddies that po...more The Twilight craze made me avoid vampire stories like the plague and it took the combination of Scott Snyder and Stephen King to bring me back to the genre. Of course, it didn't hurt that this is a bit of a historical narrative and probably the best example of team writing I've ever seen and that it contains Old West elements to boot. While Snyder weaves the tale of a young woman drawn in by the glamor of Hollywood in the story's present (1925), King fills in the backstory of the baddies that populate and dominate the underworld in Snyder's story by revealing the origins of the man pulling the strings behind events influencing Pearl Jones's descent into nightmare, Skinner Sweet, in the late 19th century. Cross-pollination with the western genre was a long untapped area for creativity and within the past year we now have Cowboys and Aliens and now Cowboys and Vampires. I have to say I like it. The gritty feel of the Old West and the cheapness with which lives are bought and sold is a stark contrast to the silky and refined culture of European vampires - a contrast made evident in the story's dual narrative structure. The denizens of each, the Old World and the New, are different breeds and at war over usual vampire bullshit - the integrity of their bloodlines and honor and all that stuff. But that's ok. I don't really need an explanation that's too intricate. King covers his end by making Skinner Sweet's "birth" as painful as possible so that revenge is a believable enough motive for Sweet's actions over the ensuing fifty years. I also really enjoyed what Snyder did in creating a strong-willed and independent young woman to be protagonist and integral piece to Sweet's intricate war plans and that she rides to the rescue of her beau several times rather than the other way around.

Really couldn't ask for anything better in a vampire yarn. The presentation and writing are top-notch, which you'd only expect from such a fantastic creative duo. I'm a bit bummed that it looks like we'll be leaving the Old West behind with this volume. Don't get me wrong, the Roaring 20s are still an amazing setting for an American vampire tale, but I'll miss the emptiness and loneliness of the western backdrop a bit.

Note to Mr. King, if you're reading: Next Christmas a faithful Constant Reader would like you to write a western. (I know, I know, The Gunslinger is a western with horror elements, and I really, really love it, but it's SO SHORT and by the next volume, we're in the 80s. I'd like to see one written with a cast of characters as long as Under the Dome taking place entirely in the west. No time travel. No aliens. Demons and witchcraft acceptable. Come on, DO IT. We both know you can crank out 800 pages in like three months. (less)

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Aug 11, 2012 Jackie "the Librarian" rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blood-sucking-fiends, graphicnovels, historicalfiction, horror

I guess I'm not that into westerns, even westerns with vampires. Stephen King wrote the origin story here of Skinner Sweet, outlaw-turned-vampire. This was violent and gory and so-so, as Sweet just wasn't that interesting to me. He didn't sparkle, which I appreciated, but all we know about him is that he likes candy and violence. To care about a character, I need to know more details than that - does he like cats, for example? What's his favorite book? Hobbies, other than hold-ups? He was basica...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Maxwell Heath rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, comicazi-book-club, vampires

I feel like the hype from the review quotes, and especially from Stephen King's intro build this up as something it's not. To me, this didn't really feel like something new and unique; it was a good vampire story, of course, but it doesn't entirely bring vampires back to their horrific state, at least not entirely. King's story does do a good job of telling a traditional horror vampire story, touching on points such as the band of heroes working to kill the vampire for good, and the personal hor...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Fallon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, paranormal, vampire

I have been reading quite a few graphic novels lately, in the last month I've read more than I have in my entire life. I've been going crazy. This one is my favorite so far. The story telling is excellent the art is really well done, though it took me a while to get used to. I just thoroughly enjoyed this book. The American vampire drawn reminds me so much of an anime I've seen, Claymore, when the vamp first popped up that's the first thing I thought of. So according to Stephen King's intro this...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Keya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, owned, single-issues, favorites

Scott Snyder redefines the vampire genre one issue at a time in this relatively new Vertigo series. To put it simply, American Vampire is the best vampire book I've ever read. The first issue was largely forgettable, aside from art, but I'm glad I kept going because man did the story shape up fast. This isn't Twilight or even Buffy the Vampire Slayers folks. This pure vampires being vampires.

While it doesn't reach the levels of pure horror and gore that 30 Days of Night does, it's a more engagin...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Admatha rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've been putting off reading this one. For some reason I just can't appreciate King, and his involvement with this made me wary. On the other hand the discussion I read about this being a good old-fashioned "non romantic" vampire story meant I had to at least try it. Vampire stories have been going slowly downhill since around the time Anne Rice got her hands on the genre. And I'm glad I did! I love this story. The story that is two stories: part roaring 20s, part old west; part cowboys and par...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Benjamin added it

Shelves: bedside-reading, comics

Perversely, I have very high standards for genres that some might consider fluff, like comic books and science fiction. (I recently enjoyed an episode of KCRW's Bookworm on Philip K. Dick where the well-meaning host seemed a little puzzled at the idea of a science fiction author who was also important. And by "enjoyed" I mean "ground my teeth down to nubs" while chanting "this is why we fight.")

So when I say "American Vampire" didn't hold my interest, take my high standards (read: inability to b...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Dave rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked American Vampire due to it's uniqueness in telling a vampire story. I wouldn't categorize this as horror - I would categorize it as an action period piece, going back and forth between an 1880's origin story (written by the relatively unknown author Stephen King) and 1920's Los Angeles (written by the creator, Scott Snyder).
The common thread throughout both stories (and the namesake for the book) is the first of his breed; the first vampire to have American blood, Skinner Sweet. Skinner...more I liked American Vampire due to it's uniqueness in telling a vampire story. I wouldn't categorize this as horror - I would categorize it as an action period piece, going back and forth between an 1880's origin story (written by the relatively unknown author Stephen King) and 1920's Los Angeles (written by the creator, Scott Snyder).
The common thread throughout both stories (and the namesake for the book) is the first of his breed; the first vampire to have American blood, Skinner Sweet. Skinner is a bit confusing as a character. You can tell he's meant to be the "anti-hero" but most times he just comes off as a criminal (which he is - an outlaw and killer). While most anti-heroes do have some sort of saving grace to their despicable personality, Skinner pushes the boundaries with how much we're actually expected to like, and root for, the bad guy. As much of the book is set in the Old West (1880's mid-west America) you can definitely feel a little bit of "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" here.

What did I like? I liked the foundation. I liked the fact that European vampires had traveled to America to take advantage of the New World, and that the "vampire disease" had a much different effect on people of American blood (I don't want to ruin it, you'll see). I liked the idea of a vampire story set in the Old West and in 1920's L.A. However I found that "American Vampire" was much more of a "Western with vampires in it" and much less of an actual vampire story, if you catch my drift. Readers buying "American Vampire" solely based on the title might be disappointed.

Often times I felt a bit lost in the narrative. It felt as if they were trying to fit so much into the space they were given. Between going back and forth between the 2 stories themselves, the Old West story a narrative by an author who had written a book about the origin and was now rehashing it years later for a rerelease; and the 1920's story about a girl trying to make it in Hollywood having a run-in with vampires and saved by Sweet... as a reader you feel a bit bounced around. Although I like the back-and-forth idea, I can't help but feel as if both stories would have been so much stronger if they had their own books.

It was nice to have the legendary Stephen King involved, but I really didn't hear much of his voice or see his style come across at all within his portion of the pages. Perhaps this is due to the medium itself and that he rarely delves into this type of writing. Rafael Albuquerque's artwork is exceptional and I loved every single page of his; at times disturbing and at times absolutely gorgeous, Albuquerque makes the most of what he's given and truly creates a brilliant setting for each word. Although I wasn't exactly blown away by the origin and beginning story, I think Synder has an interesting world created here and I'm excited to see where he goes with it, there's a lot of potential.
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Feb 03, 2012 Justin Bagley rated it 5 of 5 stars

After thoroughly enjoying Scott Snyder's work on Detective and Batman comics, I decided to check out his creator owned book American Vampire. I was not disappointed, this book is in every way equal to Snyder's Batman work, and for an extra treat the great Stephen King lends a hand in the origin story for the main character/villain, Skinner Sweets.

The book tells two stories, the origin story of Skinner Sweets, written by King, takes place in the old west. This is a great introduction to the chara...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Guillermo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very few people are original these days when it comes to old mythos. Rarely do I see any evolution of fantastical creatures of old lore, so it's always refreshing to see a new take on something familiar. We're in the age of the undead - be it zombies returning to pay homage to our society, or vampires representing civil movements. However, if all you're adding to a mythos is talking zombies or vampires who sparkle in the sun, then you're clearly missing the point of evolution. Rather than evolvi...more Very few people are original these days when it comes to old mythos. Rarely do I see any evolution of fantastical creatures of old lore, so it's always refreshing to see a new take on something familiar. We're in the age of the undead - be it zombies returning to pay homage to our society, or vampires representing civil movements. However, if all you're adding to a mythos is talking zombies or vampires who sparkle in the sun, then you're clearly missing the point of evolution. Rather than evolving the creatures, you're simply dumbing them down to fit your homage to nothing. You should've written fanfiction instead. Though, even fanfiction adds to the mythos rather than raping it - yes, even the homoeroticism of every fanfiction adds more to the mythology than Mormon-esque philosophy and horny teenagers.

For most of their existence, vampires have been shrouded in darkness. Very few people have attempted to change that - day-walkers weren't scary enough, or thrilling enough (or sparkly enough, apparently). They are always placed in dank, dark locations because that's how it's always been. With the obvious exception of Anne Rice's existential vampires, who seem to find sunny areas like California and Miami quite alluring, even though they still only come out at night.

In American Vampire, writers Scott Synder and Stephen King offer us something new for us to sink our fangs in. Blending the old Euro Vampires - you know, the fancy dressed ones who hate the sun - with a "new vampire for a new century."

Blending the last years of the Wild West with 1920s America, the story follows the origin of the American Vampire and the war brewing between the old and the new. Stephen King focuses on the origin story, following outlaw Skinner Sweet as he descends into the well-lit realms of the American vampire as the Euro Vampires stand in shock of the abomination that is their bloodline. As Skinner Sweet tears through the new the century seeking revenge, he realizes the old west he once knew is coming to an end; meanwhile, lawman James Book is hot on his trail, seeking retribution of his own and hoping to put Sweet in his grave for good. Meanwhile, Scott Synder focuses on the twentieth century vampire and Skinner Sweet creation, Pearl Jones. The ambitious young actress is lured into her grave by her fading hopes of becoming a well-known actress. It's Skinner Sweet who brings her back from the dead in hopes that she will aid him in the destruction of those who made him what he is. Pearl seeks vengeance of her own on the Euro Vampires, killing them one at a time. The war is far from over in the conclusion of the first volume, as figures from Sweet's past return to finish what Book couldn't do.

The first volume is well thought out, and the characters are amazing. The fact that it blends two of my favorite time-periods is just the added bonus. The fact that something so well crafted by Stephen King has actually reached my eyes - let's remember my love/hate relationship with the writer - gives me goosebumps and keeps me wanting more.(less)

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Jan 04, 2012 Adam Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Due to the inaccurate, and often glorified, portrayal of vampires in our society, I hoped that American Vampire would finally set the record straight and put an end to the sexy, hard-bodied, daylight walking vampire with a slight sense of morality. And with Stephen King as a co-writer, I expected a blood-curdling, night-light inducing horror story with excellent visuals. Unfortunately, I was (un)dead wrong. American Vampire puts its own wacky spin on the vampire legend and will be as short lived...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Mohammed rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this volume from the introduction where Stephen King was saying vampires shouldnt as they are today skinny teenage girls, heroic ones alà Angel, Southern gentleman who is in love etc I didnt know what to expect before that.
I bought this volume yesterday because Scott Snyder is one of my fav new superhero writers. I have avoided this comic just because the title sounded so lame. Like those campy werewolf movies of the 80s. Also i thought Stephen King was just a gimmick used to sell the c...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am NOT a fan of vampire books and the glut on the market kinds of makes me sick. Its n overdone theme that romanticizes creatures that take the life of another in order to live. In short, i have little love for or interest in such things. However, this treats vampirism as more of a social quality and portrays vampire culture in a very different way. The nature of vampirism changes based on the age in which they were created and the place - its a very unique take on them. Add into the mix the v...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Wendall Paul Sexton rated it 4 of 5 stars

This particular book caught hold of my attention simply because it was different – not specifically different as far as content, which in that regards, it certainly is – but rather due to its sitting on its side instead of facing its spine label out, as is with all books setting along a shelf. Spine label out. Give the disinterested browser something to latch his eyes onto.
So I picked it up.

“American Vampire”. That was different.

Stephen King. I knew that name.

Open the cover, I saw what I held i...more

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About Scott Snyder

Scott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.

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Quotes from American Vampire, Vol. 1

“- If I tell you, will you let met go?
- You bet, partner. [...]
- You promised!
- Nope. I said "you bet." You did ... and you lost.” — 14 people liked it

“Does it matter how long they were together that night? To lovers, an hour can last a century. But even for lovers, every hour ends.” — 12 people liked it

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American Vampire, Vol. 1 (American Vampire #1; issues 1-5)

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