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tkat's review against another edition
3.0
Is there anything dark and evil out there that the Nazi's have not been associated with in the fantasy/horror sub genres of fiction? Zombies, werewolves, necromancers, and of course: vampires.
Such is the subject of the third installment of American Vampire. Its the time of the Second World War, and American Vampire Pearl Jones is sitting at home like any good little housewife while her husband Henry fights for their country against ze Germans.
Interestingly enough Skinner Sweet does not play a large role in this one, but his and Pearl's storyline does have some interesting developments towards the end.
But the name of the game here is Henry goes to war, comes back, and is then recruited by the secret underground vampire hunting organization to hunt more vampires behind enemy lines. Only this time Pearl doesn't stay at home once she finds out whats going on.
And of course once he gets where he's going, Henry finds a whole new breed of vampire waiting for him while higher up the corporate pay scale Book's daughter is playing nice with high ranking Third Reich commanders and seeing them labor away to willingly create an army of bloodsucking undead.
Surprisingly enough this was my least favorite of the series to date. Didn't really hold my interest for some reason I can't quite put my finger on to the point where I'm not sure if I want to continue reading. I know I've still got one or two issues left in me before I throw in the towel completely on this series, make sure this one issue wasn't a fluke and it really is going downhill, but it looks like it might be going that way.
Such is the subject of the third installment of American Vampire. Its the time of the Second World War, and American Vampire Pearl Jones is sitting at home like any good little housewife while her husband Henry fights for their country against ze Germans.
Interestingly enough Skinner Sweet does not play a large role in this one, but his and Pearl's storyline does have some interesting developments towards the end.
But the name of the game here is Henry goes to war, comes back, and is then recruited by the secret underground vampire hunting organization to hunt more vampires behind enemy lines. Only this time Pearl doesn't stay at home once she finds out whats going on.
And of course once he gets where he's going, Henry finds a whole new breed of vampire waiting for him while higher up the corporate pay scale Book's daughter is playing nice with high ranking Third Reich commanders and seeing them labor away to willingly create an army of bloodsucking undead.
Surprisingly enough this was my least favorite of the series to date. Didn't really hold my interest for some reason I can't quite put my finger on to the point where I'm not sure if I want to continue reading. I know I've still got one or two issues left in me before I throw in the towel completely on this series, make sure this one issue wasn't a fluke and it really is going downhill, but it looks like it might be going that way.
levibaus's review against another edition
4.0
In my opinion, this is the best volume so far. Snyder has come into his own with writing this series and I really liked the writing here. Both stories in this volume were well thought out and they both added interesting dynamics to the series.
Out of all three volumes so far, this one seemed the best paced and everything continues to get better with Snyder and Rafa as a team.
This was definitely worth the read and I plan on coming back to this volume, specifically, at some point!
Out of all three volumes so far, this one seemed the best paced and everything continues to get better with Snyder and Rafa as a team.
This was definitely worth the read and I plan on coming back to this volume, specifically, at some point!
bluenicorn's review against another edition
3.0
Alright, vampires and nazis! Now we're talking. And I could actually remember some of the events from the last book, so definitely read these close to each other (time-wise).
jbleyle63's review against another edition
4.0
This volume of the AV series moves our cast into the 1940s with two stories set in each front of the USA’s WWII involvement: Pacific and Europe.
almostlikequake's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ramonnogueras's review against another edition
5.0
Scott Snyder es un genio, y esta serie va cada vez a más.
otherwyrld's review against another edition
4.0
Volume 3 of this series is absolutely massive - there are 12 or 13 single issues in this one volume (as opposed to the rather anaemic 5-6 issues most graphic novels consist of), and there's a lot to like in these stories.
First off, there's a nice prologue story set in 1919, where American vampire Skinner Sweet runs into a carnival showing a bowdlerised version of his life and "death". Needless to say, he reacts rather predictably to all this, but the real entertainment is when he runs into his old flame Kitty, who is reduced to putting herself on display for the entertainment of others. When she admits to being the one who betrayed Sweet to the law, he is about to tear her head off when she makes some rather cogent comments.
"It was all over. Everything. The world we knew. Paved over. Fenced in. Everyone saw what was coming, everyone except you." and later
"... the world we belonged to is gone. Except for you, baby. It was always in you. The West, it's wherever you go."
This is an interesting point to make which really struck me at the time. If you can see the series as an alternative view of American history, done from the point of it's first vampire, then Skinner Sweet represents a part of history that is both overly romanticised and quite definitely a part of the past the the USA has grown up from.
Ahem, being a bit long-winded about the smallest part of the book, so lets get to the rest. There are 2 separate stories in the rest. The first follows Henry Preston (who is married to second American vampire Pearl) as he fights a secret mission on a Japanese island. There he teams up with Skinner Sweet to take down a nest of vampires that are being experimented upon by the notorious Unit 731 of the Japanese army. Its brutal and gripping, and leads to.
The second story follows vampire hunters Felicia Book and Cash McCogan in an undercover mission to Nazi Germany in a bid to find a cure for vampirism. What they actually find are and there follows a hectic chase as the two of them try to escape. This story feels like it came from the pages of Hellboy, which is no bad thing, especially as the story ends with some uber-vampires being awakened from a long sleep. The cure they seek isn't exactly as advertised, but it may give a future to Cash's son, infected with vampirism in the womb.
4 stars is maybe a bit generous, but it was a lot of fun so lets called it 3 1/2 stars.
First off, there's a nice prologue story set in 1919, where American vampire Skinner Sweet runs into a carnival showing a bowdlerised version of his life and "death". Needless to say, he reacts rather predictably to all this, but the real entertainment is when he runs into his old flame Kitty, who is reduced to putting herself on display for the entertainment of others. When she admits to being the one who betrayed Sweet to the law, he is about to tear her head off when she makes some rather cogent comments.
"It was all over. Everything. The world we knew. Paved over. Fenced in. Everyone saw what was coming, everyone except you." and later
"... the world we belonged to is gone. Except for you, baby. It was always in you. The West, it's wherever you go."
This is an interesting point to make which really struck me at the time. If you can see the series as an alternative view of American history, done from the point of it's first vampire, then Skinner Sweet represents a part of history that is both overly romanticised and quite definitely a part of the past the the USA has grown up from.
Ahem, being a bit long-winded about the smallest part of the book, so lets get to the rest. There are 2 separate stories in the rest. The first follows Henry Preston (who is married to second American vampire Pearl) as he fights a secret mission on a Japanese island. There he teams up with Skinner Sweet to take down a nest of vampires that are being experimented upon by the notorious Unit 731 of the Japanese army. Its brutal and gripping, and leads to
Spoiler
the creation of the third American vampire, who accidentally gets a vial of Pearls blood broken on himThe second story follows vampire hunters Felicia Book and Cash McCogan in an undercover mission to Nazi Germany in a bid to find a cure for vampirism. What they actually find are
Spoiler
a whole battalion of Nazi Vampires4 stars is maybe a bit generous, but it was a lot of fun so lets called it 3 1/2 stars.
jayspa65's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This is a sizable volume containing three parts. New artists draw the first and last stories making characters look slightly different. This is most notable in the opening story. With the different time periods there is a little leeway in such matters and the spirit of American Vampire ultimately shines through.
We begin with is a single issue tale concerning Skinner's early years. Whist it doesn't contribute too much to the details of Snyder's world it is a wonderfully poignant tale of nostalgia and mortality. It has a lot to say and is most eloquent about it.
Next is an odd concept indeed. Vampire and vampire hunters join forces to combat an unholy menace in wartime Japan. It is a massive gumbo of every war story you can think of with elements of Band of Brothers, Dirty Dozen, Predator and more. Real places and events (Unit 731, the atomic bomb) are here but given the Vampire spin. At first sight it could easily be mistaken for a war story or ensemble buddy movie, but underneath is a beating emotional heart about the lives and loves of real people (some of whom are vampires). The art is great with regular artist Albuquerque doing the whole story. The signature bold mono-palettes and murky tones do a great job of translating from wild west to jungle warfare.
Finally you have Vampire Nazis. Or should that be Nazi Vampires. This alone should be enough to convince you to get hold of this book. The tale is homage to Where Eagles Dare complete with snowy mountain castles, sleeper agents and daring rescues. And Motorbikes! But this isn't just an action-fest. We learn a lot about Snyder's Vampire mythos and their ethnic cleansing agenda. We have some previous characters returning and doing a great job of telling an emotional and riveting tale. Sean Murphy steps in as artist and does sterling work maintaining a seamless style. Look for a great take on the familiar red eyes in the darkness. This is the best of three great tales.
There was a small blunder of the type Americans make when writing about Britain but you probably won't notice it. Overall this is very good indeed. You aren't quite sure where - or more accurately when - Snyder is going take you next and even though the choices might seem to be unlikely at first they all prove to be winners. Absolutely a Thumbs Up!
We begin with is a single issue tale concerning Skinner's early years. Whist it doesn't contribute too much to the details of Snyder's world it is a wonderfully poignant tale of nostalgia and mortality. It has a lot to say and is most eloquent about it.
Next is an odd concept indeed. Vampire and vampire hunters join forces to combat an unholy menace in wartime Japan. It is a massive gumbo of every war story you can think of with elements of Band of Brothers, Dirty Dozen, Predator and more. Real places and events (Unit 731, the atomic bomb) are here but given the Vampire spin. At first sight it could easily be mistaken for a war story or ensemble buddy movie, but underneath is a beating emotional heart about the lives and loves of real people (some of whom are vampires). The art is great with regular artist Albuquerque doing the whole story. The signature bold mono-palettes and murky tones do a great job of translating from wild west to jungle warfare.
Finally you have Vampire Nazis. Or should that be Nazi Vampires. This alone should be enough to convince you to get hold of this book. The tale is homage to Where Eagles Dare complete with snowy mountain castles, sleeper agents and daring rescues. And Motorbikes! But this isn't just an action-fest. We learn a lot about Snyder's Vampire mythos and their ethnic cleansing agenda. We have some previous characters returning and doing a great job of telling an emotional and riveting tale. Sean Murphy steps in as artist and does sterling work maintaining a seamless style. Look for a great take on the familiar red eyes in the darkness. This is the best of three great tales.
There was a small blunder of the type Americans make when writing about Britain but you probably won't notice it. Overall this is very good indeed. You aren't quite sure where - or more accurately when - Snyder is going take you next and even though the choices might seem to be unlikely at first they all prove to be winners. Absolutely a Thumbs Up!
bloodravenlib's review against another edition
4.0
This series continues to be great. This is definitely what you want to be reading if you dislike sparkling vampires. This volume collects two story series, both taking place during World War II; it also includes a small sort of preface story taking place during the late 19th century that looks at the Wild West shows that briefly flourished at that time. I really liked that tale that blended a bit of poking fun at those shows with a small poignant moment for Skinner Sweet. The art in that short tale goes back to the art in the previous volumes.
The two main stories mirror World War II having two theaters of war. The first story takes place in the Pacific, where the Japanese may be developing a secret weapon involving vampires. This does get Sweet's attention. Also, the story features Pearl and her husband. The second tale takes us back to Europe, about a couple of years before the tale in the Pacific. It features members of the Vassals group, the vampire hunters, trying to stop a Nazi threat involving vampires, though in a different way than what the Japanese intended. Plus, there are rumors of a cure for vampirism, so naturally the vampire hunters send agents to investigate. Overall, the stories here are pretty good. They have plenty of action, and the story plots are pretty good too. The art is very good as well in this series, and it is definitely another good reason to pick this series up.
The only reason I did not give it the five stars is a small twist in the Pacific story, one that has me wondering what will happen next. I won't say what so as not to spoil things. On the one hand, you would think that is a good thing. On the other, if it goes one way, I do wonder if the series could jump the shark. I guess I will have to pick up the next volume and find out.
So, in the end, yes, I do recommend this one, and I think folks should pick it up.
The two main stories mirror World War II having two theaters of war. The first story takes place in the Pacific, where the Japanese may be developing a secret weapon involving vampires. This does get Sweet's attention. Also, the story features Pearl and her husband. The second tale takes us back to Europe, about a couple of years before the tale in the Pacific. It features members of the Vassals group, the vampire hunters, trying to stop a Nazi threat involving vampires, though in a different way than what the Japanese intended. Plus, there are rumors of a cure for vampirism, so naturally the vampire hunters send agents to investigate. Overall, the stories here are pretty good. They have plenty of action, and the story plots are pretty good too. The art is very good as well in this series, and it is definitely another good reason to pick this series up.
The only reason I did not give it the five stars is a small twist in the Pacific story, one that has me wondering what will happen next. I won't say what so as not to spoil things. On the one hand, you would think that is a good thing. On the other, if it goes one way, I do wonder if the series could jump the shark. I guess I will have to pick up the next volume and find out.
So, in the end, yes, I do recommend this one, and I think folks should pick it up.