I never got past the second book in this series. I received this in the June comic bento box. As this takes place after book 12 I will pass this on unread.

This is going out in my graphic novel and manga book box

Taken from the manga box. I've enjoyed reading the novels, so I'm curious to see what the comic version is like.

I found this comic a rather frustrating experience. Between the artist changes, writer changes, and the wonky pacing, it was very hard to keep going. I'd hit several good pages that got me caught up in the story, then it would fall apart. Even keeping track of which character was which could be tricky, with different artists using their own styles on character designs that could be too similar, particularly with the artist who was doing a sort of pseudo-manga-meets-the-Boondocks style. Thank goodness for the colorist, who was doing an admirable job trying to keep things as cohesive as possible! I kept comparing different sections to each other; this chunk had nice art, this section had better layout, the dialogue was nice and snappy on these pages. Unfortunately, the whole volume lacked the polish and structure I would have liked to see.

One of the starter books for the Vampire Bookbox

I'm claiming this from the Vampire bookbox, despite some lukewarm reviews {wry grin}.

Later: The changes in artists from chapter to chapter didn't bother me as much as the way every single character had exactly the same facial expression; there's an early panel showing pretty much the entire crew, and aside from differences in hairstyles and skin color they looked like clones! Maybe there's a rule about vampire-hunter facial expressions or something, but it made me laugh - not, I think, the intended goal of that scene. (Or maybe it was.) I also got very weary of the pregnant-badasses (mainly Damali, but it sounds as if most of the women in the team are also with child) being reminded of their "precious cargo", as if they'd forgotten somehow. Sure, it'd be a tough decision when we're talking about such horrifying enemies and dangerous combat, but if the warriors themselves - especially the leader, who's effectively an angel - decide it's worth it, it seems like the rest of them should heed her. Or at least should only argue the point once - it seemed to go on for most of the book!

The mythology here looks complicated but sounds as though it boils down to demons vs. angels, with the vampirism being a symptom of badness or something. The multicultural team of hunters seem to work well together - when they aren't squabbling - and Damali and Carlos are a great example of a battle-couple with a hard-won relationship (though some of the visions-in-the-background panels suggest a dark future, if they're to be believed); it's a pity it didn't come across better in this book.

[There's a TV Tropes page on the main series, which helped explain some of the back-story - though it also convinced me that the whole thing is just as confusing as this graphic novel. Granted, it might work better book-by-book!]

I left this book in the Little Free Library on this beautiful day; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2018 Keep Them Moving release challenge. ***