American Vampire 1976 #1
DC Black Label
Words by Scott Snyder
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Color by Dave McCaig
Letters by Steve Wands
Bringing us back to the world of American Vampire, Snyder and Albuquerque return with the final installment of the series. Set in 1976, we see where most of the main players are currently up to. Skinner has become mortal and is trying to return to his immortality. He ends up meeting with two old friends who might be able to help him achieve that goal.
The introduction of characters we see and get is unique. As most of the main protagonists are still alive, it’s a total treat to see what they are up to. It wasn’t just the vampires having a reunion as we see Travis Kidd being recruited to help stop a bigger threat that no one was expecting.
Snyder has a daunting task of continuing the story, satisfying current fans, and also opening the story arc to new readers. Having a 4 year break hasn’t deterred the feel and flow of the story. Having such a huge cast to work with allows different parts to help bind the story and allows readers to formulate how it all ties together before the ending. With the story being so expansive, it’ll be interesting to see how Snyder is able to balance the story over different sections. The small glimpse given in this issue does give pause to how it all ties together.
The art from Albuquerque is still as unique as we saw it from the first series. With the issue taking place in many locations, the ability to adapt to the changing landscape is done wonderfully. Going from a trailer park in the midwest to a disco night club is not easy especially when an iceberg is in the middle. The mixture of using detailed backgrounds and character profiles allows the story to determine its focal point.
American Vampire 1976 is off to a great start. The partnership between Snyder and Albuquerque is on full display as they know how to move the focus to what is important for the readers and is an opportunity to showcase each other’s talents. The story does get daunting and intimidating for new readers with all the characters. It doesn’t distract from the story but it makes you want to reread or start reading it from the beginning.