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American Vampire #9
Publisher: Vertigo Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder
Art: Rafael Albuquerque & Mateus Santolouco
Cover: Rafael Albuquerque
Price: US $3.99
Release Date: December 2, 2010

A father, thought dead, reveals a secret to his son. The son becomes a father with a secret of his own.

We find out just what exactly it is that could kill an American vampire, thanks to Henry from last issue, I’m sure. Bloody and defeated, Skinner Sweet goes all Boxcar Willy, hopping a train to elude Felicia Book. Before he does, we get to find out the depths of how vile and despicable that son of a bitch really is. But just like Heath Ledger’s Joker, you can’t help but shake your head and say, “Man, that guy’s so cool!”

This ninth issue brings the New York Times Bestselling series’ second cycle, “Devil in the Sand,” to a close. We learn a little bit more about the American species of vampire and Scott Snyder sets up another angle that I’m sure will be revisited sometime in the future.

Yes, there was a final battle between the second cycle’s good guys and bad guys. Yes, there was a lot of blood being spilled and sprayed. Yes, the story and art were like the perfect couple among your friends that you secretly envy. However, there was something else that was the icing on the cake for me in this issue. Something that normally doesn’t really get any attention.

That, my friends, was the placement of the credits. Seriously. I was completely sucked into the vibe of this story. I was hearing the voices and sounds. I was watching the action and listening to the narration when the credits came up. They couldn’t have been placed in a more perfect fashion. Kudos to whoever did that! Would that be the letterer, Steve Wands? I don’t know, but I’m sure glad they did it that way. If someone out there knows who is responsible for that, please give them a hug and thank them for me.

Aron White
aron@comicattack.net