The eagerly awaited return of American Vampire is almost here. Set to appear in March 2014, writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque’s award winning Vertigo series will finally emerge from hiatus to pick up the events following the series’ last story arc “The Blacklist”, as the story of Pearl, Calvin, and Skinner Sweet shifts from the 1950’s and into the world of the swinging 60’s.
American Vampire began in 2010 featuring a story co-written by bestselling horror novelist Stephen King. Since then, Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque have spent the last few years charting the story of the first American Vampire, wild west outlaw Skinner Sweet, and his Vampire progeny, the would-be movie star Pearl Jones. Their series has won an Eisner and received critical acclaim from fans and critics alike, mixing its unique take on Vampire lore with a scientific and historical slant, banding its Vampires into a different species, while Skinner and Pearl’s story begins to entwine with many of the biggest events of the 20trh century.
So, what is in store for Skinner Sweet and Pearl Jones when the series returns? “American Vampire definitely has a special flavor,” series artist and co-creator Rafael Albuquerque said on the Vertigo website. “After working daily with these characters for so long, Scott and I feel connected to them, just as if they were real people, somehow. Returning to that feels like getting back home after a long, long, trip.”
“I’ve missed American Vampire so much it’s downright scary,” said writer and co-creator Scott Snyder, adding. “In the interm, Raffa and I have planned and plotted a lot, and I think its safe to say that for both of us, there is no project more exciting or important than this one. We cannot wait to bring you all back to the world of American Vampire this spring. The best stories are coming-promise.”
While March 2014 may seem a long way off, this is the perfect time to catch up on all 5 volumes of the original series, as well as the recently published American Vampire Anthology featuring stories set in the world of American Vampire, with tales by some incredible talent including Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon (DAYTRIPPER), Becky Cloonan (DMZ), Jeff Lemire (TRILLIUM) and Ray Fakes (CONSTANTINE) and many, many more. There is also the brilliant American Vampire: The Long Road to Hell, a one-shot special from earlier this year, featuring Travis-Kidd, by co-writers Snyder and Albuquerque, with art by Rafael Albuquerque.
You might also like to check out The Wake, written by Scott Snyder with art by Sean Murphy (American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest), and Rafael Albuquerque will join Jeff Lemire from issue #24 of Animal Man. The first “Wake” trade is also scheduled for release soon, which will collect the first five issues of the series.
So there is plenty to keep fans happy while we prepare for American Vampire to return.
“American Vampire” will return from hiatus in March 2014; and “The Wake” issue #4 is released September 25th