Review: I, Vampire Vol. 1- Tainted Love

Quick Summary

Pros: The book’s main hero and villain are both interesting and complex characters. The main storyline is great and brings up some interesting moral questions. There is plenty of intense action that is enhanced by the beautiful artwork.

Cons: Transitions between moments in the story are often rushed and can be a bit jarring.

Overall: This is not your typical vampire story. Here the vampire hunter is another vampire, who’s goal seems to be the complete obliteration of his own race. This is a story with conflicting morals, an emotionally tortured protagonist, and vampire fighting scenes that look absolutely amazing. Anyone who likes vampires, horror, or simply wants to read an interesting book about well written characters should give Tainted Love a read.

Story

I, Vampire Vol. 1: Tainted Love is the prefect example of how judging a book by its cover can cause you to miss out on a fantastic read. When I first came across this book, I assumed it would be a shallow book driven by the massive popularity of vampires at the time. After reading it, I found something much, much more.

In this book, writer Joshua Hale Fialkov tells the story of two vampires who’s destinies have pitted them against each other in a potentially eternal war. This isn’t just a simple lovers quarrel though, as one seeks to destroy all vampires, while the other seeks to destroy all humans. It also features a conflicted hero who’s goal is something akin to genocide. This blurs the lines between good and evil and makes the story more complex throughout. This is a great book for anyone looking for a deep read but will be  of particular interest to anyone who enjoys the horror genre.

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Tainted Love does not hold back when it comes to introductions; the first page of this book depicts dozens of recently turned vampires being brutally slain. This is a great way to instantly inject suspense and drama into the narrative and also grab readers’ attention. The rising action does not stop here though, as this storyline continues to depict the book’s hero, Andrew Bennett, as he destroys dozens of vampires. Fialkov writes this action sequence in a way that maximizes suspense and intrigue; as soon as you think Andrew has won or lost the tables instantly turn. It is a thrilling sequence that guarantees readers will be entertained for the book’s first half.

Interspersed between these action sequences are moments from Andrew’s past. These moments introduce readers to Mary, the book’s main villain, and explain her relationship to Andrew. The two are clearly in love, yet have such radically different views about the future of their race that their love seems doomed. This gives more detail as to who Andrew and Mary are and how deeply personal this war is to them. It also adds an emotional aspect to the action being shown between these flashbacks and thus makes everything more interesting.

After dealing with the horde of vampires, Andrew continues his mission by following Mary to Gotham. While there, Andrew has a chance encounter with another vampire, who Andrew believes may share his beliefs. Unfortunately, this vampire ends up going rogue and Andrew has to put him down. Though the transition to and from this story feels surprisingly sudden, it ends up being a nice change of pace that helps explore both Andrew’s character and the unique mental state of vampires.

As the story’s conclusion draws near, Andrew teams up with a host of allies to take down Mary, once and for all. The book’s final battle is similar to its first battle, in that it is suspenseful and full of action. It also more directly poses the moral quandary that the entire book seems to have been asking: if vampires are simply another form of sentient life, can killing them still be justified? This question fits right into the book’s theme of moral ambiguity and is something that will definitely stick with the reader after putting the book down.

The book’s final pages also features a twist that works well here and pushes the series into the future. Andrew is killed by one of his well meaning friends and his death releases an even greater evil. This was a shock to read, as it is completely unexpected and makes the conclusion more of a trip to read. Plus, it left me extremely excited to read the next volume.

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Art

Andrea Sorrentino is an incredibly talented artist who’s work here fits the atmosphere and mood of the book perfectly. Harsh lines and minimalist details create a dark book that simply screams horror. Together these effects also accentuate negative space, allowing readers to fill the darkness with details far more terrifying than any artist could depict. All of this blends well with the dark nature of the story and makes an already frightening book even more so.

Continuity

I, Vampire Vol. 1: Tainted Love starts the I, Vampire New 52 series. This means that this is the first volume in a brand new continuity, so there are not many references to previous books or specific character histories. This makes it a great starting point for new fans.

The story here continues in I, Vampire Vol. 2: Rise of the Vampires (Review).

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• Andrew mentions a group of vampire monks who are able to resist feasting on humans. This is a reference to House of Mystery #295.
• The last page of this book is an almost exact mirror of the last page of Justice League Dark Vol. 1: In the Dark (Review).