DC vs. Vampires #3: Invasion of the Bloodsuckers

Fun, breezy storytelling sometimes gets a bad rap, especially in a medium like comics that is always on edge to prove its legitimacy to other media, like novels or film. There’s a lot to be said for a work that wears its heart on its sleeve and gives exactly what it promises. DC vs. Vampires #3 is one of those books that thrives in its execution of a simple premise, the DC universe in a silent war against an army of vampires. The book, written by James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg, with art and colors by Otto Schmidt and lettering by Tom Napolitano, is competently made from top to bottom, with each component getting its time to shine in the issue. 

The book picks up right after the previous issue’s conclusion, with a dead Flash and Batman continuing his investigation into who is and is not a vampire across the DC landscape. Tynion and Rosenberg’s script feels like a spiritual successor to Marvel’s Secret Invasion, with a deep paranoia baked into the book’s DNA. It’s interesting to see the Batfamily, who’s known for their paranoia, joined by the other street-level heroes in suspecting and investigating the threads of vampirism. It’s a clear focus on the nightstalker idea and helps group a seemingly absurd premise into a definite page-turner. This is no more apparent than an interaction between Robin (Damian Wayne) and Black Canary, both suspecting the other is a vampire, battle across a few pages. It’s a tit-for-tat that digs into the paranoid vibe that the writers explore to their full extent. 

Working hand in hand with that theme of paranoia, Schmidt’s art takes that emotional core and heightens it. The art is kinetic and stylized, and renders characters in a way that feels both extremely modern, while still being evergreen. Schmidt’s pencils and colors delight in getting to twist the recognizable heroes, and villains, into the bloodsuckers. Schmidt takes everything that has been brilliant about the art and coloring of the first two issues, which are so coherent it seems impossible to talk about without one or the other. The standout piece of art is a thrilling fight scene with Batgirl and Ratcatcher that feels right at home in a Bat-title but quickly shifts into this world’s visual language of stakes and vampires. 

Schmidt’s costumes are instant classics, and this book is a prime example of why the artist’s designs should be the bible for the universe going forward. The issue continues the trend of extending outward into the greater DC universe, touching not only on the Trinity and the Batfamily, but getting to see a larger group of Justice Leaguers, magic users like Zatanna, and even members of Batman’s rogues gallery. Each design unfurls across the page like a bolt of inspired character work, feeling wholly original. The book is a masterclass in character design and an overall cohesion of designs across a shared universe, full of aliens, magic and costumed vigilantes. 

A perfect encapsulation of the experience of reading DC vs. Vampires is present in the opening panel of the book, which features the best piece of lettering by Napolitano. The book’s credits appear as writing in the sand, drawn next to the recent corpse of the scarlet speedster. It’s something so simple, like the credits appearing as writing in the sand, that perfectly illustrates the series as a whole. It’s poignant and enjoyable in the moment but washes away with time. That letting choice is a major highlight of the book, integrating the text in the foreground of the image that layers in that fleeting feeling of life in this Elseworld story. The other moment where Napolitano’s lettering gets to shine is in a scene with a fun vampire reveal, working with Schmidt’s colors to give a faint red outline to the word balloon. It’s a subtle touch that helps differentiate the character the audience knows and loves, and reminds them these are bloodthirsty versions.