Because publishers want you to buy their product every month, comics are typically serial in nature. However, occasionally (and more often nowadays than ever before) publishers launch a comic title that is only meant to last for one issue. While ongoing series often have multiple chances to hook in new readers, the comics highlighted in this ongoing investigations only had One-Shot At Greatness!
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: August 2010
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Victor Gischler
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Janus (the son of Dracula) attends the once-a-century gathering of the world’s vampires. Almost all of the vampire sects (Anchorites, Kriegers, Claws, Atlanteans, Sirens, etc) are present to bring their current issues to Dracula, the Lord of Vampires. In a bold move, Xarus (another son of Dracula), kills his father in a bid for power. The events that follow are an interesting look at how the rest of the chips fall now that the entire game has been overturned. Xarus is confident that he’ll be the new Lord of Vampires and with his new light-ending technology, he may have an edge that no other vampire does. But, will all the other sects play along?
Camuncoli‘s art is really wonderful. Each sect of vampires has its own unique look, which is helpful in identifying all the players. I never knew there were so many different types of vampires in the Marvel Universe but, now that I’ve seen them, it certainly makes sense that these centuries-old creatures are no longer all alike. Gischler sets up a great new board game for all of these characters and sects (most of which, admittedly, I never even knew existed). The status quo is destroyed in the first few pages and the rest of the story spotlights the beginning stages of putting the pieces all back together again. It’s fun and exciting and you really don’t know what’s going to happen next. There’s lot of sneaky underhandedness and misdirection to explore here. The ending leaves us with a new Lord of Vampires but it’s clear there’s a lot more story to be explored here. I’m looking forward to more!
On Ebay: Dracula | Victor Gischler | Giuseppe Camuncoli