Steve Niles

This is the sort of fiction that the vampire genre needs. The vampires don't sparkle, they don't throw about all that "b-grade gothic bullshit", and there are varying factions within them. Not every vampire is the same, but there are certain generalizations that one can make about them. The moral questions raised in this volume were fantastic, and I hope that the rest of the series continues in this vain. Also... doesn't it just make sense that they've infiltrated the FBI and other such show more resources?

Not to give too much away, but the ending was perfect. The artwork was stunning, and the script left nothing to be desired. The characters are ones that it's easy to empathize with, or at the very least, to understand. The motives are there, and the vampires are just human enough.

This is the sort of horror that I adore, and I am so glad that the series is living up to my expectations. show less

Fantastic!

This Annual issue has rebuilt my faith in the series. John Ikos, the vampire Dane, and Billy from the last issue join forces against a rather familiar group of extremist vampires. Vampire politics come into play, and the question of morality is a fascinating one. Ikos makes an interesting protagonist, and Norris a cunning villain.

The artwork in this piece is gorgeous, per usual, and the dark colors blend to create a rather striking backdrop to the city. The gore is out in force, show more and a few clever shots of vampires brains splattered on the asphalt were fittingly disgusting.

I was very happy to see Dane, Ikos, and Billy return. This story, short and sweet, was a very nice switch from the incomprehensible "Juarez." There's still a lot of good depths to plumb in the dark underbelly of the undead world. I look forward to seeing what else 30 Days of Night will offer. show less

I have a soft spot for the 2007 movie (Josh Hartnett in a skin-tight, sweaty thermal? I am so there for that!), and wanted the story to continue without subjecting myself to any of the sequels. I started with the original 3-issue comic book, because why not?

The story is there - the kernel of it anyway; it's much more terrifying and, um, fleshed out in the film - but the art is fucking horrendous. All of the humans look like funhouse mirror approximations of h. sapiens, and in many cases are show more more terrifying than the monsters themselves. It's just ... there aren't any words. I'm speechless.

That said, I'll keep reading, if only for sentimental reasons. (Film) Eben, what a babe. show less

I'm one of those people who saw 30 Days of Night the movie before picking up a copy of the graphic novel - written by Steve Niles and illustrated by Ben Templesmith. And while the movie is rather vague now - I must've watched it at least two years ago - I have to utter the unholy phrase of "I liked the movie better."

Don't get me wrong, the graphic novel's a must read - dare I say, a part of the ever growing canon of Vampire Literature. But it's lacks something that the movie offers: Build show more up.

Sure, I'm not a fan of plot devices, stringing the audience along and what not, but this leaves us hungry for more. It gives us little to work with. There isn't much character build up, isn't much plot build up and the climax is like an erection that grows flaccid immediately.

And I'm not cutting down on Steve Nile's story. The story is great, which is why I feel starved myself. If he didn't have the ability to tell it, or I felt that he was a hack, I wouldn't be here wishing there was more to this book than what was offered to me.

The edition I have - because I'm not certain that all the editions have this - also features the comic script written by Niles. It's pretty detailed for only a portion of the book. It also bears witness to the fact that he is a great and talented writer. So why is 30 Days of Night leaving me feel incomplete? I read a beginning and an end, but the middle was thinner than an bulimic prom queen.

I'm aware there are other books to the series, not just this one. But shouldn't I have been treated with something more in this novel? Or perhaps the novelization might come in handy, which I doubt as most of them suck anyway.

But to make up for the hunger of more story, I must admit that Ben Templesmith's artwork is beyond anything I've ever laid eyes upon. The man, like his writer counterpart, is a genius. These to are the dream team of Vampire graphic novels. show less