They brought arms...to an arms control conference

Hello all. My sincerest apologies for being absent for a couple of weeks. I was at the Grand Canyon lat week and well, I was distracted. In an attempt to keep things fresh, I've decided to change things up when it comes to reviews starting next week. From now on, I will be choosing my favorite books of the week and reviewing those only. 

American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #2 ****1/2
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Sean Murphy
Cover Artist: Sean Murphy
Publisher: Vertigo

Sometimes a spin-off story comes out of a book and you're left questioning whether that was a good idea. In this particular case, it was an amazing idea. Not only has Snyder kept the original series fantastic, this spin-off is absolutely brilliant stuff as well. The story is great. A search for a cure, sounds simple right? Believe me, it's anything but simple. And the art is gorgeous, really gorgeous. Murphy does an amazing job of enhancing Snyder's story.

There is a world behind the one we know

I figured that since I was late enough as it was, I would just combine last week's books with this week's.

American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #1 *****
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Sean Murphy
Cover Artist: Sean Murphy
Publisher: Vertigo

At this  point in time, I think it's perfectly safe to say that Scott Snyder can do no wrong. From the American Vampire series, to Detective Comics, and now to the American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest, this man is a literary genius. This mini-series follows Jim Book's daughter, Felicia, who is struggling with being an enhanced, but not vampire, human. At the same time, Cash, (remember him?), is having to deal with a monstrous child. What appears to be the driving plot for this story is a cure for vampirism. We get to see things from the point of view of the vampire hunters, those that have dedicated their lives to eradicating the creatures. When you start reading the book you get reintroduced to characters that have been gone for a while, but it's so well written it's almost as if they never left to begin with;  it's like catching up with an old friend. And that's a major testament to how well this book is written. Sean Murphy is handling the art for this and his work is fantastic. The linework, the gritty feel, everything about the art is fantastic and it really enhances the story.