Al Harahap
Apr 17, 2004, 02:52 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0404/BiteClubCVR1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/0404/BiteClubCVR1t.jpg" align=left alt="Bite Club #1"></a>Reviewer: Al Harahap, al_harahap@comixfan.cjb.net
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: "Suck Off and Die"
Suggested for Mature Readers
Who killed mob boss Eduardo Del Toro? Who cares when his vampire mafia family are at one another's throats vying for his bloody big inheritance?
Writers: Howard Chaykin & David Tischman
Artist: David Hahn
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Colourist & Separator: Brian Miller
Cover Painter: Frank Quitely
Assistant Editor: Mariah Huehner
Editor: Shelly Bond
Bite Club created by: Howard Chaykin & David Tischman
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_1t.jpg" align=right alt="Bite Club #1"></a>MAIN CAST:
Eduardo Del Toro: 265 year-old vampire, adulterous, head of the Del Toro organised crime family.
Arabella Del Toro: Equally adulterous wife of Eduardo.
Victor Sanchez: Eduardo's nephew, runs the family's day-to-day operations.
Eduardo "Eddie" Del Toro Jr.: Firstborn son of Eduardo and Arabella, violent hitman.
Leto Del Toro: Middle Del Toro child, has become a priest, black sheep of the family.
Risa Del Toro: Youngest Del Toro child, party girl, head of the family's Vamp Records.
Danny Del Toro: Eduardo's grandson, Eduardo Jr.'s son, rebellious teen.
Zephram Klein: Del Toro family's close friend and lawyer.
Monsignor Declan Kelly: Leto's head of church, human.
Check this out if you like: The Godfather trilogy, HBO's The Sopranos, the vampire vs. werewolf gang flick Underworld, Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn
Recommended soundtrack accompaniment: Snatch - Original Soundtrack, Pulp Fiction - Original Soundtrack, Supernatural - Santana
What do you get when you combine mafioso drama with vampires? Why, the new Vertigo series Bite Club. Well, not quite. But more on that later. To be honest, I'm not big on crime dramas, especially those surrounding mafia stories. I thought The Godfather movies were just okay, and after watching one episode of The Sopranos, I never looked for it again. So shoot me (no pun intended). Then why did I pick up this book? Well, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I love vampires - at least, fictional ones. Their darkness, mystique, eroticism, and gothic-ness have always captured my interest. And while I'm not into the mafia, the thought of combining these two genres seemed too good to pass. Secondly, the experienced writing team of Howard Chaykin & David Tischman, who have previously collaborated on Son of Superman, Green Lantern: Evil's Might, American Century, and Barnum!, was also a big draw.
Chaykin and Tischman have adequately set up the series with this first issue. The setting is Florida, U.S.A., in a reality where the vampire population has gone public and has assimilated into human society - though not without racial tensions like those with any minority. It's a peculiar choice of setting as I would've expected the "darkness" element of both the mafia and vampires to be more suitable in a metropolitan/industrial area like New York or an old European city. But that would've been the obvious choice. Chaykin and Tischman instead take the road less travelled and went for sunny, tropical Miami, which in retrospect makes it more interesting, complements the story's "heat" and the exoticness of these Latino vampires.
There's not much plot movement quite yet. But thankfully so, as Chaykin and Tischman instead supply the reader with meaty introductory characterisations of the various family members. The head of the family and its organised crime ring, Eduardo Del Toro, has been killed, and two plots are instantaneously set up. Firstly, the obvious murder mystery that will undoubtedly keep the reader guessing throughout the series. Secondly, and more interestingly to me, are the power struggles that arise from fighting over the assets that daddy has left behind.
Chaykin and Tischman first give us a glimpse into the individual lives of these characters - what sets them apart from one another? Mama Arabella grieves behind her black veil… or does she? Eduardo Jr. and cousin Victor bring their brand of violence around town in attempts to find the killer. We see the priest son Leto absolving a churchgoer, and hesitantly leave his parish to be with the family during this time of crisis. The hip generation X daughter Risa is drawn away from a regular night of sex rave parties. And the rebel teen grandson Danny just seems to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They're already great characters as individuals, but it's when Chaykin and Tischman bring them together and they interact that delicious family dysfunction is abound.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_3t.jpg" align=left alt="Bite Club #1"></a> <a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_4t.jpg" align=left alt="Bite Club #1"></a>On art duties is David Hahn (Lucifer, Alone in the Dark, Private Beach), whose style is befitting of the story. Hahn has a rather clean, crisp retro style - though not to the point of that of Mike Allred's. So for those who aren't into this particular style, it doesn't take much energy to warm up to. Personally, I couldn't ask for a more suitable artist. Hahn's lines complement Miami's art deco mood, as it were.
What I'm curious about is the choice of the monochromatic colouring, especially when such has become a trademark of DC's new Focus line of books. DC's Vertigo books have always toned down from bright vivid colours because, more often than not, it doesn't suit their stories. And this is the case here. What sets it apart from the Focus style of colouring is that more shades of the particular scene's single-colour is used, so the images aren't as "flat" as the Focus books'. Moreover, the colour palette choices correspond nicely with the scene's setting and topic - i.e. dark purple for Risa's nightclub scene, deep green for Leto's church scene, light yellow for the funeral scene, etc. - so it's all fine and dandy.
So, uhh… where's all the vampire heebie-jeebies? Well, that's my main problem with the story. There isn't much of it - at least not in this first issue. Apart from the side props of fangs, blood smoothies/shakes, and silver bullets, there's not much of a vampiric presence in the issue, in the sense of the word that's uniquely theirs. Leto's story, of being an oxymoronic vampire priest, does come into play in his scenes, but they're much too brief. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it wasn't incorporated into the story as much as I had liked - or rather, had expected. So that's not to say that this is a bad thing. Just don't come into the book expecting an Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles story. Knowing Chaykin and Tischman, and their propensity to build up gradually into the core of their stories, I'm sure they have this in mind, and that we'll undoubtedly see much more of the vampire aspect in later instalments.
Bite Club #1 is off to a nice start. It takes the typical dysfunctional family template, which appropriately has many characters for a diverse readership, and spices it up by mixing in the popular mafia and vampire ingredients. You'll find yourself immersed in the mystery and relating to at least one of the characters. One creative aspect that stood out to me was the in-panel introductions of each main character, dispersed throughout the issue, complete with their large-fonted names intruding appropriately. I could virtually see the scene freeze with funk music playing in the background a la the character intros in the movie Snatch. Oh, and did I mention the beautifully painted Frank Quitely covers? Overall, a very enjoyable genre-bending read.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vhalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1202&cat=BITE+CLUB+)
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: "Suck Off and Die"
Suggested for Mature Readers
Who killed mob boss Eduardo Del Toro? Who cares when his vampire mafia family are at one another's throats vying for his bloody big inheritance?
Writers: Howard Chaykin & David Tischman
Artist: David Hahn
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Colourist & Separator: Brian Miller
Cover Painter: Frank Quitely
Assistant Editor: Mariah Huehner
Editor: Shelly Bond
Bite Club created by: Howard Chaykin & David Tischman
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_1t.jpg" align=right alt="Bite Club #1"></a>MAIN CAST:
Eduardo Del Toro: 265 year-old vampire, adulterous, head of the Del Toro organised crime family.
Arabella Del Toro: Equally adulterous wife of Eduardo.
Victor Sanchez: Eduardo's nephew, runs the family's day-to-day operations.
Eduardo "Eddie" Del Toro Jr.: Firstborn son of Eduardo and Arabella, violent hitman.
Leto Del Toro: Middle Del Toro child, has become a priest, black sheep of the family.
Risa Del Toro: Youngest Del Toro child, party girl, head of the family's Vamp Records.
Danny Del Toro: Eduardo's grandson, Eduardo Jr.'s son, rebellious teen.
Zephram Klein: Del Toro family's close friend and lawyer.
Monsignor Declan Kelly: Leto's head of church, human.
Check this out if you like: The Godfather trilogy, HBO's The Sopranos, the vampire vs. werewolf gang flick Underworld, Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn
Recommended soundtrack accompaniment: Snatch - Original Soundtrack, Pulp Fiction - Original Soundtrack, Supernatural - Santana
What do you get when you combine mafioso drama with vampires? Why, the new Vertigo series Bite Club. Well, not quite. But more on that later. To be honest, I'm not big on crime dramas, especially those surrounding mafia stories. I thought The Godfather movies were just okay, and after watching one episode of The Sopranos, I never looked for it again. So shoot me (no pun intended). Then why did I pick up this book? Well, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I love vampires - at least, fictional ones. Their darkness, mystique, eroticism, and gothic-ness have always captured my interest. And while I'm not into the mafia, the thought of combining these two genres seemed too good to pass. Secondly, the experienced writing team of Howard Chaykin & David Tischman, who have previously collaborated on Son of Superman, Green Lantern: Evil's Might, American Century, and Barnum!, was also a big draw.
Chaykin and Tischman have adequately set up the series with this first issue. The setting is Florida, U.S.A., in a reality where the vampire population has gone public and has assimilated into human society - though not without racial tensions like those with any minority. It's a peculiar choice of setting as I would've expected the "darkness" element of both the mafia and vampires to be more suitable in a metropolitan/industrial area like New York or an old European city. But that would've been the obvious choice. Chaykin and Tischman instead take the road less travelled and went for sunny, tropical Miami, which in retrospect makes it more interesting, complements the story's "heat" and the exoticness of these Latino vampires.
There's not much plot movement quite yet. But thankfully so, as Chaykin and Tischman instead supply the reader with meaty introductory characterisations of the various family members. The head of the family and its organised crime ring, Eduardo Del Toro, has been killed, and two plots are instantaneously set up. Firstly, the obvious murder mystery that will undoubtedly keep the reader guessing throughout the series. Secondly, and more interestingly to me, are the power struggles that arise from fighting over the assets that daddy has left behind.
Chaykin and Tischman first give us a glimpse into the individual lives of these characters - what sets them apart from one another? Mama Arabella grieves behind her black veil… or does she? Eduardo Jr. and cousin Victor bring their brand of violence around town in attempts to find the killer. We see the priest son Leto absolving a churchgoer, and hesitantly leave his parish to be with the family during this time of crisis. The hip generation X daughter Risa is drawn away from a regular night of sex rave parties. And the rebel teen grandson Danny just seems to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They're already great characters as individuals, but it's when Chaykin and Tischman bring them together and they interact that delicious family dysfunction is abound.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_3t.jpg" align=left alt="Bite Club #1"></a> <a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/biteclub1_4t.jpg" align=left alt="Bite Club #1"></a>On art duties is David Hahn (Lucifer, Alone in the Dark, Private Beach), whose style is befitting of the story. Hahn has a rather clean, crisp retro style - though not to the point of that of Mike Allred's. So for those who aren't into this particular style, it doesn't take much energy to warm up to. Personally, I couldn't ask for a more suitable artist. Hahn's lines complement Miami's art deco mood, as it were.
What I'm curious about is the choice of the monochromatic colouring, especially when such has become a trademark of DC's new Focus line of books. DC's Vertigo books have always toned down from bright vivid colours because, more often than not, it doesn't suit their stories. And this is the case here. What sets it apart from the Focus style of colouring is that more shades of the particular scene's single-colour is used, so the images aren't as "flat" as the Focus books'. Moreover, the colour palette choices correspond nicely with the scene's setting and topic - i.e. dark purple for Risa's nightclub scene, deep green for Leto's church scene, light yellow for the funeral scene, etc. - so it's all fine and dandy.
So, uhh… where's all the vampire heebie-jeebies? Well, that's my main problem with the story. There isn't much of it - at least not in this first issue. Apart from the side props of fangs, blood smoothies/shakes, and silver bullets, there's not much of a vampiric presence in the issue, in the sense of the word that's uniquely theirs. Leto's story, of being an oxymoronic vampire priest, does come into play in his scenes, but they're much too brief. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it wasn't incorporated into the story as much as I had liked - or rather, had expected. So that's not to say that this is a bad thing. Just don't come into the book expecting an Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles story. Knowing Chaykin and Tischman, and their propensity to build up gradually into the core of their stories, I'm sure they have this in mind, and that we'll undoubtedly see much more of the vampire aspect in later instalments.
Bite Club #1 is off to a nice start. It takes the typical dysfunctional family template, which appropriately has many characters for a diverse readership, and spices it up by mixing in the popular mafia and vampire ingredients. You'll find yourself immersed in the mystery and relating to at least one of the characters. One creative aspect that stood out to me was the in-panel introductions of each main character, dispersed throughout the issue, complete with their large-fonted names intruding appropriately. I could virtually see the scene freeze with funk music playing in the background a la the character intros in the movie Snatch. Oh, and did I mention the beautifully painted Frank Quitely covers? Overall, a very enjoyable genre-bending read.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vnone.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vnone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vnone.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vhalf.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/vnone.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1202&cat=BITE+CLUB+)