Review: Vampire Loves

In the mid-90s, somebody at Marvel (I want to say Tom DeFalco, but confirming this would require research) famously declared that Sleepwalker was “Sandman done right.” While this sentiment seems silly on the face of things, I’ve come to realize that to some people, having a spooky, nocturnal guy that punched his way out of most situations instead of talking his enemies into a stupor was the right concept. Me, I’m of the mind that while spooky, literary comics are all right, I’d much rather read something else set in the world of horror, if not Sleepwalker.

This is probably why I love Joann Sfar’s Vampire Loves so very much, as it takes the world of Poe, Lovecraft, Shelly, and Stoker and uses it as a backdrop for an unconventional comedy about one bloodsucker’s grappling with romance after breaking up with his wood-nymph girlfriend. The protagonist, Ferdinand, is the sort of vampire that bites with one tooth and would rather listen to folk music than Marilyn Manson, making him ill-suited to the whole dating-among-the-undead thing. It’s while trying to get over Lani that Ferdinand finds himself responsible for a murder investigation, having a horrible time at nightclubs, going on ocean cruises, and working his way through a series of painful near hook-ups that only lead to more misery for him (and laughs for the reader.)

A collection of four French books featuring Ferdinand, the 185-page Vampire Loves is packed with material and is one of the densest books I’ve read in a long time despite having a light, knowing tone. Sfar takes from both current Goth culture trends as well as European mythology to create a lively, believable world that I want to return to, unlike many horror-themed works. His enjoyable cartooning style (also on display in Sardine In Outer Space) invokes Charles Addams while standing out on its own with plenty of body language to liven up the talker bits.

Highly recommended by me, Vampire Loves is out this week. You can view preview pages here.