DC Vs. Vampires #9 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 9, November 2022

Quite beautifully interweaving three separate storylines together into a genuinely riveting read, James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg’s narrative for “A Stillness and a Storm” must surely have had it audience sitting on the edge of their seats at times. Indeed, the arrival of some of the traitorous Justice League’s most powerful vampiric members, coupled with the startling revelation as to just who the new Black Manta actually is, disconcertingly suggests that more than a few of this comic’s considerably-sized cast are about to be brutally slain; “You take the form of water to attack me? I am the Lord of all Water, child. It is mine to command. Goodbye, Twin.”

Foremost of these potential fatalities has to be Oliver Queen, who opens this book single-handedly tackling both a heavily-fanged Tobias Whale and B'Wana Beast in a dilapidated Smallville farmstead. Long-bearded and freely utilising the deadly concoction of “three parts gasoline and one part holy water”, Green Arrow seems destined to die a horrific death under an overwhelming body of his blood-drinking assailants - especially when he later decides to attack Hawkman’s heavily-guarded Camp Hiawatha head on.

Equally as hopeless is John Henry Irons’ desperate attempt to get an emaciated Super-girl to safety in Australia via the ocean. Prodigiously-pencilled by Otto Schmidt, Steel’s “watery grave” appears absolutely certain once Aquaman appears along with his formidable Royal Guard. True, the Siberian artist sketches the former AmerTek Industries employee leading a stunningly savage assault upon the treacherous “Dweller-in-the-Depths” with his sledgehammer. But it’s obvious just from the horrified look upon the super-hero’s face when he first realises who he is facing, that the sea voyage’s entire expedition are going to be systematically defeated one by one.

Lastly, this comic’s collaborative writing duo depict the Birds of Prey sizing up the terrifying hurdles preventing them from entering the ruins of Gotham City. Faced with the prospect of going “toe-to-toe with Power Girl” it is perhaps unsurprising that Black Canary’s band prefer to talk through their problems as opposed to tackling them with some suicidal shenanigans. Yet despite this lack of dynamic action, the quality of the penmanship still makes these scenes a gripping drama, with the threat of Kara Zor-L suddenly swooping down from her skyline patrol to lethally open up their veins ever present in each tense, well-sketched panel.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #9 by Guillem March