DC Vs. Vampires: World War V #8 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES: WORLD WAR V No. 8, June 2025

Having apparently decided to stop providing any explanation as to what is occurring within this mini-series’ tortuously tiring tale, and simply throw an absolute bucketload more B-string characters into the mix for good luck, Matthew Rosenberg’s narrative for this particular twenty-four page periodical must surely have completely deflated any reader hoping to understand just what was going on. Indeed, like the last human survivors battling against a blizzard-ravaged Sante Fe in New Mexico, many within this comic’s audience will almost certainly feel like they’re having to wade through waist-high snowdrifts as they painfully navigate the American author’s ‘storyscape’ of unrelated set-pieces and word-weary conversations.

Easily this publication’s largest problem however, is just how utterly disconnected everything feels. One moment the action is revolving around Miss Martian trying to hold off Darkseid’s forces in a desolate-looking church, and then suddenly the spotlight lurches to The House of Mystery where a dead John Constantine is informed that he’s been 'saved' simply so he can impotently watch the Lord of Apokolips’ unexpected invasion of a vampire-infested Earth through a mansion window.!?! Furthermore, any perusing bibliophile will doubtless find it incredibly difficult to keep up with the movements of Lashina, Mad Harriet, Caitlin Fairchild, Hank Henshaw, F.E.L.I.X., G.I. Robot, and Kilg&re, not to mention Jack Kirby’s roster of the New Gods and the Metal Men, when the writing doesn’t supply any rhyme or reason as to where they’ve suddenly come from, or what their motivations are; “I can still eat someone’s bones though, right Gilotina.?”

Admittedly, that doesn’t mean that Issue Eight of “DC Vs Vampires: World War V” isn’t completely devoid of pulse-pounding action. Far from it in fact, as Ra's al Ghul’s Batman and Alfred Pennyworth’s Green Lantern are prodigiously pencilled by Otto Schmidt getting into a right scrap against an army of Parademons. But as with so much of this comic’s content, the bickering pair’s appearance appears to follow no overall plot, and comes completely out of the blue.

Intriguingly though, what does prove a far more satisfying yarn is this book’s sadly short-lived back-up feature entitled “Wildcat: Going The Distance”. Penned by Shane McCarthy and drawn by Fabio Veras this disconcertingly dark insight into what happened to Wildcat when the vampire’s first took control of the world is wonderfully atmospheric, and remarkably manages to pull upon the emotional heartstrings of any onlooker as Ted Grant desperately searches for his missing son amidst a land ravaged by blood-sucking killers.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES: WORLD WAR V" #8 by Otto Schmidt

DC Vs. Vampires #3 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 3, February 2022

Considering just how many different super-heroes, despicable villains and pulse-pounding plots James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg manage to cram into Issue Three of “DC Vs. Vampires”, it’s arguably a credit to the collaborative pair’s penmanship that this periodical is only twenty-two pages in length. Yet whilst such a ‘tight squeeze’ might have caused other lesser-skilled authors to take a few short-cuts with their storytelling, the narrative to “Trust No One” seemingly does no such thing, and simply moves from scene to scene in an enthrallingly comprehensive manner; “We were meant to stay away from you Bat-people. But I can just lie and say this was self-defence.”

Indeed, the comic’s pacing is spot on, with even some of the more dialogue heavy sequences, such as “Batman’s investigation into the disappearance of Andrew Bennett” beneath the Hall of Justice sewers, and Black Canary’s visit to Oliver Queen’s Truck Stop hideout to discuss whether Damian could be one of the “undead plague”, doing little to slow down the speed of the vampires’ lightning fast attacks upon the hapless inhabitants of Gotham City’s streets. Naturally though, it is this book’s central thread of Green Lantern slowly increasing his hold over the Justice League which probably holds the most interest, even when Hal Jordan himself isn’t even actually present.

The fanged infiltrator’s fake anguish at the demise of the Flash is cringeworthy enough to make any bibliophile’s skin crawl at his murderous hypocrisy, especially when John Broome's co-creation instantly takes charge of the group’s investigation into Barry Allen’s cold-blooded killing and clearly directs the likes of Aquaman and Superman away from anything which would possibly link him to the crime. But the inter-galactic policeman's presence is still enthrallingly palpable during the Dark Knight and Jayna's subsequent grim discovery of Zan's light-shredded mortal remains.

Likewise, there’s a lot to enjoy with the tense patrols taking place throughout the dark, suddenly all-too deadly thoroughfares of Bruce Wayne’s home metropolis. Otto Schmidt does a first-rate job of pencilling just how dangerous even a low-life vampire can be when one surprises Bat-girl and Nightwing during one of their routine patrols. However, it is most likely Oswald Cobblepot’s shockingly brutal death beneath the pointy-teeth of an infected Zatanna which is going to haunt this comic’s readers for some time to come, due to the blood-sucking magic user’s callous desire to simply “eat some junk food” for a change.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #3 by Otto Schmidt