DC Vs. Vampires: World War V #6 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES: WORLD WAR V No. 6, March 2025

It will be quite difficult for some within this comic’s audience not to have the feeling that Matthew Rosenberg simply threw his hands up in frustration with this script for Issue Six of “DC Vs Vampires: World War V”, and just hurled the two competing armies straight against one another two-thirds of the way through. For whilst the all-out fracas on a bleak, snow-caked tundra certainly causes plenty of drama as the likes of Damian Wayne, Green Arrow and the Black Canary seemingly fall beneath the fangs of a thousand bloodthirsty thralls, the head-on conflict comes completely out of the blue.

To make this mini-series’ storyline even more troubling though, the American author also appears to throw his sub-plot concerning Mister Miracle and his baby daughter squarely under a bus, by having the highly disagreeable Atlantean ruler Aquaman simply drown the pair by submerging them underwater. These almost nonchalant murders are as coldly calculated as they come ‘left field’, and momentarily suggests that this title is somewhat shockingly going to end significantly short of the twelve instalments its Burbank-based publisher originally promised; “The battle has turned in our favour. Shall we send in the rest of the troops, my Queen..?”

Easily this book’s biggest surprise however, has to be the sudden appearance of Darkseid and his numerous Parademons, following the revelation that the hooded old woman mysteriously trying to guide Barbara Gordon’s rule over all the vampires, is actually the New God from Apokolips - Granny Goodness. This revelation is gobsmackingly ill-timed for the Nosferatu as they’re just about to best humanity’s last few surviving super-heroes, and resultantly turns the entire title’s narrative right upon its head. Indeed, to some readers it may well look like Rosenberg suddenly tired of the complicated political manoeuvrings he has previously penned for this title and spontaneously felt like wiping the chalk board completely clean.

Disconcertingly, Otto Schmidt’s artwork is rather brusque-looking too, with the various panels depicting the competing armies jostling for any advantage looking like a mere collection of unrecognisable black blobs moving upon a boring, bare white winterscape. In fact, even the Siberian-born illustrator’s Granny Goodness is a disappointing shadow of the character originally imagined by her creator Jack “King” Kirby, due to the emaciated servant of Darkseid showing none of the physical attributes which made her the formidable leader of the Female Furies on Apokolips.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES: WORLD WAR V" #6 by Otto Schmidt

DC Vs. Vampires #12 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 12, February 2023

Bringing most of its planet wide sub-plots to a semi-satisfying ending James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg’s “cataclysmic final issue of the bestselling series” quite surprisingly does actually end with both the promised “bang and a whimper!” Indeed, despite the highly anticipated confrontation taking place between the blood-drinker’s King and Barbara Gordon’s costumed alter ego, many of this twenty-three-page periodical’s readers will almost certainly be clamouring for a thirteenth instalment; “The war is over. I was the last casualty. And when I died so did the last thing Humanity had left to cling to… Hope.”

Foremost of these ‘dangling threads’ is that despite the heroic demises of Duke Thomas, Captain Cold and numerous unnamed prisoners at the Smallville blood farm, the Vampire’s domination of Earth arguably appears to be as formidably strong as ever. True, the narrative to “Dawn” does contain the grisly death of the aforementioned food farm’s supposedly immortal “real big one”, as well as the successful resurrection of Supergirl following Leonard Snart’s creation of “a sort of polar vortex in the upper atmosphere.” But what will actually come of these enthralling events has clearly been bookmarked for another day and potentially, a second mini-series.

Likewise, the last gasp efforts of Black Canary, Frankenstein and Damian Wayne battling a small army of sharp-fanged fiends in the streets of Gotham City disconcertingly disappears from sight once Signal has sacrificed himself so that Batgirl can make her way to Dick Grayson’s throne room reasonably unmolested. So sudden a departure is perhaps understandable given that the comic’s main focus primarily shifts across to Nightwing’s attempt to have the late Commissioner Gordon’s daughter join his side. However, like Green Arrow’s success in Superman’s hometown, nothing is actually finalised and is simply left up in the air for a subsequent publication.

Perhaps this book’s most agreeable asset therefore lies in the art and colours of Otto Schmidt, Francesco Mortarino and Pierluigi Casolino, who together deliver all the savage violence and depressing darkness of a DC Universe ruled by murderous vampires. Furthermore, the creative team do an excellent job of imbuing the smart-mouthed Harley Quinn with some incredibly funny moments, such as when the high-spirited fighter is evidently intimidated by the presence of an all-powerful Wonder Woman, and later traumatised by Barbara’s suggestion that Dick drink her blood.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #12 by Guillem March

DC Vs. Vampires #11 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 11, January 2023

Potentially beguiling their audience like a circus performer with three simultaneous storylines, James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg’s juggling act for Issue Eleven of “DC Vs. Vampires” certainly mixes all-out, adrenalin-fuelled action with stealthy, nerve-jangling shenanigans as Batgirl leads a seemingly suicidal assault upon Gotham City’s vampire army, Green Arrow initiates a prison break in Smallville and John Henry Irons desperately attempts to smuggle Supergirl onto an orbital rocket ship. Yet whilst some lesser writing teams might struggle to keep a perusing bibliophile hooked handling so many ‘balls in the air’ at once, “Our Finals Hours” arguably manages to do just that with admirable ease; “Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way not to mess with the main man, Martian Lady.”

Foremost of these ‘hooks’ has to be John Constantine’s supposedly doomed squad revealing themselves to King Nightwing’s blood-drinking cohorts and straightforwardly spanking them in their droves within an inch of their undead lives. This frenzied battle is absolutely spellbinding throughout, whether it be during its early stages when surprise is definitely on the fiery Bat Family’s side, or later on, when the super-heroes leap upon a number of motorcycles so as to make a headlong dash for the safety of the Huntress’ ultra-violet Bat-Signal.

Just as engaging is the admittedly much less violent and distinctly quieter infiltration of the Tamala space centre in Australia. Somewhat disconcertingly throwing the brash and ultra-loud Lobo into a supposedly covert penetration of extra-terrestrial collaborators definitely ramps up the tension to this sub-plot, with the duplicitous, gun toting Czarnian likely to let his new partners’ disguises slip at any moment and resultantly rob Humanity of its last chance to bring Kara-El before the energy-restoring light of the Earth’s sun.

Equally as impressive as this twenty-two-page periodical’s penmanship are its layouts, with Otto Schmidt, Francesco Mortarino and Pierluigi Casolino doing a first-rate job in depicting all its dynamic drama and sense-shattering shenanigans. Indeed, perhaps one of this comic’s biggest draws is the sheer sense of despair and world weariness which is persistently pencilled upon the faces and bodies of its formidably sized cast, as the few surviving meta-humans frantically fight against their insurmountable foes with little hope, but still plenty of bravado and deadly determination.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #11 by Guillem March

DC Vs. Vampires #10 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 10, December 2022

Cleverly weaving the various exploits of Earth’s surviving super-heroes together as part of a combined effort against the blood-drinking machinations of a dark-hearted Nightwing, James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg’s penmanship for Issue Ten of “DC Vs. Vampires” definitely delivers when it comes to portraying a global wide crisis. In fact, the sheer scope of the action on show is quite breath-taking, as the writers firmly take their readers by the crook of their arm through the dank waters of Gotham City’s underground, across the red-baked deserts of Australia, and finally, unflinchingly imprison them alongside the surviving “human cattle” found at Hawkman’s nauseating Blood Farm.

Enjoyably though, all three of these plot-threads are mesmerising, courtesy of their protagonists persistently being under threat by their now heavily fanged friends and foes alike. Such tension really is truly palpable, and perhaps best leaps off the printed page during Batgirl and Black Canary’s bold attempt to infiltrate the now long-dead Dark Knight’s former metropolis via a vulnerable-looking rowing boat; “If you really have a distraction, it might be a good time to use it, Damian.”

In addition, this comic’s collaborative writing team are very good at introducing the odd curve ball into their narrative, so as to ensure it is not simply about the likes of Green Arrow or Supergirl just facing off against the armies of the Undead in a full-on battle. Indeed, this book’s ‘detour’ to depict Punchline as the nefarious mastermind behind Gotham’s Black Market is very intriguing, and in many ways it is a shame that more time can’t be spent with Alexis Kaye’s vampiric alter-ego – especially once it’s established she’s not necessarily a force of pure evil, but more a businesswoman who is able to play both sides of the conflict for a profit.

Similarly as successful as this publication’s scintillating storyline is Otto Schmidt’s pencilling, which emphatically brings each and every one of this periodical’s sizeable cast to dynamic life. Foremost of these characters has to be the illustrator’s handling of an always uppity Harley Quinn, whose comical facial expressions and zany naked behaviour brings some welcome dark humour to an otherwise disconcertingly bleak tale of treachery, terror and grisly death.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #10 by Guillem March

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

DC Vs. Vampires #8 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 8, October 2022

Admirably living up to its pre-publication blurb of continuing “this bloodthirsty series”, James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg’s script for Issue Eight of “DC Vs. Vampires” certainly tries to cover a lot of different plot-threads within this twenty-two-page periodical. However, whilst the writing duo are enthrallingly successful with both the Birds of Prey heading back “into the heart of the vampire kingdom”, and Supergirl’s action-packed crossing of “a vampire-infested ocean”, Green Arrow’s mission is disappointingly barely touched upon, with the authors instead disconcertingly depicting Oliver Queen squandering eighteen panels simply arguing with his partner, Black Canary; “They’ve got blood farms, Dinah. Humans kept in cages to feed on. I can’t let that go. You can’t ask me to.”

Fortunately though, this dialogue driven interlude is easily forgiven considering the quality of the penmanship surrounding it, most notably Kara Zor-El’s terrifying trek towards Australia and her subsequent battle with a sea full of homicidal fish-people. Indeed, the Atlantean’s attack upon the Kryptonian’s small-sized fishing trawler is debatably the highlight of this comic, as both John Henry Irons and Jayna demonstrate just how truly desperate the super-heroes are by quite literally tearing their scaly foes apart with their bare hands.

Similarly as gruesome is this publication’s portrayal of Jason Blood’s apparent massacre at the House of Mystery, and a badly wounded John Constantine’s miraculous escape. Admittedly, much of this harrowing confrontation sadly occurs ‘off-screen’, just as the world’s “leading expert on the occult and demonology” politely introduces himself to a startled Phantom Stranger, Spectre and Doctor Fate. But Otto Schmidt’s marvellous pencilling of an open-mouthed Barbara Gordon when she discovers Hellblazer’s mutilated form in the battle’s aftermath speaks a thousand words as to the fiery carnage which must have taken place inside the Kentucky-based residency.

Seemingly sat on the side-lines, repeatedly throwing a bucketful of gore over the printed proceedings in every other scene, is this book’s artistic team of Schmidt and Daniele Di Nicuolo, who together genuinely appear to completely splatter anyone in ‘claret’ whenever the opportunity arises. In fact, bibliophiles will probably be hard-pressed to recollect a title sporting so much evisceration and disembowelment this side of a Teen Plus reader rating.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #8 by Guillem March

DC Vs. Vampires #7 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 7, September 2022

Quite considerably ramping up the scale of the vampires’ invasion of Earth to a truly global level, this beginning to the mini-series’ “nightmarish second arc” certainly seems to do a cracking job in depicting just how horrifically all-powerful the blood drinkers’ empire has become since the treacherous murder of the Dark Knight. Indeed, the opening double splash-page to Issue Seven of “DC Vs. Vampires” provides a picture of the terrifying fate awaiting any remaining pockets of humanity which speaks more than a thousand eloquently chosen words. 

Enjoyably however, this sense of grandeur doesn’t deter James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg from still focusing upon the individual inhabitants of their deadly alternative world, and making their audience suddenly care for the likes of Adam Strange, Negative Man and Peacemaker. These ‘B-Listers’ have clearly taken up the fight in the name of mankind, and almost immediately capture the sympathetic support of the reader as they desperately attempt to escort an emaciated Kara to a safe haven whilst all the time fending off the ghoulish incarnations of some of the DC Universe’s heaviest hitters; “Yes. I have always thought you were the most boring member of the Justice League.” 

Furthermore, the shocking and systematic demise of Mister Bones’ band of brave do-gooders to an utterly arrogant Wonder Woman is not only as debatably chilling as comic book violence can possibly get, but also helps quickly establish the deadly, ruthless nature of those heroes infected by vampirism. Establishing such a despicable malevolence really is crucial to this publication’s final third, when it becomes evident that even the highly experienced Green Arrow has been significantly shaken to his core by the sights he has seen and is resultantly angrily at odds with some of his fellow super-heroes when they suggest “travelling halfway around the world, cross the ocean” to Australia to clear the ash clouds dominating the sky.

Adding an incredible amount of realistic fatigue to this comic’s considerably sized cast are Otto Schmidt’s pencils, which really do help promote the utter exhaustion felt by the few mortal survivors of the new Vampire King’s reign. Likewise, the Siberian illustrator does a stellar job in portraying this book’s more action-orientated moments and brings a genuine pathos to the plight of Robert Todd when the skull-headed protagonist sadly slips into lifelessness alongside Jayna after the Wonder Twin seemingly rescued him from an overconfident Firestorm.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #7 by Guillem March

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

DC Vs. Vampires #2 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 2, January 2022

Significantly upping the scales as to just who does and doesn’t know that “the war for the very survival of the human race has begun”, James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg’s script for Issue Two of “DC Vs. Vampires” definitely crams an awful lot of deadly dynamic action, blood-curdling betrayals, and even some tongue-in-cheek humour into its twenty-two pages. In fact, the pacing of this periodical is seemingly so ‘spot on’ that even a somewhat dialogue-heavy sequence featuring the World’s Greatest Detective slowly explaining just how deadly the situation actually is to the rest of the Bat-Family absolutely flies by; “The truth is that after a week of investigating… I have no idea who we might be facing.”

Arguably foremost of this comic’s biggest thrills however, is the way in which the treacherous Hal Jordon goes about his business slowly murdering any meta-humans who might pose a threat to his mysterious master’s grand scheme for planetary conquest. This book’s opening is a great example of this, where the Green Lantern savagely “kills the powerful necromancer Anton Arcane” without a moment’s hesitation, and does a terrific job in setting up the writing duo’s shocking conclusion when the merciless, ring-powered vampire fatally ‘sucker-punches’ his long-time friend, the Flash.

Enjoyably though, “Blood And Sand” isn’t just about depicting a chilling escalation in the destruction of the Justice League either, but also incorporates some distinctly dark moments of comedy too. No readers could be blamed for literally laughing out loud when Oliver Queen nonchalantly reveals Everyman to be a creature of the night much to the aghast astonishment of Star City villains Brick, Cheshire, and Cupid. Whilst young Damian Wayne’s suddenly violent outburst when he believes his father has poisoned his hot cocoa with holy water is masterfully penned.

Complimenting all these well-authored antics are Otto Schmidt’s layouts, which do a truly tremendous job of illustrating all the drama taking place within the “DC Comics” universe, such as when Barry Allen suddenly realises that his fully-trusted comrade-in-arms means to slaughter him. Yet the Siberian-born artist also does a stellar job in pencilling the emotional impact of this sweeping storyline’s events upon the likes of a tearful Wonder Twin Jayna, who is very concerned over her sibling Zan since he went missing several days ago.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #2 by Otto Schmidt