By Cat Wyatt

The more I think about the first issue of Dark Fang, the more impressed I am with it. The second issue doesn’t disappoint either, though I don’t think it was as groundbreaking as the first (kind of hard to compete with yourself there). For those that missed the first issue; Dark Fang is about a vampire whose way of living is being threatened thanks to global warming. Yes, you read that right. This is a legit vampire story focused on climate change. I can honestly say that I didn’t see that coming.

Being that our vampire lady (Valla, for those dying to have a name) is over a hundred years undead, it really shouldn’t be surprising that she’s got a decent array of abilities. This includes the ability to travel as a green wisp (err, at least I think that’s what it is?). Which all things considered is a pretty speedy way of getting back to the place she once called home.

Valla is determined to figure out the cause of her darkening fang, which presumably is also the cause of the corruption in the sea. The only people (I use the definition loosely) who could possibly answer her questions are a little bit…indisposed of at the moment. Heading back to the castle where she was a vampire slave, Valla finds a glass case. Inside the glass case is a sword which runs through three skulls. While the skin is gone from the skulls, the hair remains. It isn’t hard to guess that these were the brides that she slew all those years ago.

The nice part about being a decently aged vampire is that your intuition has had a lot of time to figure things out. For example, I’m sure Valla had never seen her previous master or his brides use blood to talk to a dead vampire, but she still knew it would work for her here.

While I don’t actually think the three brides were sisters, they certainly seem to act that way. Upon being awakened (is that the right term? They’re still just skulls with a sword poking through the ears) they pick right up with the bickering, though admittedly some of it is directed at Valla. I’m not sure if this scene was intended to be humorous, but it had me chortling.

It probably goes without saying that the bride skulls (their new nickname, as far as I’m concerned) were pretty shocked and horrified by what is happening to Valla’s fang. Of the dangers, they’ve listed (beheading, loss of blood, wooden stake, sunlight, and holy water); none match what is happening here. So clearly it’s something new, or at least something they’ve never heard of. It could be a poison or a plague. So it seems likely that since the fangs are the first to change, it is likely the human population that is affected. In essence, her food source has been tainted. The question is, by what? (Obviously, we can see all the pieces to this puzzle, but Valla hasn’t figured it all out yet).

One of Valla’s thoughts during this time caused me a decent amount of amusement. Among other things, she found herself wondering what natural force could bend immortality. It seems like most people are concerned with the opposite of that question, and yet here we are; a vampire wondering what could possibly be (presumably) slowly destroying her.

It stands to reason that Valla’s birthplace is likely somewhere near the castle. Or at least, I’m willing to bet the small village by the sea she walks up to was once her home. I highly doubt the vampire that turned her traveled far for a minion (he struck me as the lazy sort). Time has changed her small town, and not for the better. She finds it abandoned, with the exception of one older fisherman. He tells her the tale of the town, how the oil rig nearby drove people away (but don’t worry, they paid them off first) and how the owners of the rig have continued to drill, despite the damages being done.

I’m sure we can all guess what happens next. Valla is starting to see the pattern finally. A darkness that spread through the sea; that is now spreading through her. An oil spill that destroyed her village then killed the fish, and then the fishing industry. Not hard to connect the dots when it is all laid out as such. It probably goes without saying that the oil rig didn’t stand a chance. Though I do question how wise her choice was; first by biting the rig (did I mention she transformed into a shark?), then by most likely letting the oil loose in the sea. I doubt all the oil was destroyed, though Valla may have managed not to have ingested any of it herself.

But the hunt has only just begun. Now that Valla knows the dangers of oil rigs, she must research them and track them back to their origin. This leads her on a bit of a chase, which ultimately will bring her around to the men that make the laws allowing drilling. I think I know what’s going to be happening in the next issue…

It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten really into a vampire series. It feels like the truly outstanding ones are few and far between (which probably is for the best, this forces us to appreciate the ones we have). Dark Fang is rapidly becoming one of my favorite series. Not only is it touching on a pretty sensitive subject (climate change) but it’s very bold in other manners as well. They are unafraid to show Valla (or other characters) naked, while also not feeling compelled to over sexualize them (remember, nudity =/= sexual). The occasional joke or moment of humor (frequently on the morbid side) helps to balance out the heavier nature of the series. The result is a finely crafted piece of writing.

As for the artwork, I’m in love. That’s all I can say. It’s visually striking, the covers are been superb so far, as have the color palettes and design choices. I enjoyed seeing how her powers were portrayed; for example, the moment when she transitioned from human (well, vampire) to shark, it was well done. While it reminded me of an Animorph cover, it didn’t read as being nearly that hokey.

Score: 5/5

Dark Fang #2
Image Comics