The Adventures of Luna the Vampire certainly doesn't lack enthusiasm. Most characters are lumps of squishy flesh extending outward with jiggling rubbery limbs of inconsistent length. Their feet rarely touch the ground. There are few if any parallel line or even straight lines. Luna inhabits a universe powered by pure, uncut silliness. It may be infectious or it may be skin-crawlingly annoying. So. What's the plot? Well, there is none. Unlike a lot of titles bearing the word "adventures", this book actually features multiple stories. The Adventures of Luna the Vampire is a series of short-form comic tales and single-page illustrations, the kind the industry has largely and unfortunately shrugged away from. There are about three stories, none of which are especially substantive. As a result the reading experience sort of washes over you innocuously. That's not a criticism so much as it is a warning. Honestly, the quality of the writing is going to be irrelevant for many readers. The aggressive cuteness and brightly colored atmosphere are paired with a childish glee that some will find delightful. And Luna is up front with its arguably obnoxious tone. Look at the covers and you’ll know if you’re in the book’s target audience.
For what it’s worth, I don’t find anything here at all bothersome. It’s fun enough.
If I'm to analyze this comic as a coherent arc I'd say it is about acknowledging one's individuality, accepting one's need to change while still taking control of that change. Luna gives in to the collective will of outside forces. She tries to be and to do as expected, but is punished for her attempts. One adventure deals with self-improvement as driven by culturally enforced self-loathing. Luna, like a lot of folks, succumbs to a ridiculous and even dangerous trend emerging from the health/fitness industry. It's all played very light and for laughs. Though you can taste the bitterness smothered in sugary syrup. I especially enjoy the clever use of the comic medium by filling space with intrusive word bubbles and thought balloons. Luna actually takes up physical space by obsessing over her own fatness. It’s cute. Likewise, the rest of the book is breezy and bonkers, wandering through the bizarre life of Luna whose vampire nature only shows itself once, in retaliation for societal pressure to conform to a constantly shifting standard of normalcy.
But I’m probably reading too much into a silly little thing about a cute vampire girl.
Skipping breathlessly from panel to panel, The Adventures of Luna the Vampire #1 is almost a trifle, but an enjoyably goofy one. Nothing about it will stick with you for much longer than it takes to finish reading.
Score: 3/5
The Adventures of Luna the Vampire #1 Writer/Artist: Yasmin Sheikh Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 1/13/16 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital