V Wars sparked my interest last month. Reading such a common topic seemed to be a task that I wasn’t too thrilled about. But I have to say that issue #1 got me excited to see a different take on vampires. We still had the blood and typical backstory, but we went on a slightly different ride. From the first moments of opening I could feel this second issue had a different vibe. I didn't know quite yet if I liked it. This issue doesn’t open with any of our main characters from last issue. We meet Yuki, a reporter who is always uncovering the truth. The bloods have captured her. Martyn is the specific blood that decided Yuki is the perfect gal for his next job. You keep thinking that this dude is going to use Yuki for evil purposes. Martyn seems to want the complete opposite. He wants Yuki to tell the truth behind the bloods. He doesn’t blame, but clearly points a finger at the beats for causing this war. He has been watching Yuki and thinks she has the morals to do the right thing. Whether Martyn has an ulterior motive or not is unclear. I think it is important to note that he did torture Yuki, but I guess his DNA has changed and maybe being more aggressive is part of this transition.
Yuki accepts the challenge and after meeting a poor woman who is a blood, trying to do the right thing, she takes a new lease on her news stories. She takes a side that no human is taking. The world is suppressing the bloods, but Yuki hopes to enlighten beats with the news. I highly doubt this plan will take effect overnight. Also, I have a feeling that Yuki will need some protection.
As I said, this issue seemed different from the last. We get a lot of explanation here. It was all very simple stuff, so it was annoying. The gist of it was civil rights. Where do we draw the line? I know there is still a lot to be done with civil rights, but I’d rather read a comic about actual civil rights and not about some fantasy with vampires. It was too much. The comic would make clips up of different churches preaching different lines or different news station saying why not to give vampires rights. I couldn’t grasp onto this new story because it felt like a repeat of what I see in the news every day. I wanted more. It also read a lot like X-men with the differences in humans.
All and all, my mind finally absorbed the issue, and it just didn’t agree with me. The story didn’t seem unique at all and lost all its wow factor from the first issue. I may see what happens next, but for a new series to hit such a sour spot with me so soon isn’t a good sign. I didn’t mind the jumping of characters, as with these widespread panic, it is nice to see all perspectives. I hope that maybe this storyline was just missing for me, and when we move on I can enjoy V Wars as much as I did with the first issue.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Jonathan Maberry Artist: Alan Robinson Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 5/21/14 Format: Print/Digital