Since When Did Vampires Have So Much Fun? ‘Night Club’ #2 Advance Review

You may think vampires are synonymous with gothic horror, but in this fresh new take on one of literature’s favourite and most enduring night-stalkers, they are anything but your stereotypical bloodsuckers. Reinventing himself as a superhero on the cheap, Danny Garcia quickly, and without much effort, recruits his best friends into the ways of the bat and all three have pure, unadulterated fun as a result. Indeed this whole issue’s tone is one of adrenaline-fuelled fun and excitement in a world brimming with the potential for new and adventurous opportunities. An energy Mark Millar and Juanan Ramírez captures magnificently in Danny, Sam and Amy’s youthful exuberance. These three masked mates burst off each page giving off that innocent, confident vibe only felt by characters so young. Think John Romita’s hip, happening college-living hepcat, Peter Parker or Mark Wolfman and George Pérez era Teen Titans, and especially characters like Starfire and Changeling/Beast Boy. Danny and company, just like Cindy Lauper’s “girls”, just wanna have fun. And we’re invited along for the ride as they daringly defy gravity and embrace New York as though it were their own personal playground. 

As well as a zippy script by Millar, Ramírez’s artwork goes a long way to sell the newly-turned vampires youthful zeal. Big, bold panels with a variety of differing perspectives help energise the art to match the script, as well as a judicious and effective use of speed lines that pull you in at crucial points in the comic book. Ramírez’s use of flat blacks greats a great sense of solidity and, particularly on Danny, creates great definition. Plus, singled out for special praise by me is his ability to illustrate the coolest looking animated smoke that only adds to this comic’s cool credentials.

Of course, this level of carefree abandonment may well be the focus of this issue, conveying the excitement young superheroes often feel in those early days, but I doubt it will last. Especially as the very first issue pretty much foreshadowed darker days (or should that be nights?) ahead. Enjoy it will you can, kids, life has a habit of biting you in the ass. And this case, that could be quite literally, having already been bitten on the neck.

A too-cool-for-school comic book brimming with youthful zest and zeal, with the energy levels of an Olympian athlete on performance enhancing drugs.

Night Club #2 is out Wednesday 18th January from Image Comics