Dark Days

(IDW, 2003)
™ and © Idea + Design Works LLC

When the first issue of this series’ predecessor was solicited, there was little, if any, advance word of mouth to promote it. But the hook to 30 Days of Night was its setting in a northern Alaskan town during its annual month-long period of darkness, and this hook is what initially pulled in readers.

Set in Los Angeles rather than Barrow, Alaska, the sequel promises no such unusual setting, but it doesn’t need to. With the anticipation generated by last year’s acclaimed series, writer Niles knows that readers are already hooked, so he jumps right in with a story that captures readers with the same all-encompassing fear and suspense that kept them peeking from under the covers last time.

Not to say that there’s any kind of sameness to the story — far from it. Besides the shift from cold and dark Alaska to sunny southern California, there’s a shift in tone, as well. 30 Days heroine Stella Olemaun takes the offensive this time, launching a crusade against vampire clans wherever they might exist, to prevent another tragedy like that seen in Barrow. The suspense this time isn’t from a standpoint of helplessness or being victimized; it’s generated from the uncertainty of what this newly launched war will bring.

Artist Templesmith adjusts his art, as well. The tones are a little brighter and more colorful, representative of a conflict that has escalated beyond the confines of a desolate location. As before, this series wastes no time getting started, but, unlike the all-too-short 30 Days, the six issues allotted this time around may allow for a little more character and story development than was present in the original.

— Jim Johnson

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