Soul Vamp

    (Webb, 2002)
™ and © Webb Comics

Artist Tracy Stoops and writer Matt Wilson prove a couple of things in Soul Vamp: that they have a love of comics, but that they still have a lot to learn.

Soul Vamp is a pretty typical effort for a pair of young creators; they show a good grasp of the basics of comics storytelling but need more practice. Stoops’ art is competent; he demonstrates nice creativity when it comes to portraying futuristic cityscapes and other inanimate objects but needs work on human anatomy and movement. Many of the characters exhibit impossible twists and contortions, and often his lack of anatomical perspective makes arms and legs look like shriveled stumps.

Wilson avoids a couple of rookie mistakes by keeping things simple in the first issue and supplies a satisfactory, albeit lengthy, introductory explanation. But many of the important elements are glossed over. The story takes place in post-apocalyptic “New Detroit,” and the existence of vampires and resurrected knights is mentioned but not explained. Nothing is said about where these vampires, and the warriors who vanquished them, came from.

The story focuses on two at-large vampires who attempt to elude capture, but no reason is given as to why the reader should empathize with them. And the story is further marred by excessive use of clichés and improper punctuation.

But it shows a glimmer of promise. Stoops and Wilson merely need to hone their craft.

— Jim Johnson
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