The vampire genre is one whose storied canon has been a mixed bag. Thankfully, most of the new content coming out is far better than much of what has previously been put out. The new iteration of Interview with a Vampire has given fans hope for more to come. It features a story that is faithful to its source material yet groundbreaking.

The series has shown a world that is true and not romanticized at all. Not afraid of diving into weighty topics, the series shows Louis, and even though he’s a vampires he still has suffered the indignities of racism because he was a Black man. Portrayals of people of color in the genre has long been fetishized but we’re hopefully moving past that. In Blade: Vampire Nation, what happens when vampires are ruled by the one person they feared the most?

We’re taken to Stravmor a city in Vampyrsk ( The Vampire Kingdom), where a hit team just assassinated a prominent member of the Vampire Council, s this gives their ruler, to acquire Blade’s services to find to who is behind the killings. As he digs deeper , he finds that there are ploitcial implications at play where  a revolution is burgeoning as humans do not want to be lorded over by vampires any longer.  He runs into the only survivor of the company who was hire dfor the hit, as he finds out the threat is from within. By the issue’s end, Blade finds the traitor and finds out who really holds power within Vampyrsk.

Overall, Blade: Vampire Nation is a different take on the vampire genre, as it feels like Robert Harris Fatherland, but with bloodsuckers. The story by Russell is pure crime noir. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, a story that readers will enjoy for its many nods to some cultural touchpoints.

Story: Mark Russell Art: Dave Wachter
Color: Dee Cunniffe Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle