EC Blood Type by Corinna Bechko, art by Andrea Sorrentino and Jonathan Case
Big thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for allowing me to
preview another Epitaph from the Abyss titled EC Blood Type. This one was a little different in that
it was a longer form story following the character of Ada, a vampire who is
always on the hunt for fresh blood to sustain her life. Unlike some of the
other titles in Oni’s EC series, this one doesn’t have short stories that are
typically like some of the classic EC Comics, although it does feature a unique
take on the vampire story with some interesting and unexpected twists, including
some double crossing and the kind of cosmic irony that ends up in punishment. I
really enjoyed Andrea Sorrentino’s and Jonathan Case’s artwork in this comic. Case’s
colorful prologue has a real kind of Miami feel, and it sets up an interesting
story about how crafty and resourceful Ada is in her quest to survive and
thrive as a vampire. Ada, acting as a safety officer on a boat, ends up in a
lifeboat with the passengers, eventually convincing them to share each other’s
blood. Once her supply dwindles, she’s picked up by a naval fleet, which is
where Sorrentino’s darker art emerges. I loved the references to rats and bats
throughout the book, as this kind of grounds the story in the more traditional
vampire tropes, along with the initial settings on boats. In a lot of ways, Ada’s
own journey on the boats where she feasts to feed her bloodlust mirrors Dracula’s
journey to England on the Demeter. Rather than landing on the dreary Victorian
English shores, Ada ends up on a tropical resort, where there may be some vampires.
Again, I enjoyed her resourcefulness to find a covered cabana to hide from the
sun’s rays, but this is where she meets and converts a resort worker who may
know of some island vampires. With Ada making him a vampire, she’s able to use
his knowledge of the other vampires on the island to bring her into contact
with them. However, not everything is as it seems, and Ada may realize that
these island blood beasts are of a different variety.
This comic has great artwork, and interesting twists. At
times, I wished there was more development or a better backstory. Sometimes
there are shifts in the narrative where we learn about Ada’s own transition
from a servant to a vampire, but again, there wasn’t as much detail or backstory
there. Overall, though, this was a good, fun twist on the vampire story, and I
really enjoyed the different ideas and experiments that happened in this comic.
I’m hoping that maybe there will be some more longer stories featuring Ada or
that EC will begin producing more longer stories about some of these classic
creatures. Nevertheless, shorter classic EC stories are also always welcome.
Recommended edition!
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