30 Days of Night by Steve Niles, Ben Templesmith Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of 30 Days of Night
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
With the release of the recent paperback RUMORS OF THE UNDEAD I decided to check out the original graphic story. I discovered that all of the hype was unwarranted.
This supposedly original and groundbreaking story tells of Barrow, a town above the Arctic Circle where for thirty days in the middle of winter the sun does not rise. Certain elements preferring or requiring darkness may find this an interesting place to be at that time. So night falls and the creatures of the night descend upon the small town.
Here the story falls apart. We are led to believe that the creatures of the night can revel in the town for thirty days because of the darkness. But the speed and fury of their attack leaves little for them to do past the first few hours. Seems they could have done the same damage and had the same fun in a normal night. Then we have the leader chastize one member of the group but when we hear his argument (a standard in vampire fiction) we have to wonder at the actions of the rest of the group. Finally, we have to wonder how the newbie manages to suddenly rise to power greater than any other in just a few minutes. The whole thing is rounded out with a subplot involving characters that reveal nothing of the story and advance none of the plot. They seem to exist solely for the purpose of being mentioned in a sequel.
Very crude art and minimal dialogue is used to tell this story. When I finished the book (a fifteen-minute read) I had to ask myself if that was it. I felt cheated at the lack of substance and the rehashing of old ideas as if they were new and original. Of course fans not as familiar with the genre may find some of the ideas new to them even if they aren't new to the field. All in all I have to say that it isn't worth the money unless you just want to see really bad art of people being killed.
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
The story is cliche ridden, the characters are flat and the artwork is murky. It's like something put together by talented highschool kids.Book Review: Don't Believe the Hype
Summary: 2 Stars
Okay, this is my first book review and I'm only writing it to discourage people from paying $17+ dollars for this incredibly straightforward story. If you've read any of the other reviews or know anything about this book then you already know too much. The story never delves deeper than the basic premise- a group of fanatic vampires attack a small town in nowhere Alaska because it's night for 30 days... that's it. The Vampires remark to themselves "why didn't we think of this sooner", a fair sentiment and yet like the vampires, the author is so proud of his concept he forgets to do anything with the opportunity. Even though there's absolutely no character development or unexpected plot twists, the entire book could have been saved by outstanding artwork- unfortunately that falls well below my expectations (so much so it's nearly impossible to identify a main character by sight alone). Don't get me wrong, these are some blood-crazed soul suckers, but the art is so flat and muddled the only way you'd be scared is if you get the same reaction from a Pollock painting.
Now by no means do I qualify as a graphic novel connoisseur and I tend to follow hype. Fortunately hype has led me to a lot of great stories (Sandman, 100 Bullets, Preacher, Y Last Man). Even with an intro by Clive Barker, who I whole- heartedly admire, I was more than sold. Sadly I can say no more than this book is lame. I read it in 10 minutes and felt completely ripped off. If this review was unhelpful or you're still not swayed after reading so many great things, I suggest you go to your local comic book store, read it there, and if it blows your mind buy a copy. But I'd wager if you have the slightest inkling of an imagination this book was 10x better in your head. And that's where I recommend you leave it.
Book Review: EHHHH
Summary: 3 Stars
i purchased this book a few days ago, note i chose this over sandman 4, within 15-30 minutes later after arriving home i was finished with it, but besides the point the book left me feeling empty and longing for more, much like when i saw the first x-men movie. its problems seem to be related to the book.it needed to be longer, add more sideplots and a less cliched story line. it reminded me of a really sub-standard horror film (i.e. Deep Blue Sea) which in essence it was and will be when it is made into a film sometime.The book DEFINETLY needed more character development. the Husband-Wife police force had massive ammounts of opporotunity. so did the vampires, they should of been more than "the fat one in the pulp fiction suit and with a yakuza head tattoo" or names that nobody really remembered. but one thing i did like was the art. The murky water-color like affects were terrific, it added more to the atomosphere than just a really basic storyline. the only reason i would suggest this book at all is the art. it totally redeems itself in the end,ps. oh its also overpriced i paid 17$ for it at B&N.
Book Review: Evil candy for your eyes
Summary: 4 Stars
Perhaps it's because I'm not a frequent reader of graphic/comic novels (not sure what the PC term is now), but I really enjoyed this one. It's dark. It's brooding. It evokes the sense of isolation, cold, and fear of this little Alaskan town quite well. The art is fantastic--so many of the images are glimpses into the horror that's taking place rather than full in-your-face images. Sure, the story isn't the most original, but it certainly can compete with and even beat a lot of the vampire tripe that's out there today. And think about it: How incredibly frightening would it be to deal with 30 full days of darkness without even throwing in the idea of an invasion of the undead?This is an oversized paperback with an eerie, but beautiful cover. I love the feel of this book, and the look is incredible. My only complaint is that I would like to have more of the story! (The comic itself is only about 83 pages long.) Apparantly there is a sequel either in the works or already completed, and I'll certainly put that on my wish list.