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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific art, great story, September 7, 2007
Some say this is nothing new. I don't know what they are talking about.
The art is awesome - look at the images I put in.
Some panels are like dark movie stills, showing the angst and the horror to come, others are funny with a very dark and edgy humor to it, and some are as if unfinished, blurry, but mostly when there is action or something waiting to happen. That way the "unfinished" art work gives you the feeling things are about to move (or you as the reader better get moving before you're being eaten alive...)
It reminds me of the camera work on NYPD Blue when it first came out. A lot of people who didn't like it just didn't get it that there was a purpose behind both the moving camera shots and the "still" ones.
To the story, do you always need a "new" take on vampires to like it? You got a problem with cliches? I don't. A town in dark Alaska with nothing going on is attacked by a horde of vampires. That's the story in one line. I left out the details because I would be giving away too much.
The twists and turns make this a story to enjoy not once, not twice but over and again.
It is a graphic novel - the artwork and the storyline are as one. Ben Templesmith's terrific pictures and Steve Niles' tight and at times very funny dialogue make this book a great add to my - and I hope everybody's collection.
IDW is publishing the trilogy (of which his is part 1) as a HC soon. All three parts can be read seperately though. And then there's the movie scheduled for release October 30 2007
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33 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent idea and execution, November 28, 2003
This review is from: 30 Days of Night (Paperback)
"30 Days" has a couple of flaws, but it's an involving read. The writing is excellent, I think, well-suited to the medium. The concept is wonderful and certainly Niles doesn't spare the gore or pussyfoot around the concept of vampires ripping open throats. He puts in some disturbing imagery and his plotting is close to immaculate. A moment to address the other reviewer's complaints about cliche: Yes, you're right. Now stop whining. I doubt much new can be done with vampires, and it's great to see the human battling with the throat-ripping beast without having to deal with Anne Rice's sexual peccadilloes or purple prose. If Lestat actually existed, I would have purchased a flamethrower for the sole purpose of shutting him up. And maybe I would have taken out that whiny Louis, too, while I was at it. All praise and defense aside, I suspect Niles was given three issues instead of the four he asked for (or perhaps the four he should have written) and as a result his character development is lacking. While I think it's great the book hits the ground running, we only really get to know Eben and Stella, and those two we don't know very well, in the end; the townsfolk have maybe a panel or so (few are granted names) and then get turned into hamburger. The art isn't to my taste; I think the murkiness enhances it quite a bit, and there is some absolutely beautiful work with what I believe to be watercolor, but I don't think it would have killed Templesmith to be a bit more traditional and realistic. The sheer beauty of some panels, especially that opening splash, is absolutely frustrating next to the sloppiness (which I suspect was intentional) of others. Still, I'll cheerfully grant that it suits the story well. Overall, it's quite a fun read, a little too quick but definitely worth reading. I suspect the movie will be better, though.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Flawed execution of a great concept., July 19, 2007
This review is from: 30 Days of Night (Paperback)
This graphic novel was suggested to me by a friend. I usually enjoy these types of novels and I was told this would hold up well. Unfortunately, this wasn't true.
The production quality is astounding. The pages are in full color and have excellent print quality. The cover has glossy elements and raised print. I imagine that this production quality must be where the price comes from. Because it certainly doesn't come from the physical content.
This book is really isn't all that large. My edition contained previews of the next two books in the series, which took up several pages. I didn't pay this kind of money to get big glossy advertisements and previews taking up a large portion of the book. The actual story could easily fit in one or two news stand comic books. The length of the story was disappointingly short. I found myself asking "is that it?".
The premise is certainly interesting, and it starts off very well. Unfortunately the story seemed to flatten out and speed up as I continued reading. Time, which one would be lead to believe is an important element in the story actually becomes wholly unimportant. The plot plays out like an old B movie, and has just as much value. I came away from reading this with the impression that the writer had become bored or hit a deadline and decided to just cut the story to a quick and dirty ending. There's a big void in this book that begs for 'more'. This is precisely what it needs to become a worthwhile buy. There are some glaring holes in the story as well that can't be addressed without spoiling it. However they become very noticeable as one reads through the book.
On the artwork: I found the artwork to be fantastic. I enjoyed the unusual appearance and the careful use of color. It really helped create a setting and is really the most solid element of the book for me.
However, I imagine that if it hadn't fit a niche in my idea of what good art is, I'd find the entire presentation annoying.
I think if I had paid less than half the price I did for this book, it would have been worth it. Unfortunately the hype about the book doesn't live up to the reality and it's horrifically overpriced for what you get: A short story, a bunch of advertisements for other books and disappointment.
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