3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting characters and concepts are overshadowed by uneven artwork, September 5, 2009
This review is from: Dusk (Paperback)
*Dusk* is a self-published graphic novel written by David Doub and illustrated by four different artists, Although the story and concepts are interesting, the execution is uneven and falls short of the creators' ambitions. Drawn in the heavily chiaroscuro style typical of black and white comic art in general, the art does not always serve the story or the reader in the ways that it needs to.
By the time I got to the very end of *Dusk*, which is not paginated, and saw Franc Czuba's "Eve/Ash cover" full page graphic, I thought, "Wow. If only the whole book was that good!" I have no idea why Doub used multiple artists for this short work, or how he selected them, but he definitely did not get uniform results.
The book consists of four stand-alone stories. In Chapter One, we meet Eve, an "enhanced" human who works for a vampire named Ash. Ash is a benevolent if somewhat avuncular figure whose interest in Eve seems wholly paternal. Eve is addicted to drinking small amounts of vampire blood, which in Doub's universe apparently doesn't turn a human into a vampire in and of itself. Chapter Two shows us more of Eve's history, current living situation with Ash and past relationships. Ten years ago, she fled an abusive husband only to fall into the clutches of an evil vampire who enslaved her until she was rescued by Ash. Chapters Three and Four each relate an adventure involving Eve's role as an enforcer in the vampire universe.
To the extent that I could tell from the stories, Doub's fictional universe is intriguing, and I'd like to learn more about it. Ash is an interesting character, and Eve herself is complex and multi-layered. The vampire protocols avoid cliché and establish some refreshing new conventions, and I'd love to have seen more explanations and details (and less gunfire for panel after panel). Doub is planning a second volume, and I hope that the artwork improves in consistency and clarity. I see a lot of potential in *Dusk* and its characters, and they deserve further development.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great stories about Vampires, April 20, 2009
This review is from: Dusk (Paperback)
I have to say you'll be hearing more about David Doub soon. His stories in this B&W Comic are complex without going over the readers head. some of the art was not the style I personally enjoy but had a edge what worked well with the story lines in this graphic novel....
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great vampire story, April 16, 2009
This review is from: Dusk (Paperback)
This was a good read. I enjoyed the story quite a bit and I can't wait for the next book. I like the art and the dramatics of it being black and white.
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