Customer Reviews

Dusk

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

*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.

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....

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.

Dusk is the story of a woman named Eve, who plays the faithful agent provocateur for a centuries-old vampire called Ash. Yes, this is a vampire tale, and Ash is one of the rare good ones- so good, that he wishes Eve would find strength enough to return to a life more normal. Unfortunately, Eve has no life to return to, being a survivor of Domestic Abuse, among other things.
Despite the glimpses of her past given in the first two of four chapters in this original graphic novel, Eve is a strong and capable woman. In the time since she began her new life she has gone from playing servant to a more vile vamp leader to learning how to fight, how to kill, with incantations and gunshots and generally smooth moves. Aiding Ash in his quest to end the more bloodthirsty of his kind, Eve has at last found purpose. However, writer Doub slyly reveals that Eve has more addictive reasons for remaining on her chosen path, reasons not so easily presumed by the reader. Later in the book we see very different scopes to the strange life shared by Ash and Eve, as they align with human agents (possibly even working for some manner of governmental body) and on to an example of the drastic decisions which must be made along the way in their ongoing mission. But still, her past keeps reaching for her, in her days and in her dreams. Although some of the lines of dialogue felt somewhat shaky, with missing and/or misplaced words, and although there were overreaching stabs at melodrama throughout, the later chapters truly helped expand the scale of the overall narrative, suggesting a plot much more expansive than initially intimated.
The art is black and white, with Naro and Scott handling most of the work. Though the art is indeed shared by multiple persons, the style stays consistent enough so as to never really be very distracting. Though obviously amateurish, there are some nice moments of design and layout, and the growth in skill does noticeably exert itself by the book's end. The work of the horribly underestimated Reed and DigitalCAPS on typography and production did, as expected from this reviewer, provide enough spitshine as to allow Dusk to stand out that much more from the majority of first tries into the realms of self-publishing.
Dusk has a lot of violence to it, and yet skirts about a story larger than one might first guess. Eve is developed enough for the reader to see how conflicted she really is. Ash is developed enough for the reader to see how little he ultimately has in common with the stereotypes perpetuated by Anne Rice, Stephenie Meyer, and Charlaine Harris. While Dusk: Volume 1 may not offer much in the way of newness for the vampiric lore so popular in current modern fiction, it does tell a roundabout and action-packed story. It is enough, for what it is. Because sometimes you don't really need to aim so high in life.
Just high enough to stab out the heart.

A series of short-stories told in graphic novel format, Dusk is full of the same sort of melacholy horror that all good Vampire-themed fiction has. Highly recommended to any fans of gothic horror, and especially to fans of more recent vampire and monster-themed comic books and games. It's a treat, and one you shouldn't miss.