American vampires sire black-and-white, manga-styled art in this indy comic by newcomer David Doub.

Dusk
Publisher: Self-published
Writer: David Doub
Artists: Maki Naro, Jerry Gonzales, and Franc Czuba
Inkers: Chris Scott and Jerry Gonzales
Letterer: Jaymes Reed

Summary: As a battered wife, Eve’s only concern was to keep her marriage together. But when she is kidnapped into the sordid supernatural world of vampires and foul magic, Eve finds she doesn’t want to leave. Her mysterious benefactor, the Vampire Lord Ash, wish her to have a normal life but Eve chooses to stay in the service of Ash. Dusk is the stories about Eve and her challenges living in the darkness. Dusk is a supernatural action/drama story done in a dynamic blending of the sequential art styles of American Comics and Japanese Manga. Several artists help tell these stark noir tales of Vampires and Unrequited Love.

Review: Who doesn’t love a good stake fest? David Doub brings the stakes by the dozen for his comic, Dusk, a sequence of black-and-white stories that stick to the heart (no pun intended) of vampire lore. Sometimes falling back on the basics can be the best move; while the four chapters in this trade boast some interesting elements, overall the comic could use some dusting off.

The various artists helming Dusk make impressive use of the visuals, combining Japanese and American styles in a fun—albeit sometimes confusing due to the occassional messy overlay of images—and creative way. The stories themselves, however, falter more than the artwork. Dusk follows the adventures of Eve, a mortal woman who has fallen blindly in love with the vampire Ash, who freed her from her lifelong prison by restoring her power and confidence. Now addicted to the intoxicating strength of his blood, Eve joins the anti-vampire measures Ash has taken, hunting down those who use their vampirism as an excuse to cause others harm—especially when it comes to “turning” mortals.

The basic concept proves intriguing enough, but the problems with Dusk originate in its execution. Too often what should be communicated through actions, visuals, and manipulation of language becomes weakened by redundant or overdone narration—hindered further by awkward verb tenses and construction. Plus, Dusk adopts the bad habit of nurturing moral lessons by forcing the characters to two-dimensionally express them in a stale way. For example, the idea of responsibility and consequences underlie the characters and their world; those same messages are practically beat into you from the moment your feet hit the ground. Without an elegant and perhaps indirect twist embedded in the dialogue, what endeavors to be depth and complexity withers into the mundane.

Also, the fourth chapter lacks any kind of lead-in from the previous stories, which would have been useful considering it doesn’t cojnnect to anything else in the trade.

On the flip side, there are some positive elements to the comic. Although I found it hard to buy into the cheesy, Romeo-and-Juliet suicides at the end of the first chapter, the unique incorporation of heartbeats and their centrality to the vampire perspective cemented the story’s value. If Doub could bring more subtle and twisted moments like that to Dusk, instead of relying solely on often unpolished dialogue, he would have an excellent non-linear vampire comic on his hands. For now, the unique style the artwork brings supports the comic’s worth the most, while the world and its characters—although they could use fleshing out—provide minor touches.

You can read the first chapter of Dusk here for free, as well as purchase the trade for the very affordable price of $10 on Amazon.

Rating: 2/5

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