Review - Vamplets HC


"Why did you even sign us up for zombie guinea pig neighborhood watch?"

Vampires fall in love and have children too. They just do it in a slightly different way than humans. Still though, someone has to watch the offspring of immortal creatures and a nightcare facility is perfect for such an endeavor. Finding someone to run said facility is a little more trying, but a solution is offered in Vamplets HC from Action Lab Entertainment.

It's written by Gayle Middleton and Dave Dwonch and illustrated by Amanda Coronado and Bill Blankenship.

Destiny Harper is experiencing high school like most everyone does: with a lot of self-doubt. She's one of those so called "outcasts," content to spend time in Mrs. Blackthorne's store of oddities, which is where she finds a necklace that she's drawn to, much in the way that Cyril the large moth is drawn to Destiny. Their paths sufficiently crossed, Destiny is tapped to run the Nightcare Nursery in Gloomsylvania. Why the call for help? The sudden boom in vamplet population requires some overseeing.

Vamplets HC is being billed as "one piece My Little Pony and one piece horror" and it exists somewhere in between. Vampires, werewolves and zombies are all mentioned, but they're treated with humor as opposed to fear and gore. Vamplets are even cute in appearance, giving Middleton and Dwonch the chance to have some fun with their origins and existence. The story is definitely very much on the light side of things and has a few moments of humor, offering readers something refreshing that involves vampire who don't know the meaning of the word "brooding."

Coronado and Blankenship handle the art duties and--for a book about a town with "gloom" in the name--actually do an impressive job making the book feel somewhat jovial. There are a lot of dark tones throughout the book, but they're offset by some lighter shades of purples, blues and greens. There's an ethereal anime look to the characters that helps with the overall tone of the book. Panel layouts are fairly standard, but they work for the book.

There's a big push nowadays for material that's not quite as serious. Vamplets HC definitely falls into the category, giving readers of all ages something they can enjoy. It definitely skews a little younger and would probably work well for tween girls, but that's not to say that others won't find some of the subtle humor amusing. It's a great addition to the Action Lab stable of comics and worth checking out if you want some lighter fare.

Vamplets HC should be available in stores in September.

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