Pinocchio:Vampire Slayer and the Great Puppet Theater

Minor Spoilers Ahead

Those of you who are familiar with this blog know that I'm a huge fan of Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer (words such as 'genius' and 'fantastic' may have been applied). So you'll have a pretty good idea of how excited I was about the sequel (hint: very). I even got a pdf review copy this time (thanks, Van!), although I'm going to have to go out and buy a hard copy too. Not just because I'm obsessive about my book collection; it was that good.

I was immediately drawn in by the cover artwork of Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer and the Great Puppet Theater (henceforth referred to as P:VS 2). The cover of the original was good but this one just blew me away. I get excited that way about art, especially when it includes a wooden puppet in a classic Shakespearean pose holding a smoking vampire skull. If that doesn't entice you to delve into the book, you probably shouldn't be reading a blog about vampires.

P:VS 2 starts off with a clever re-telling of not only the first P:VS, but also Carlo Collodi's original story. Finally--a recap that's creative and interesting rather than merely annoying exposition. From there the sequel begins and, much like P:VS, the story is full of all you would expect and more: drunken debauchery, fortune telling, armed puppets, magic, ghosts, romance, adventure on the high seas, use of the word 'vainglorious,' daring rescues, family bonds, The Merchant of Venice, and a fire eater. The further in I got the more engaging I found P:VS 2, and toward the end I was scrolling through the pages as quickly as I could to find out what would happen next. I had to go back a few times to take in the artwork as well as the action. Ultimately it ends on a cliffhanger leaving the impatient among us counting the days until the next volume comes out (no word on that yet).

The artwork is just as good as it was before (although still only in black and white), and Higgins makes good use of the page, although panels are occasionally cramped. There are some particularly nice panels--a streetscape divided into four rectangles (like a triptych, only four rather than three sections--is there a word for that?); vampire slaying displayed jaggedly; insets highlighting details. Higgins also plays with perspective, approaching scenes from different angles with much success. And of course, some of the best artwork is of Pinocchio himself (his facial expressions especially are great). It's amazing how much personality can be imbued into a character who really is wooden.

Other characters are successful to varying degrees. Some stand well on their own and are strong enough to carry the story when Pinocchio is occupied elsewhere. Others aren't well-enough developed--by the time they start getting interesting they're gone. More attention could have been paid to some of the lesser characters, given there were 177 pages to work with. The vampires also have a tendency to blend in with one another rather than having distinct personalities, although that's probably deliberate and, in any case, works in the context of a plague of bloodsucking fiends.

None of the few weaknesses I've mentioned detract from the overall awesomeness of the book. It's disappointingly seldom that a brilliant concept is well executed. I'm happy to say P:VS and P:VS 2 are exceptions to that. Hats off to Jensen and Higgins for making me root for the slayer. Let's just hope they don't make us wait too long to find out what happens next. [EDIT: According to Van it looks like P:VS 3 will be out around mid-2012. Doh.]

Fang Files

Appearance: Undead human, with ragged claws and pointed teeth. Cloaks (similar in appearance to monks' robes) are favoured attire, although they will branch out when the occasion calls for it.

Strengths: Subterfuge, strategy, blood lust, magics.

Weaknesses: Stakes, pointy wooden objects (they burst into flames when staked, then turn to dust).

Mythology: Vampires are cursed beings robbed of their humanity; they need blood to remain immortal. One drop of cursed blood will turn a mortal into a vampire. All vampires seem to owe allegiance to (and work for) "The Master."

Text Bites

Vampire: We are too many, puppet. Our master will be so pleased with a gift of your dismembered corpses.
Minion 1: Please the master!
Minion 2: Corpses!
Minion 3: Yay, it's dismembering time!

Pinocchio: I love your outfit. It's so sparkly.
Vampire: Why, thank you. I wanted something that took away from the whole morbid undead thing.
Pinocchio: [taps his elongated nose]
Vampire: Oh...

Read my review of Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer.

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer and the Great Puppet Theater; drawn by Dusty Higgins and written by Van Jensen. From SLG Publishing.

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer

Spoilers Ahead

At last--I finally have a copy of Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer in my hot little hands! It's taken so long partly because of general busyness, and partly because I was hoping the publisher might send a review copy my way (hey, it's not like I get paid for this). But once it was apparent I'd have to procure my own copy, I got right on it. And here we are.

In case you didn't read my original post on Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer, I'll give you a recap: Devastated after Gepetto is killed by vampires, Pinocchio embarks on a mission of vengeance. He's the ultimate vampire hunter: impermeable to fangs (he is made out of wood, after all) and with a ready supply of stakes, which he gets by lying and then breaking off his elongated nose. If this isn't genius, I don't know what is.

I'd might as well get the criticisms out of the way, especially since they're fairly minor. The book is small, only about 5 1/2" by 8 1/2"--around the size of a smallish trade paperback--whereas the average comic book is closer to 6 1/2" by 10". So what difference does it make? Cramped artwork and less detail than there could or should be. I suspect the choice of size was a matter of finances, but if a future edition is in the works, I highly recommend a larger format. The other problem with the book is the colour--or lack thereof. Again, I suspect it was a money issue, but the stark black and white on every page doesn't really work. I wouldn't go full-colour, though; the judicious use of red and grey would be enough to make all the difference. Again, maybe for a future edition.

That being said, the rest of Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer is high on the scale of awesome. Luckily they start off with a "brisk stroll" through Carlo Collodi's original tale, of which this book is a sequel. I say 'luckily' because, despite believing otherwise, I'd apparently never heard or read the original story, as it is far more twisted and bizarre than I ever realized. I'm going to have to get me a copy of it. Suddenly the idea of introducing vampires and making Pinocchio a hunter seems like a natural extension of the story. Also, their retelling of Collodi's Pinocchio made me laugh out loud--always a good thing (well, almost always).

The beginning of Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer will be familiar to anyone who watched the preview (see my original post). From there it just gets better. Despite the issues with size and colour, the artwork is fantastic. Stark, creepy, whimsical, evocative--particularly the vampires. Pinocchio has a manga-like quality to him, from his hair to his facial expressions. Nice, nice, nice. Even if you're not a vampire fan, if you're into graphic novels or art in general, you should pick up a copy of this book.

The story is good, chock full of conspiracies, prophesies, talking animals, fairies (okay, one fairy), monsters, and humour. The writing is a little odd at times for my taste, though--the dialogue is too modern for what is essentially a Victorian tale, although there is a "wench" thrown in. I think if the writing had kept the tone of the opening segment, it would have been perfect, although the humour would most likely have been lacking. Maybe I'm over-analyzing again. In any case, it didn't make me roll my eyes--and that's definitely always a good thing. Better still, it's set up for possible future books featuring our favourite vampire-killing puppet. Maybe I can get review copies of those ;)

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer is the well-executed product of a brilliant idea. I already can't remember what Pinocchio did before he hunted vampires. Can't wait to see more...

Fang Files

Appearance: Undead human, with ragged claws and pointed teeth. Black cloaks are favoured attire.

Strengths: Subterfuge, blood lust, magics.

Weaknesses: Stakes (they burst into flames when staked, then turn to dust). Pinocchio (his wooden parts cause them intense burning pain). Sunlight.

Mythology: Vampires are cursed beings; they need blood to remain immortal. One drop of cursed blood will turn a mortal into a vampire.

Text Bites

Vampire: Night has fallen like death upon Nasolungo. No soul stirs these streets save mine...But urgent matters call me into the dark...This eve I hunt. And somewhere in this breathless town...my prey awaits.

Pinocchio: I'm Pinocchio. I kill monsters.

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer; drawn by Dusty Higgins and written by Van Jensen. From SLG Publishing.

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer (Update the second)

Okay, so the confusion about the release date of Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer (as mentioned in this post) has been cleared up by none other than the man himself, P: VS's writer, Van Jensen. Due to a double delay in printing and shipping, readers won't be able to get their hot little hands on a copy until late October--but it is coming. Those of you attending the Vampire Film Festival in New Orleans at the end of the month (more on that later) can get a copy there.

If you haven't already seen what all the fuss is about, check out this preview.

You can also take a look at my original post.

Meanwhile, I'm just glad my eager anticipation for Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer isn't all for naught. Thanks for the update, Van--as if there wasn't already enough to look forward to in October...

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer Update

Well, it looks like there's some confusion about when Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer is coming out. Originally slated for September (I was under the impression that it would be available early-to-mid month), the SLG Publishing site still says that's the case, but the book is out of stock when you try to order it. Amazon (US) meanwhile lists it as coming out at the end of September, while Amazon Canada puts it at the end of October. Hopefully this won't end up being one of those perpetual delays that never results in a finished product. I'd really hate to see this one permanently shelved.

In the meantime you can read my original post on Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer here;

And see a preview here.

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer

This is such a fantastic concept, the kind of thing that makes you wonder how no one thought of it before while at the same time marvelling at the brilliance of those who did manage to figure it out. After watching Geppetto die at the fiendish hands of vampires, our favourite wooden boy devotes himself to vengeance, armed with stakes made from his ever-elongating nose.

Great concept, good art and writing (from what I can tell so far): looking forward to this one. Keep an eye out for a future review.

In the meantime, check out this preview.

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer, vol 1; drawn by Dusty Higgins and written by Van Jensen. Coming September 2009 from SLG Publishing.