Action Lab Entertainment 2018
Written by Gayle Middleton
Illustrated by Anna Lencioni & Penny Gaylord
Coloured by Laur Rea
Lettered by Dave Dwonch & Justin Birch
Vamplets have always been obsessed with their pets, but now a new threat has arisen! Someone is releasing Bitemares all over Gloomvania, causing chaos in their wake. Who will be able to stop them, and what secret connection do they have to Cinder the Vampyre Kitten?
Normally I am not one of those cutesy kind of people who gravitate towards a series like this. Yes it may be geared toward a younger audience but in reality it really does have something for everyone and all-ages never looked so good. Aside from the normal kids angle who find the babies and these Bitemares cute as all get out with the adults in the book parents and teenagers can laugh out loud at the absurdity of how they behave. I am totally not kidding either this is something everyone can read laugh about and totally find something about it to love.
I like the way the book is structured too. It has the just the right flow to it so that by the time it feels like it should ready for it’s climax the book kind of ends. However that’s not a bad trait here on the contrary it’s a result of some incredibly good, strong pacing and storytelling. Gayle continues to bring us these stories that are complex, interesting and all round fun not to mention sprinkled with more than a passing smattering of cuteness.
So the opening is perfectly done as Priceforth bursts into Destiny Harper’s room screaming and making no sense. This is the beginning of not only more of her education of Gloomvania but also introduces us as readers to more corners of this world. While Destiny may be the star of this series there are definite moments that her star is eclipsed by the likes of Priceforth. Sometimes the straight man is just what the Doctor ordered to get the most laughs. The characterisation here is utterly flawless as we get to know the characters and personalities emerge more fully. Heck even the ones we don’t get to meet are fleshed out in ways that are surprisingly fuller than I had expected
The all-ages interior artwork here is cute as a button. There is a fine line between cute and sickeningly cute and it balances that line between the two nicely. Also I am very much impressed by the fact that the monsters, creatures or just plain characters are able to emote so much. The give us feelings and play on the heart strings nicely. The utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a wonderful eye for storytelling. I love when we see the scenery that we get to see here more so when it’s outside because the imagery really is this whole haunted Victorian vibe that is really beautiful.
This is only a one-shot and that’s okay so long as this just means that there will be more to come in the future. Well we can hope, Action Lab really does know a good franchise when they see one and this along with Toyetica they’ve found a new pulse on what is the hottest things to be going around. With some really good writing and a premise that’s universal in it’s appeal and some absolutely delightful interiors this is going to be one of those feel good franchises you’ll want to be a part of.