What Jeff Read: DC Vs. Vampires, Look Closer, Dark Matter
In this edition of What Jeff Read, we’ll look at three very different works, a superheroes vs. vampires crossover bloodbath extravaganza, as well as two novels that feature plenty of twists and turns.
DC Vs. Vampires Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
By James Tynion IV, Matthew Rosenberg, and Otto Schmidt
In a lot of ways, taking a superhero team and combining it with a famous monster seems like a low hanging fruit in terms of crafting what’ll be a popular and potentially fun comic book story. Marvel Zombies definitely springs to mind as probably the most popular example of this sort of title, and I think the first two volumes of that book by Robert Kirkman are actually really well done. Unfortunately, while having DC heroes go up against a growing army of vampires (made up by bitten heroes and villains) is a great idea, these two volumes that comprise DC Vs. Vampires fall short on a lot of levels.
The first volume of DC Vs. Vampires is far superior to the second, mainly because it does a better job when it comes to having an actual story. By the time we reach the second volume, most of our time is spent with large battle scenes.
It feels like a lot of the book devolves into just sentiments like, “Hey, isn’t it cool that this character is now a vampire?” or “Look what happened to the vampire version of (insert character here)!” There’s not enough that’s interesting going on to carry the story. Still, the art by Otto Schmidt is good enough to sometimes trick you into thinking you’re reading something that’s better than it actually is.
Another main complaint I have with the series is that these two books are supposed to make up a full 12 issue story, but everything is left fairly unresolved. It’s clear the writers want to leave things open ended so they can do more of these stories, and that’s fine, but I definitely wasn’t satisfied by the way things wrapped up here. Unless you’re a hardcore fan of both the current DC universe and vampires and really want to see them battle one another, I’d pass on these graphic novels.
Grade: 4/10
Look Closer
By David Ellis
Look Closer has a few things going for it that I count as definite positives. Firstly, it’s an easy, fast read. (Which is something I typically look for since I read purely for enjoyment, not as an academic exercise—no big, confusing words for me, please!) Secondly, it’s an Agatha Christie-esque thriller. When it comes to novels, thriller is my favorite genre.
If you enjoy twists in your stories, which I definitely do, Look Closer has you covered. However, this book proves that there is a thing as having too many twists. Having a big, major twist in a novel can work really well. Having two twists can also work great – have readers all shocked after one reveal, then, BAM, hit them with a follow-up twist. Anything over two big twists though, and you might have overdone it. Look Closer has so many twists (some big, some small, some medium), and they work to varying degrees of effectiveness. One thing is certain though, there are definitely too many of them.
Another issue I have with the book is that most of the major characters aren’t particularly believable. Basically, to not spoil anything, I’ll just say that some characters are operating with a level of conniving and planning ahead (playing 4D chess, if you will) that goes outside the realm of realism to a degree that’s a little too extreme for me. Readers often expect to suspend disbelief for twisty thriller like this one, but Look Closer takes it a bit too far.
Look Closer is still readable, though. It’s well-written. Parts of it are fun and I was curious to see where it was going. I wish that the writer had reigned it in both with the characters and the twists, and I think it would’ve led to a better work as a whole.
Grade: 5/10
Dark Matter
By Blake Crouch
Since I was a huge fan of Blake Crouch’s 2019 novel, Recursion, I decided to give his even more popular 2016 science fiction thriller, Dark Matter, a read. After finishing it, I think that Dark Matter is solid sci fi, though when compared to Recursion, I think it’s the inferior work.
The two stories actually feel very similar to one another in a lot of ways – both focus on normal people thrust into reality-bending circumstances by scientifically complex means that challenge what’s possible. I felt the twists and turns in Recursion worked more for me and were also more surprising though. For the most part, I could tell where Dark Matter was going most of the time.
That’s not to say Dark Matter isn’t an enjoyable read. This is a page-turner that’s easy to get through in just a few hours. Our protagonist, Jason, who’s kidnapped in the book’s early pages and finds himself in a world different from the one he’s lived in all his life, is likeable, if a bit underdeveloped.
As a whole actually, the characters in Dark Matter aren’t super developed. Due to the nature of the story, we see most of them, particularly Daniela and Charlie, just through Jason’s eyes, and don’t really get into them as individuals. Crouch is definitely more concerned with story than characters. Still, overall, Dark Matter is a fast, fun read for science fiction fans looking for a good, though likely not super memorable, story.
Grade: 7.5/10