American Vampire #16

Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Rafael Albuquerque

This current arc, Ghost War, set during the Second World War, has been great.  Henry, Pearl's husband, has joined a group of soldiers from the Vassals of the Morning Star on a mission to Taipan to investigate reports of indigenous vampires.  Now the unit has been captured by the Japanese, and are being used as part of a strange experiment.

Skinner Sweet, the vampire that turned Pearl, has tagged along with the group, disguised as a normal soldier.  As it turns out, Henry has seen through his subterfuge, and proposes using Skinner to help them effect their escape.  While this is going on, Pearl has arrived on Taipan herself, looking to warn Henry of Skinner's presence.

This arc is tightly plotted, and Snyder is doing a fine job of using the Vassals to help propel the story.  I like how, even as they are being killed off, their characters are being developed, making them seem like they are not the cannon fodder I first assumed they would be.

Take Snyder's fine writing (this guy can do no wrong these days, prompting me to be excited about the Swamp Thing relaunch) and add to it Albuquerque's amazing art, and there is no wondering why I am enjoying this book so much.  Great stuff.