V Wars #3
Written by Jonathan Maberry
Illustrated by Alan Robinson
Colored by Jay Fotos
Lettered by Robbie Robbins
Covers by Ryan Brown and Kevin Eastman
IDW Publishing
Release Date: June 18, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Can one man change the ideals of two warring factions? In IDW’s V Wars #3, written by Jonathan Maberry with illustrations from Alan Robinson, the humans and the vampires continue their bloody onslaught against each other.

Taurus Harper, a soldier whose entire platoon is slaughtered by an anarchist V-Cell, is recruited to the V-8 squad – the elite military force known for taking out vampire threats quickly and efficiently. As Professor Swann gets to know Taurus, he is overwhelmed by the man’s genuine humanity and understanding that not everything about the V-War is black and white; however, Taurus himself may not be all that he seems.

I have to say that this series has been a struggle for me. I have not read the novel that V Wars is adapted from, but since issue one, I’ve found it difficult to really get into the story. There have been elements – particularly multiple twists – that have kept me around this long, but I’ve really just been waiting for an issue that would finally grab me, and I was hoping that issue #3 would be the one to do so. While it is a step up from the first two issues, as Maberry brings the plot down to a more personal level within the military faction and includes an unexpected ending, the story still feels bland and contrived.

As always, Robinson’s art is perfect for this type of story. The characters are distinct, the battles are bloody and brutal, and the bleak cities are darkly beautiful. He especially shines with close-up panels.

I really wanted to like V Wars. The concept seemed fascinating and perhaps the novelization is more believable; unfortunately, I often found myself taking a break after a couple of pages to do something else, while holding out hope that the next issue would be better. I think that issue #3, however, will be my last.