Robb Ghag reviews the American Vampire one-shot The Long Road to Hell…
“Fan-favorite character Travis Kidd—the vampire hunter who likes to “bite them back”—makes his return in this new AMERICAN VAMPIRE one-shot! It’s a story burned deep into the American psyche: two young lovers, a stolen car and the open road. But these young lovers are newly turned vampires trying to fight the bloodsucking urge inside them. To make matters worse, they’ve got a pack of angry vampires on their tails—plus bad-ass vamp-killer Travis Kidd. He’s tracking the “Heartbreak Killers” across the heartland, but can he stop them before it all ends in tragedy?“
Nebraska – 1959. That’s the setting for Scott Snyder’s one shot delving into the past of Travis Kidd, one of the most iconic characters who came and went in the American Vampire mythos.
Although this a great standalone issue, it really doesn’t reveal much about Travis, and deals more with a couple of drifters who are in love and robbing their way across the countryside. As a die-hard fan though, I cannot get enough of American Vampire in any context. The story flows at a fast pace considering it is a one shot, but it still feels incomplete.
The artwork as always is amazing, as Albuquerque once again invents characters young and old, and truly shows their despair and joy throughout this adventure. As they travel the countryside you see the backgrounds effortlessly drawn from Nebraska to Nevada. The violent changes from human to vampire and the battles which ensue are amazing, and it’s clear to see why Albuquerque has remained the main artist for American Vampire for so long. If anyone takes over these pencils, they have some big shoes to fill.
It may be Snyder’s motive to leave the reader wanting more as there are a lot of unanswered questions when this book ends, but I think it was the fans who really wanted Travis Kidd back, to bite them back! Saying that, they won’t be disappointed.
Robb Ghag works for an Arts & Entertainment Brokerage in Toronto Canada. An Animation and Film school graduate, he specializes in Risk Management of Animation and VFX studios throughout North America.
Originally published June 20, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
