Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer Versus the Vampire Zooby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Pinocchio and his living wooden doll companions hunt vampires. They stop at a zoo while searching for vampires to kill. The zoo is also infested, with a gorilla being their main opponent.I didn't realize there was a Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer comic series, but the concept is fantastic! This twist to the fairy tale works quite well in many ways (not just the clever use of the growing nose as a stake). Yes, the jokes are bad, but overall it's upbeat with a dark humor. The bad humor fits with their personalities, making it so that I didn't groan or roll my eyes while reading. The penguin vampire is the best -- leaping out, flippers in the air above its head. The board-game visual of the zoo is a nice effect that adds some humor while highlighting the dangers (and allowing us to see so many in their vampiric forms). I like that the lions help attack the gorilla; we never find out why they're unaffected / not turned into vampires (especially since the tigers have turned) -- they can talk, but so can the gorilla, so that's no excuse. Fairy is awesome; I'm glad we get to see her and her magic as powerful! I love the vampire bunny that bookends this issue; it's just awesome, but it also shows how vampirism is a widespread problem. There's a lot of action with the comic being one big chase and fight scene, but there are stages, and dialogue provides nice breaks that go with the flow rather than interrupting it. The way the gorilla is defeated is creative and nicely climactic! The art is very nice, doing a great job of capturing the woodenness of the puppets while allowing the animals to be quite realistic. I like that it's in grey tones rather than color, as this makes it more like an old classic horror movie, which fits so well with the concept, including the use of the Pinocchio story. This story can be read stand-alone, but it's obvious with the cast that we're jumping in later in their story / adventure. It's easy to pick up how most of the characters relate, at least on the surface, though the young human girl stands out as the odd one with no apparent reason for being with this group. If you like twisted fairy tales, this is one you should not miss! Written: December 4, 2015
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