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30 Days of Night

30 Days of Night

List Price: $17.99
Your Price: $15.29
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This really rocks!
Review: I'm a huge film fan and I've been reading comics for almost 12 years. This comics looks like taking the best of two worlds. It's like the old times horror movies (think of Hellraiser, or A Nightmare on Elm Street): Dark, frightening, full of suspense.

It goes straight to the point of the story with characters well stablished since the begining with only a few words or frames. The art? only 4 words : man, it's awesome!.

All the quality of this TPB is excellent (the paper, the cover, the printing), and the script of issue #1 really let you see that this isn't an "I've nothing better to do" project. And even better, that detail of signing the TPB at no extra cost or in a special edition, or some extra expensive stuff like that, really is great. There are still out there some comic creators that really care for their fans!!!!!

If you really like comics far beyond super heroes with thights, (I've nothing against them, I'm a huge Batman fan, but I'm also an old Evil Ernie fan ( R.I.P.),in the variety is the taste, isn't it?), this is made for you.

Maybe you can think that it's too expensive for only three issues, but it really worths it. GRAB ONE COPY WHENEVER YOU SEE IT!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not as good as the hype, but still worth it!
Review: I've heard complaints that "30 Days of Night" is nothing more than a rehash of "Night of the Living Dead." I've heard complaints that the artwork, while good, was too surreal to understand the events being depicted. I've heard complaints that the story is poorly paced and the characters are uninteresting. All of these complaints are justified in my opinion...except that one must consider that the intention of this book was to harken back to those days of "Night of the Living Dead" horror. It has an original spin on an old concept, and plays on those elements that made those old horror films so enjoyable. The themes of isolation and desperation are played out in perfect form, given that subtle new twist that there are places in the world where night lasts for a whole month. While the story may not be completely original, that line of the vampire Marlow, "I don't know why we never thought of it before," does apply. Perhaps the story is rushed, and perhaps we could care more about the characters than we do, and perhaps the artwork is a bit hard on the eyes, but one does have to consider that it is an original treatment of an old concept, and it is worth mentioning. I trust that Steve Niles knows that in order for this to survive as a motion picture that he'll need to include more in the way of back story, character development, and even pacing...we don't have to necessarily feel that it's taking a month, but we have to get some sense of the passage of time. That's missing in the book, but hopefully, he'll understand that if it is to survive as a movie, we have to be given a little more than that. As for Ben Templesmith's artwork...fans of Dave McKean will certailny appreciate it. It is definitely an original visual accompaniment and not typical of comics, though I'll agree some scenes are hard to understand. It's more for fans of intense visuals as opposed to people trying to follow a visual accompaniment to the story. It's not a typical comic book in that regard, so one should not view the artwork in such a way either.
All-in-all, "30 Days of Night" is a severely flawed book that seemed to have its strengths in the concept and the artwork as opposed to the actual story and the storytelling. It was an original spin on an idea that is all too familiar, and while some can appreciate that, others can not without a full package of good dialogue, good characters, and good artwork. I love this book, but more as something to look at as opposed to a story I can read over and over...I can't. I got bored of it really quick, but the concept sticks in my head and still strikes me as interesting.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: An okay beginning...
Review: It is true that Mr. Niles does not take advantage of a wonderful idea, like he does in Return to Barrow, however it is still a great story, and it is also the beginning of an interesting trilogy. I was fortunate enough to read each comic as it came out, so I had the luxury of feeling the time seem to pass by inbetween reads. 30 Days of Night does not translate well into a graphic novel. It cuts off at points and is too fast of a read. Steve Niles does not take the time allowed to put the reader on the edge of his or her seat. But, it is the beginning to Dark Days and Return to Barrow, which are both far better developed.

If you are a hard core fan of vampires then get the book for its uniqueness. He does not make the vampire lifestyle romantic in anyway. However, if you are looking for a good read then pass this by and read Kingdom Come.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It ain't great...
Review: It's decent, but not great. The artwork is excellent, the violence is magically delicious, but the story..... hmmmph. The story is truncated and limp. It's as if the creators wanted to hurry up and finish with this whole thing. I wanted to see a more detailed storyline of the vampires killing off the townspeople... but what we get instead is the vampires arrive in town, and the next page the townspeople are down to just a small group of survivors. It's like there's a HUGE chunk of the story missing from the middle. It's a decent book and, hesitantly, I dare say it is worth the price (especially if you get a used copy).... but don't open the book with high expectations or you'll close it with a feeling of disappointment.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A satisfying vampire story with real atmosphere
Review: It's such a great conceit you wonder why no one's thought of it before: What would vampires do if the sun didn't rise for a month? Have a big, bloody party, of course, which is exactly what they do in the remote town of Barrow, Alaska. 30 DAYS OF NIGHT is a compact, well-told story about a horrific vampire invasion. The local cops, a likeable husband and wife team, have to figure out a way to stem the slaughter during the looong Alaskan night. Writer Steve Niles and artist Ben Templesmith give us suffering, sacrifice and heroism within a classic vampire-story framework, inviting comparison to Stephen King's superb 'SALEM'S LOT. Templesmith's art is an acquired taste. It takes a while to parse his stylistic language, but once you "get" it, the story really comes alive (so to speak). Recommended.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Don't Believe the Hype
Review: Okay, this is my first book review and I'm only writing it to discourage people from paying $17+ dollars for this incredibly straightforward story. If you've read any of the other reviews or know anything about this book then you already know too much. The story never delves deeper than the basic premise- a group of fanatic vampires attack a small town in nowhere Alaska because it's night for 30 days... that's it. The Vampires remark to themselves "why didn't we think of this sooner", a fair sentiment and yet like the vampires, the author is so proud of his concept he forgets to do anything with the opportunity. Even though there's absolutely no character development or unexpected plot twists, the entire book could have been saved by outstanding artwork- unfortunately that falls well below my expectations (so much so it's nearly impossible to identify a main character by sight alone). Don't get me wrong, these are some blood-crazed soul suckers, but the art is so flat and muddled the only way you'd be scared is if you get the same reaction from a Pollock painting.

Now by no means do I qualify as a graphic novel connoisseur and I tend to follow hype. Fortunately hype has led me to a lot of great stories (Sandman, 100 Bullets, Hellboy, Preacher, Y Last Man, Wanted). Even with an intro by Clive Barker, who I whole- heartedly admire, I was more than sold. Sadly I can say no more than this book is lame. I read it in 10 minutes and felt completely ripped off. If this review was unhelpful or you're still not swayed after reading so many great things, I suggest you go to your local comic book store, read it there, and if it blows your mind buy a copy. But I'd wager if you have the slightest inkling of an imagination this book was 10x better in your head. And that's where I recommend you leave it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good, but not up to the hype...
Review: People have been paying a lot of money to pick this story up on Ebay. It's a fantastically original concept that, unfortunately doesn't quite live up to the hype (not that anything could). The art is fine, surreal and spooky, but the story is reminiscent of Stephen King's X-Files episode: a wonderful, spooky start, but it can't sustain the pace. It's worth reading, though - especially the very moving last page.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Evil candy for your eyes
Review: Perhaps it's because I'm not a frequent reader of graphic/comic novels (not sure what the PC term is now), but I really enjoyed this one. It's dark. It's brooding. It evokes the sense of isolation, cold, and fear of this little Alaskan town quite well. The art is fantastic--so many of the images are glimpses into the horror that's taking place rather than full in-your-face images. Sure, the story isn't the most original, but it certainly can compete with and even beat a lot of the vampire tripe that's out there today. And think about it: How incredibly frightening would it be to deal with 30 full days of darkness without even throwing in the idea of an invasion of the undead?

This is an oversized paperback with an eerie, but beautiful cover. I love the feel of this book, and the look is incredible. My only complaint is that I would like to have more of the story! (The comic itself is only about 83 pages long.) Apparantly there is a sequel either in the works or already completed, and I'll certainly put that on my wish list.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Best vampire story I've seen.
Review: Set in Barrow Alaska just as the the sun sets for the last time for 30 days, this book follows a young sheriff and his deputy wife fending off vampires invading their town. When a vamp learns that the sun in Barrow goes down for 30 days a year via a newspaper article 20 of them move into the town. People get slaughtered left and right forcing the survivors into hiding. The dark water color art is perfect to show the blood of the victims. This book is an excellent but, unfortunaly, a fast read. It is well worth your money.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Creepy and atmospheric
Review: Steve Niles', '30 Days of Night,' is a smartly written and beautifully drawn graphic novel that will certainly be appreciated by any horror/vampire afficionado out there. The premise alone is chock full of so much potential that it's almost remarkable that is hasn't been done before. While the story is cleanly and briskly plotted, the middle act (the town of Barrow under siege) should have been further fleshed out. Due to its relatively short length, it seems as if the book comes to a somewhat abrupt halt at the end but even with this put aside, the book is still very much worth your reading time with a great storyline and equally remarkable artwork by Ben Templesmith.


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