DC vs Vampires: World War V #2 Review

After addressing the state of the world after what had happened in the previous series while also setting up the events of this comic, World War V  has done enough to prepare its readers for what’s to come. Now, what does it do with all this valuable setup?

The Plot Thickens…Pun Absolutely Intended

So, I didn’t address the cliffhanger to the 1st issue because I wasn’t sure if it would actually matter. But it does appear (for now) that Barbara has been successfully assassinated by Damian, throwing the vampires into chaos. I’m not going to lie — it has been interesting to see the vampires on the back foot, considering how much superhero horror stories have to compensate for the fact that the protagonists of the stories are usually super-powered.

But having the humans actually be at an advantage over the bloodsuckers has helped this story feel fresh. For instance, we see Oliver Queen lead a crew into vampire territory, and they learn new information without any of them being compromised. Additionally, it appears that there is a heavy focus on some of the…questionable things that the first volume did, with an interaction between vampire Jason Blood and Constantine implying that the Spectre and the others may show up soon and weren’t outright killed.

Also, Mr. Miracle is here. And he has a baby. And he’s a vampire. Maybe?

Still, the vampires aren’t ceding all their ground, leading to an interesting moment…

So, Here’s Two Things That Happen in Every Alternate Universe

There’s something I have noticed in every Elseworld/What If? Comic that I have read throughout my life. For starters, people will die a lot, almost as a form of over-compensation for the near-immortality of everybody in the mainstream universes. The second thing that happens is that someone will inevitably take on the mantle of another character. We already saw a new Batman running around, but that’s not who I’m talking about.

Maybe humans are the real monsters…for fighting back against vampires

As the cover implies, vampire Diana ends up confronting Alfred. She tries to somehow make the reader feel like vampires are people too by listing off how many of them died (no mention of Superman, further supporting my theory that no one cared about what happened in All Out War), which does not work on me at all. Luckily, it also doesn’t work on Alfred, who ends up whipping out…

Score: 7.5/10

Backup: A Hero For These Trying Times

Bat-Mite comes to the world of DC vs Vampires and learns that Batman is dead, and as such, chooses to latch on to the next hero he sees. It’s a light read that doesn’t overstay its welcome (though ask me again next month if I still feel the same way), and it turns out Clayface survived his one-shot, so good for him.

Biting Commentary

Score: 7.5/10

Recommended If

• You wanted to see the heroes have an advantage over the vampires.
• You wanted to see some cool Alfred moments.
• You wanted to see how Bat-mite would exist in this universe.

Overall

There are a lot of moving parts in the main story, but thankfully, not all of them are focused on at once, giving each of them some much needed breathing space. We don’t see Damian in this issue, but we feel the ramifications of his actions. The story is still mostly setup at this point, but it does enough to spice up the story with bits of action now and then, and the art is decent, if not spectacular, and shines through during the big moments.

Score: 7.5/10