The Vain #1 is out October 14, 2020. — **The Vain #1** is out October 14, 2020.

By Zack Quaintance — The Vain #1 is first and foremost a relentlessly stylish comic, drawing on a timeless sense of glamour that lends an over-arching sophistication to this story about vampires, heists, and going to war. Indeed, there is a whiff of the television show Mad Men to this comic, not in the subject matter but in the approach it takes to the styles and values of the times: the characters in this book are not old-fashioned (not even the immortal ones) and neither is there culture. No, they dress as they do and act in a certain way because they are, in fact, quite vain (hey, that’s the title!).

So yes, the style is perhaps what stands out most in this book, but that really wouldn’t mean much or be that memorable if it didn’t feature interesting storytelling to match. The book is written by Eliot Rahal and illustrated by Emily Pearson (a great pairing of two great creators) with colors by Fred C. Stresing/Macy Kahn and letters by Crank! Everyone involved is on the same page, taking a patient and deliberate approach in this first issue to laying a foundation that can build the story that is to come.

Often in comics (especially creator-owned comics where producing the work is expensive and space at a premium) there is a rush to get readers into the flashiest aspects of the concept. We get stories that open on giant action set-pieces or big plot points that would be best-served by being withheld until later acts, and look, I get it. Monthly comics are short and fast, and you don’t want any of the audience to checkout while you organically serve them exposition. But The Vain rightly understands that in order to make the action that is to come more meaningful, we must first get a sense of our crew, how they operate, and who they will be interacting with as the story progresses. That’s not to say this first issue is boring (we open on vampires conducting a blood bank heist, during which one of them blows off their head and regenerates it to make a point), just that it is assured in the way it orients readers to the world, not jumping ahead to the biggest bits of flash by sacrificing any substance.

Stories like this have the luxury of being deliberate because their creative team is so good. I love Pearson’s artwork, be it the aforementioned vampire heist or quieter scenes of characters dancing, in their very stylish period attire. Pearson is a rising talent in comics with a singular style, and she’s colored here in a flat and faded style that perfectly fits the story and the times. Kudos to all of the artists involved for coming together in such well-aligned fashion. Rahal is a clever scripter too, one who never over-relies on humor. In this book, he expertly bounces between characters, ideas, and storytelling devices as he leads the entire issue up to a fantastic last-line that was pretty clearly central to the pitch for this book.

I won’t spoil that last line here, but I will say that once you get there, you are very likely to be into this story until it’s over. I know I will be.

Overall: A stylish and complex story that takes its time leading up to one of the best last-lines in a single issue monthly comic all year. If you like to look good and you also enjoy top-tier pulp storytelling concepts, this book is 100 percent absolutely for you. 9.1/10

REVIEW: The Vain #1

The Vain #1
Writer: Eliot Rahal
Artist: Emily Pearson
Colorist: Fred C. Stresing
Color Assistant: Macy Kahn
Letterer: Crank!
Publisher: Oni Press
Price: $3.99
Chicago, 1941. A blood bank is held up in a robbery, but no cash is taken-only blood. It's the latest in a string of similar crimes and FBI Agent Felix Franklin is certain it's part of a wider plot. But the truth is much more sinister than he could imagine. The four robbers-who call themselves The Vain-are vampires: immortal, physically powerful, and after decades of honing their skills, practically untraceable. But in a world that is rapidly changing, stealing blood is harder every day and with each decade that passes, Agent Franklin inches closer to the truth. Eliot Rahal, Emily Pearson, and Fred C. Stressing kick off a series that spans nearly a century of wild eternal youth and reckless abandon across history.
Buy It Digitally: The Vain #1

Read more great comic book reviews!

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.