Review - Crimson Society #1

Chances are the never-ending battle between vampires and werewolves won't, well, end. For some reason, the two races despise each other and things are only further complicated when zombies are added into the equation. Typically, one race will seek the utter destruction of another and sometimes one race will have a secret weapon. Crimson Society #1 features such a weapon.

The issue is written by Mike Hunau, with art by Carlos Trigo, colors by Andrea Celestini and letters by L. Jamal Walton.

In 2030, Jack Crimson is just a guy trying to get across town for an experiment. He also happens to be a werewolf, yet when he's asked to ingest a red pill by a mysterious doctor, things get weird. Like red, nanotech arms weird that have a tendency to take over without his knowledge and kill vampires. Something like that won't do much for the vampire/werewolf relations in the city.

The first issue moves along at an incredibly brisk pace. Hunau doesn't really waste much time reminding the reader of the impending civil war; instead, he relies on the common knowledge that there is such a war brewing. The reasoning behind the vampires and werewolves hatred isn't even really touched, but it'll likely play a big part down the road. Zombies are in the mix as well, with a role that has yet to be defined.

Jack's reaction to his newfound talents is akin to that of Dr. Octopus. Hunau taps into that same sense of wonderment at the new strength as well as their inherent control over him. Jack must quickly learn how to control the arms, despite their programming to target vampires at all costs. The bulk of the first issue was spent establishing Jack as a possible reluctant hero with beastly powers and he seems to be a pivotal player in the vampire/werewolf war.

Trigo's art is polished. He doesn't do anything too crazy with the panel layout, but he more than makes up for it with his character models. Each character is illustrated in a way that makes them stand out. Jack is shorter, lean and has a hard jawline. The doctor Rendal is a towering hulk whose intelligence is predicated on violence. The zombies look a little comical while the vampires have a vicious ferocity to them. Celestini splashes the whole book with tons of red, highlighting both Jack's arms and the vampire's thirst for blood.

Crimson Society #1 is pretty light on plot. Jack is a werewolf and has been programmed to seek out vampires with even more of a vengeance. He has to contend with both the werewolf side and the programming, both of which will not always be working in concert. Jack wants to know what he's done and what he will do and if the splash at the end of the issue is any indication, he may be in for a lot more fighting.

Crimson Society #1 is available now.