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The Friday Review: 30 Days of Night
Writer: Steve Niles Vampires used to be scary. Think Max Schreck in NOSFERATU, the first unofficial cinematic treatment of DRACULA. A silent hairless ghoul with staring eyes, needle teeth and long claws, creeping up shadow-draped stairs. This was before the days of the powdered, perfumed and widow-peaked elegance of Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, vampires that were more sophisticated than scary. The image of vampires has gone downhill ever since, with a few reprieves from the likes of Gary Oldman and even (cough) Kiefer Sutherland - in all his mulleted glory. From the gothic immortals of Anne Rice to the scrunch-nosed demons of Buffy, vampires have become pop culture car wrecks, nothing more than flaccid wimpy buggers with pointy teeth and ugly faces, ignoring what has gone before, even travelling during the day, as long as they, you know, stay in the shade or at the very least wear sunscreen. Steve Niles remembers that vampires are supposed to be scary. His vampires are primal undead killing machines, stripped of all humanity and folkloric pretences. Their only drive is the need to feed on human blood. And they've just discovered the Alaskan town of Barrow, where the sun has just sunk below the horizon and won't be seen for thirty days. The story of how 30 DAYS OF NIGHT was born is pretty well known by now, but here it is again: Originally written as a film script, Niles shopped it around various studios. And was ignored. He changed tack, rewrote his story as a comic script, and took it to various comic publishers. With his pedigree in horror (he's been adapting the works of writers like Clive Barker and Richard Matheson to comics since he was eighteen) you'd think an idea as original as 30 DAYS would've sold, but no. It was then that Niles took his script to IDW, and the surprise hit of 2002 finally saw print. Niles establishes the surprisingly simple premise of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT quickly, first introducing the town and it's inhabitants. We meet Eben and Stella, the local husband and wife sheriff team, as they not only find a clue in one of the strangest crime waves to hit Barrow, a pile of missing mobile phones burned in a hole in the snow, but also watch the last sunset they'll see for month. The moment is simultaneously touching, Niles showing Eben and Stella's love for one another with Stella's playful ribbing of her husband and want of romance, and chilling, serving as a handy bit of foreshadowing. After all, why would someone go to the trouble of destroying every single mobile phone in the small town? From here things move fast, with trouble in the diner as a stranger demands alcohol and raw hamburger meat (like the base in WHITEOUT, alcohol is prohibited in Barrow). This proves to be just a distraction, as the hoard of vampires, lead by the evil Marlowe, have gathered on the edge of the town to attack the sole communication centre, cutting Barrow off from the outside world, and leaving them free to feed... Niles has found the perfect partner in Ben Templesmith. Having worked together on Image's HELLSPAWN, these two creators are becoming one of the most notable writer/artist partnerships in the industry at the moment. The limitations imposed on Templesmith's palette by the icy setting of the story only add to the atmosphere. With pages primarily composed of blacks, greys and blues, other colours become isolated, standing out and drawing the readers attention: the green of Eben's shirt, the yellow of street lights, and, most importantly, the red, meaty splatter of blood. The simplicity of the story also makes a nice contrast to the seeming complexity of Templesmith's art. The faces of the characters, both human and vampire, are a surreal mix of photographed features and traditional pen and ink, giving them a depth and humanity not often seen in comics. I don't know who the hell posed for the vampire-child Lilly, but, sweet jesus, she is one of the creepiest things I have ever seen. IDW has pulled out all the stops on the book that put them on the map, and it shows. 30 DAYS OF NIGHT is one of the best looking books out there. With the spot varnish pseudo-dust jacket, highlighting one of the first promotional images, the stitched smile of a vampire, it's a book you could proudly display on the coffee table. Inside, the paper stock is thick and shiny, showing off every little nuance of Templesmith's art. I have only one gripe with this collection, and it's a tiny, odd one, but one I thought I'd mention: There are eight brand new pages between the first two chapters, further establishing the vampire's attack on the townsfolk, which wasn't in the original monthly issues. The first issue ended with Eben seeing the vampires approaching the town on foot - a panoramic view of the white wasteland, lights in the distance. Then he sees the faces, twisted, contorted and evil, and knows they're in trouble. It was a classic and effective cliffhanger. Open the second issue: a blood covered Marlow looks up from the page. Bodies litter the ground. Blood stains the snow, red hues mixing with icy blues. The recap is short and concise. While the extra pages naturally fit and help in the flow of the story, they don't actually tell us anything we don't already know. For this reviewer, the initial horror was in what we didn't see. 30 DAYS OF NIGHT took everyone by surprise, and this collection provides a perfect chance for those who missed out the first time around to pick it. And hope, like the rest of us, that Hollywood doesn't screw this one up. Ben Wooller is a freelance writer and is currently studying for his PhD. Ninth Art endorses the principle of Ideological Freeware. The author permits distribution of this article by private individuals, on condition that the author and source of the article are clearly shown, no charge is made, and the whole article is reproduced intact, including this notice. Back. |