Vamps #6

The six-issue Vertigo miniseries from Elaine Lee and William Simpson closes out with a cover by Brian Bolland that pulls no punches: a snarling, red-eyed vampire woman clutches a wide-eyed young child against her chest, her clawed hand and blood-streaked fangs dominating the foreground while four other vampires — each baring her own fangs — flank the composition against a deep crimson background, with an American flag woven into the lower frame. It's a striking, unsettling image that captures the series' blend of horror and outlaw Americana perfectly. "Backlash" promises a charged finale worthy of this bold, mature-readers series.