Thanks to barnesandnoble.com for the image.

Rated “OT” for “Teen-Age 16+”

Charley is a 28-year-old cyborg vampire who hunts vampires for the Vatican – doing their dirty work in the war on monsters.  Johnny Rayflo is a centuries-old vampire, but he passes for 42.  Those who know Johnny know that he’s the local vampire playboy, and Charley is enthralled to him.  Together they fight supernatural crime.

In Vassalord, Vol. 1, Charley travels to China at the behest of the Vatican to find a powerful vampire, one with uncomfortable ties to Johnny.  Next, Charley and Johnny find themselves in the wrong place at the right time when a priest is attacked and a young woman is found dead.  They join another Vatican figure to investigate the possible presence of a highly unusual and rare breed of vampire that may haunt the church.

THE LOWDOWN:  I think that I’ve previously described certain manga as being like a Hollywood buddy movie, and Vassalord really is, except it’s an extremely weird hybrid.  Vassalord is an action comedy, but that’s mostly window dressing for a fantasy/dark horror that blends elements and ideas from Wesley Snipes Blade movie franchise and John Carpenter’s Vampires.  Think Lethal Weapon meets Trinity Blood.  Vassalord, however, has nothing in common with Peace Maker, another manga by Vassalord creator, Nanae Chrono.  I think that Chrono’s art here reminds me of the work of Whilce Portacio (Wetworks, X-Factor).

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  This isn’t great material, but it should appeal to anyone who likes Trinity Blood and its complex back story.

B