ISBN: 978-0-971977-55-6
2009 Students' Top Ten List Nominee
Author: Steve Niles
Author's Website: http://www.steveniles.com/#tp
Illustrators: Ben Templesmith (art) & Robbie Robbins (letters & design)
Ben Templesmith's Website: http://www.templesmith.com/faze3/
Robbie Robbins Website: No illustrator website
Media Used: Mostly color illustrations against a smoky black and blue grey background with computer graphic letter art. Comic panels are set against a solid black background. Use of soft fuzzy lines enables the reader to envision looking out through a snowstorm or a dark foggy night.
Summary: Barrow, Alaska is a remote town that experiences 30 full days of night once a year. Vampires have descended on the town, cutting off all communications, in order to enjoy feeding on everyone living there without fear of the sun rising.
Personal Reaction: Just by looking at the cover, you know that this is a horror tale about vampires and not some Twilight love story. Though to be honest the hero of the book does sacrifice himself selflessly for his wife and the townspeople - so there is a little bit of love. As with most horror stories, the characters here a fighting a desperate fight simply to survive both the vampires and the extreme Alaskan weather- barely finding enough food or shelter. The use of soft fuzzy illustrations allows your mind to make its own images of the horror going on. The limited use of bright splashes of color (particularly the splashes of red blood throughout the scenes) draws the readers eye from scene to scene. I particularly enjoyed how the first scenes in the book of the sun setting mimics the last scenes when the sun once again rises.
Awards: Nominated for Eisner Award (2005)
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