New York youth Alex Elder gets the most out of life as a vampire.

January 13, 2000

ISSUE #16
(Click on the cover image to see a larger version)
	REVIEW: Crimson has been growing on me more and more with each passing issue. I absolutely adore Humberto Ramos' art, and Alex Elder's plight as reluctant, Chosen One vampire just keeps getting better and more involving. The one problem I have with the book is that it tends to gloss things over and offer pat resolutions and occasionally obvious dialogue -- come on, Crimson, I know you're better than that! Anyway, this month, there's the slightest hint of romantic tension between Zophiel and Alex, despite the fact that they're not featured in a single panel together. Nice. Meanwhile, Alex goes to confront Van Fleet (lovely action/fight sequence in the subway), Joe sulks over Alex spending time with Zophiel (and, much to my dismay, refrains from making funny faces), and Scarlet is busily working on discovering her inner wolf. Though everything moves along at a fairly nice and steady clip, the Scarlet plotline is such a "whatever" that it brings the issue down a bit, even though it only merited two pages. Come back to New York, Scarlet, and complete the sure-to-be-juicy romantic triangle featuring you, Alex and Zophiel. --Sarah Kuhn
	Recommendation:	BORROW IT!

ISSUE #15: Christmas Past
	REVIEW: It's Alex Elder's first Christmas as a vampire, and man, what a bummer. Poor Alex is reduced to skulking around in a cape, pressing his nose up against the electronics store window just to catch a glimpse of his senator's aide father on TV. Aww. I have to admit -- there is something just a little bit heart-warming about this Very Special Issue of Crimson. It's sort of like watching A Peanuts Christmas or something. Alex is all mopey until he suddenly finds himself transported to another time and place -- a time when he was never made a vampire, when he still had his family and girlfriend by his side. It's all very sad and bittersweet, because we just know that this is somehow fake. It's like when the couple that's been dancing the Sexual Tension Two-Step on your favorite TV show suddenly starts making out -- it has to be a dream. As always, the art merits a mention just because it's so fun and appropriate -- the colors in this issue are particularly bright and saturated, perfect for conveying Alex's disorientation as he deals with his suddenly ideal life. It's fun while it lasts, but the ultimate explanation feels pat and tacked on. And that, I'm afraid, is always Crimson's problem -- great set-up followed by hasty, choppy resolution. Overall, a pretty good twist on a tried and true premise, though. --Sarah Kuhn
	Recommendation:	BORROW IT!

ISSUE #14: U-Turn
	REVIEW: So Zophiel, the troubled angel from last month, has officially fallen to Earth. Naturally, she's a bit disoriented, and ends up wandering around for awhile and hanging out at a homeless shelter before finally hooking up with Alex and Joe. Can I just say that Joe's facial expressions are really funny? He should get a guest spot on Buffy or something. Meanwhile, the lovely Scarlet is on a quest in Northern Maine, traipsing through snow and sticking it to whoever decides to get fresh with her. Though Humberto Ramos' pencils are eye-popping and lovingly rendered (as they always are), everyone's inner monologues are way out of control this month. OK, Scarlet, so you can't get Alex out of your mind. OK, Zophiel, so you're all confused. OK, Helpful Shelter Worker, so you are finding yourself "drawn" to Zophiel for some reason. Could you people think in something other than cliches, maybe? Ah, well, the Zophiel storyline still has promise. And hopefully, next month Scarlet will kick some more ass, Joe will make more funny faces, and no one will start their internal monologue with "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to..." Well, you get the point. --Sarah Kuhn
	Recommendation:	BORROW IT!

ISSUE #13: Life Sentence
	REVIEW: In this mostly-intriguing beginning of a new Crimson arc, a punky angel named Zophiel seeks vengeance for the murder of another one of her kind. Note Zophiel's odd yet uncanny resemblance to Lieutenant Ilia from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Or is it just the baldness? In any case, Alex and Joe somehow get pulled along for the ride. There's a bit too much crammed into too few pages, but Zophiel should prove to be a good, interesting ally to Alex in upcoming issues. As usual, creator Humberto Ramos' pencils convey a nice sense of movement, and Alex, at least, is showing a few signs of maturity. There's also plenty of blood and gore, though at times, it seems overdone to the point of being absurd (note severed head on page 24). But check out Zophiel's brand new, cast-out-from-heaven tattoo -- disenfranchised youth everywhere should be sporting one of these within a matter of months.
	Recommendation:	BORROW IT!

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