American Vampire is an American comic book series created by writer Scott Snyder and drawn by artist Rafael Albuquerque. It was published by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint. American Vampire continued under the newly created DC Black Label imprint after Vertigo was closed in January 2020. The series imagines vampires as a population made up of many different secret species, and charts moments of vampire evolution and inter-species conflict throughout history. The focus of the series is a new American bloodline of vampires, born in the American West in the late 19th century.
The first of this new species is a notorious outlaw named Skinner Sweet, who wakes from death, after being infected, to find he has become a new kind of vampire, something stronger and faster than what came before, impervious to sunlight, with a new set of strengths and weaknesses. The series goes on to track his movements through various decades of American history—along with the movements of his first and only known progeny: Pearl Jones, a young woman working as a struggling actress in the 1920s silent film industry when she is attacked by a coven of European vampires hiding in Hollywood. Sweet saves her (uncharacteristically) by giving her his blood, thereby turning her into an American vampire like him, at which point she seeks revenge on the classic vampires who attacked her in life. The complicated and charged relationship between Jones and Sweet is another focus of the series.
The first five issues featured two stories—one by Scott Snyder and the other by Stephen King, both drawn by Rafael Albuquerque. With the sixth issue, Scott Snyder took over as sole writer. The original series ran from 2010 to 2013 and lasted 34 issues. A second series called American Vampire: Second Cycle ran from 2014 to 2015 and lasted 11 issues and the third and final series called American Vampire: 1976 ran from December 2020 – October 2021 and lasted 10 issues.
American Vampire spun off two mini-series. The first, "Survival of the Fittest", illustrated by Sean Murphy focuses on the cases files of the V.M.S., the vampire hunting organization of the series. The second, "Lord of Nightmares", illustrated by Dustin Nguyen further focuses on the mythology presented by "Survival of the Fittest". A one shot co-written by Snyder and Albuquerque (who also illustrates the 64-page issue), entitled "The Long Road to Hell", which features vampire hunter Travis Kidd, was released in June 2013. Two American Vampire anthologies have also been released, the first in 2013 and the second in 2016.
Plot The series explores notions of vampire evolution and traces the bloodline of a new kind of vampire, an American species, with new powers and characteristics, through various decades of American history.
The first five issues feature two story arcs. The first takes place in 1925 from the point of view of Pearl Jones, an aspiring actress in L.A., who becomes the second American Vampire and works to get her revenge on those who turned her. The second is of a writer at a book conference due to the re-editing of his book, Bad Blood, chronicling the story of outlaw-turned-vampire Skinner Sweet. Here, the author claims that his work – which has been long considered a fictional western/terror story – is actually based on true events which he has either witnessed or has collected reliable information on.
Publication history This series publication began on March 17, 2010, with the release of American Vampire #1. This is the first comic which features original Stephen King scripting who was contracted to the initial five issues.
Issues First Cycle Issue Date Arc Story Art Color Cover #1 March 17, 2010 Big Break Scott Snyder Rafael Albuquerque Dave McCaig Rafael Albuquerque Jim Lee (variant) Bad Blood Stephen King #2 April 21, 2010 Morning Star Scott Snyder Rafael Albuquerque Bernie Wrightson & Dave McCaig (variant) Deep Water Stephen King #3 May 19, 2010 Rough Cut Scott Snyder Rafael Albuquerque Andy Kubert & Brad Anderson (variant) Blood Vengeance Stephen King #4 June 23, 2010 Double Exposure Scott Snyder Rafael Albuquerque J. H. Williams III (variant) One Drop of Blood Stephen King #5 July 28, 2010 Curtain Call Scott Snyder Rafael Albuquerque Paul Pope (variant) If Thy Right Hand Offend Thee, Cut It Off Stephen King #6 September 9, 2010 The Devil in the Sand Scott Snyder Rafael Albuquerque Dave McCaig Rafael Albuquerque Rafael Grampá (variant) #7 October 6, 2010 Rafael Albuquerque #8 November 10, 2010 #9 December 2, 2010 Rafael Albuquerque Mateus Santolouco #10 December 22, 2010 The Way Out Mateus Santolouco Dave McCaig Rafael Albuquerque #11 January 26, 2011 #12 February 23, 2011 Strange Frontier Danijel Žeželj Dave McCaig Rafael Albuquerque #13 March 30, 2011 Ghost War Rafael Albuquerque Dave McCaig Rafael Albuquerque Sean Gordon Murphy (variant) #14 April 27, 2011 Rafael Albuquerque #15 May 25, 2011 #16 June 29, 2011 #17 July 27, 2011 #18 August 24, 2011 #19 September 28, 2011 The Beast in the Cave Jordi Bernet Dave McCaig Rafael Albuquerque #20 November 2, 2011 #21 December 14, 2011 #22 December 28, 2011 Death Race Rafael Albuquerque Dave McCaig Rafael Albuquerque #23 January 25, 2012 #24 February 22, 2012 #25 March 28, 2012 #26 April 25, 2012 The Nocturnes Roger Cruz Dave McCaig Rafael Albuquerque #27 May 30, 2012 Riccardo Burchielli #28 June 27, 2012 The Blacklist Rafael Albuquerque Dave McCaig Rafael Albuquerque Greg Capullo & Fco Plascencia (variant) #29 July 25, 2012 Rafael Albuquerque Dave Johnson (variant) #30 August 29, 2012 Rafael Albuquerque Francesco Francavilla (variant) #31 September 26, 2012 Rafael Albuquerque Jock (variant) #32 October 31, 2012 Rafael Albuquerque Dustin Nguyen (variant) #33 November 28, 2012 Rafael Albuquerque #34 January 2, 2013 The Gray Trader Rafael Albuquerque Dave McCaig Rafael Albuquerque
Second Cycle IssueDateArcStoryArtColorCover#1March 19, 2014—Scott SnyderRafael AlbuquerqueDave McCaigRafael Albuquerque Jae Lee (variant)#2April 16, 2014Rafael Albuquerque#3May 21, 2014#4July 9, 2014#5October 1, 2014The Miner's JournalMatias BergaraRafael Albuquerque#6February 4, 2015Dark MoonScott SnyderRafael Albuquerque#7April 15, 2015#8July 1, 2015#9August 5, 2015#10September 30, 2015#11November 25, 2015
1976 +IssueDateArcStoryArtColorCover#1October 6, 2020Don't Look Behind You!Scott Snyder Rafael AlbuquerqueDave McCaigRafael Albuquerque Dustin Nguyen (variant)#2November 10, 2020 The Stuff of LegendsRafael Albuquerque Francesco Francavilla (variant)#3December 8, 2020Beneath the Greenhouse...Rafael Albuquerque Mirka Andolfo (variant)#4January 12, 2021Beneath the Greenhouse... Rafael Albuquerque Mirka Andolfo (variant)#5February 9, 2021The Big Lie Rafael Albuquerque Tula Lotay (variant)#6March 9, 2021Fire and Flame Rafael Albuquerque Jorge Fornés (variant)#7April 13, 2021Interlude "Family Trees"Tula Lotay (Root) Francesco Francavilla (Trunk) Ricardo López Ortiz (Limb)Tula Lotay (Root) Francesco Francavilla (Trunk) Dave McCaig (Limb)Rafael Albuquerque Dani (variant)#8May 11, 2021Death MaskRafael AlbuquerqueDave McCaigRafael Albuquerque#9June 8, 2021FarewellRafael Albuquerque Jorge Fornés (variant)#10August 3, 2021Rafael Albuquerque Mateus Santolouco (variant)
Others TitleIssueDateStoryArtColorCoverAmerican Vampire: Survival of the Fittest#1June 8, 2011Scott SnyderSean MurphyDave StewartSean Murphy & Dave Stewart Cliff Wu Chiang (variant)#2July 13, 2011Sean Murphy & Dave Stewart#3August 10, 2011#4September 14, 2011#5October 12, 2011American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares#1June 13, 2012Scott SnyderDustin NguyenJohn KaliszDustin Nguyen#2July 11, 2012#3August 8, 2012#4September 12, 2012#5October 17, 2012American Vampire: The Long Road to Hell#1June 12, 2013Scott Snyder Rafael AlbuquerqueRafael AlbuquerqueDave McCaigRafael Albuquerque Tony Moore (variant)American Vampire Anthology#1August 28, 2013The Man Comes Around, Part 1Scott SnyderRafael AlbuquerqueDave McCaigRafael AlbuquerqueLost ColonyJason AaronDeclan ShalveyJordie BellaireBleeding KansasRafael AlbuquerqueIvo MilazzoCanadian VampireJeff LemireRay FawkesGreedBecky CloonanJordie BellaireThe ProducersFrancesco FrancavillaEssence of LifeGail SimoneTula LotayLast NightFábio Moon Gabriel BáDave McCaigPortland, 1940Greg RuckaJ.P. LeonThe Man Comes Around, Part 2Scott SnyderRafael Albuquerque#2September 7, 2016Opening ShotScott SnyderRafael AlbuquerqueDave McCaigRafael AlbuquerqueTeahouseJoëlle JonesCristopher MittenQuinton WinterBrideMarguerite BennettMirka AndolfoArif PriantoThe Bleeding NunClay McLeon ChapmanRichard IsanoveThe CutSteve OrlandoArtyom TrakhanovVeronica GandiniTraveling CompanionElliot KalanAndrea MuttiGiulia BruscoWhen The Cold Wind BlowsShawn AldridgeSzymon KudranskiEngland's DreamingKieron GillenLeila del DucaPatricia MulvihillDevil's Own LuckRafael AlbuquerqueRenato GuedesBrother's KeeperScott SnyderAfua RichardsonAntonio Fabela
Collected editions VolumeCollectsPagesFormatPublishedISBN1 American Vampire #1–5200HCTPB2American Vampire #6–11160HCTPB3 American Vampire #12–18 American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #1–5288HCTPB4American Vampire #19–27208HCSeptember 26, 2012TPBSeptember 4, 20135 American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares #1–5 American Vampire #28–34280HCMarch 27, 2013TPBMarch 26, 20146 American Vampire: Long Road to Hell #1 American Vampire Anthology #1144HCMarch 26, 2014TPBNovember 26, 20147American Vampire – Second Cycle #1–5144HCJanuary 14, 2015TPBNovember 11, 20158 American Vampire – Second Cycle #6–11144HCFebruary 17, 2016TPBJuly 20, 20169American Vampire: 1976 #1–10256HCNovember 2, 2021TPBOctober 25, 2022
Omnibus editions VolumeCollectsPagesPublishedISBN1 American Vampire #1–27 American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #1–5 American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares #1–5984 2 American Vampire #28–34 American Vampire: The Long Road to Hell #1 American Vampire: Anthology #1–2 American Vampire: Second Cycle #1–11 American Vampire: 1976 #1–10928
DC Compact Comics VolumeCollectsPagesPublishedISBN1 American Vampire #1–11320
2024 TPB Collections +BookCollectsPagesPublishedISBN1American Vampire #1–12352October 1, 20242 American Vampire #13–25 American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #1–5408October 14, 2025
Characters Skinner Sweet – an outlaw who lived in the Wild West, he was turned into a vampire when the blood from Percy, a vampire banker, fell into his eye during a fight while he was escaping from being hanged. After being trapped into a coffin sunken sixty-six feet under water, he escaped and hunted the vampires who tried to kill him. In 1936, Sweet has relocated to Las Vegas, where he opened a brothel, using the name Jim Smoke. Later Skinner finds himself swept up into WWII as he hunts down a threat with Pearl. Pearl Jones – an aspiring actress in the 1920s who was ambushed by a group of vampires led by a vampire director named B.D. Bloch during one of his parties. She was left for dead at a pit in the desert, but was saved by Sweet when he dropped his blood on her eye, turning her into a vampire. She has relocated to Arrowhead, California, using the surname of her husband, Henry Preston, while she is hiding from the other vampires. Hattie Hargrove – Hattie is Pearl's ambitious and slightly put upon roommate in Hollywood, sharing an apartment with the main character before Pearl is murdered by vampires and transformed by Skinner Sweet. Henry Preston – Pearl Jones' husband, a World War 1 veteran who works as a jazz musician who decided to help Pearl to enact her revenge against the vampires who almost killed her. Prior to arriving in Hollywood and working as a resident guitarist at a speak easy where Pearl worked, Henry was a journeymen Guitar player. He isn't intimidated by Pearl's vampirism, but sometimes he feels some sadness by the fact that while he's getting older, Pearl isn't. Henry later dies stopping Hattie. Mr. B.D. Bloch – a European vampire masquerading as a Hollywood Mogul.