DayBlack

This saga of Merce, an ex-slave turned modern-day vampire who is also a tattoo artist, gives the bloodsucker genre a much-needed bite in the neck with an ingenious setting and concept. The skies above Merce’s hometown, DayBlack, Ga., are so bleakly polluted he’s plunged into a permanent, vampire-safe night, but the constant darkness plays havoc with his dreams, dropping him into nightmares even during his waking hours. This everlasting night and hallucinogenic landscape is dexterously represented in Cross’s confident, tattoo-styled graphics, with pages bathed in deep, dark swathes of black ink. The story has a vibrant pop, portraying the characters and action with immense originality. The only distraction is a mechanical lettering font; otherwise it’s a fresh debut that melds a very original story and bold visuals into a psychedelic fantasy. (Aug.)