My Pretty Vampire

Mod glamour gets gruesome in this cheeky revenge tale. Clover, the eponymous vampire, has spent the last four years of her life in a gilded cage of her brother’s design. But now she’s fled—and she’s out for blood in both the literal and figurative senses. Skelly’s 1960s sensibility in fashion and art pairs wonderfully with the darker elements of the story; she recalls that era’s surge of gory and gorgeous “giallo” cinema to great effect. When the tension between Clover’s beauty and the violence that fuels her actions is the focus, the book is at its best. That said, it often feels like a first draft: certain page and panel transitions are clumsy, angles are often awkward, and the simplicity of Skelly’s visuals sometimes makes it difficult to discern what’s going on. Her previous monochrome work, especially Operation Margarine, was stronger—perhaps Skelly simply needs more time to refine her use of color. (Aug.)