Little Monsters #5
As Yui and one group stay with the young human, Billy and his group deal with the consequences of their action in Little Monsters #5, by writer Jeff Lemire, artist Dustin Nguyen, and letterer Steve Wands. Lemire, Nguyen, and Wands put another brick in their wonderful little vampire story’s wall.
The issue starts with a flashback to 1945 Hiroshima, where Yui is one of the only survivors. She’s met by a vampire, who weeps at the human barbarity of the scene before taking Yui away. In the present, Yui and the vampires who stayed deal with the consequences of killing Laura’s father. Meanwhile, Ray cradles Ronnie’s dead body as the rest of Billy’s group fends off their attacker. They let him escape and argue about what to do next, finally deciding to go home. Back at the city, Yui and her group worry about the others. In the field, Ray runs from the sun and finds himself in a terrible new situation.
The opening of the issue is so wonderful. A vampire, a being who lives on the death of other people, marveling at the inhumanity of man is amazing. It’s one of those things that one never really thinks about when exposed to stories such as these. Vampires are romantic, but they’re still monsters. The audience is always reminded that the vampire is the other, even when they’re at their most human. So far, Lemire has mostly done the opposite, showing that while vampires are certainly monsters, they are no more monstrous than their prey, and this little scene underlines just how much worse humans can be, something emphasized by the end of the issue.
Meanwhile, Yui is the focus of the scenes with the vampires that stayed in the city. She cares about her fellows and worries about them, even knowing that they ran off to kill more humans, possibly endangering their home. The scenes are played out very well, and the pacing is superb. Lemire is a master of his craft, and this issue shows that off.
Nguyen’s black, white, and gray artwork works brilliantly for the Hiroshima scenes, the blacks and grays giving one the feeling of a burnt-out sky, choked with the ashes of the dead. It also gives the atmosphere the perfect feel. Nguyen’s art remains top-notch throughout; Lemire’s script is great, but it’s Nguyen who really makes it sing.
Little Monsters #5 strikes the right balance of atmosphere and plot. Lemire, Nguyen, and Wands are dropping a unique vampire story on fans with this one, giving fans more glimpses into the blasted world of the book.