"Chastity #1" Comic Review

Chastity, the half-vampire/half-human warrior, already has her hands full fighting bloodsuckers in New York City. She's also trying to juggle a somewhat normal life, so when an audition that seems too good to be true pops up, she rushes to get downtown in time only to find something far more sinister waiting for her.

You have to admire Chastity's attitude. The world dealt her a bad hand and she's made the best of it, kicking all kinds of ass along the way. She's very adept at taking on vampires, as we see in the opening pages from artist Daniel Maine. These are some well-choreographed sequences in the tight confines of a subway car. It's impressive to see all the angles Maine puts together here.

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Maine distinguishes the vampires from normal humans with their eyes. They turn black and this darkness spreads out like a bloodshot effect out around them. This gives them a diseased and frightening look. They still resemble regular people, which gives them that unsettling edge.

Chastity's vampire life is differentiated from her human life by colorist Brian Valenza. The former is has some fiery bursts of color, coinciding with the action. Meanwhile, when Chastity gets into the “real world”, the colors fade. It's a more dismal look.

For some, this would have been interesting enough on its own. Who doesn't love some vampire fight scenes? Writer Leah Williams adds more to Chastity's story, putting her in a position she can't punch her way out of. Most of this was spoiled in the solicitation information for this issue, so I'm not spoiling much by talking about it. Essentially Chastity is drugged and kidnapped by a human trafficking ring. Those folks have no idea what they just got themselves into.

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The seriousness of this situation sets in with the final pages of Chastity #1. The title character understands what's at stake and sees how her life and those around her are in danger. Letterer Carlos M. Mangual makes Chastity's words larger and larger as the tension rises.

Chastity is back and up against a villain more heinous than ever. She's used to fighting vampires, but this is something else entirely. We're re-introduced to this character and what she can do. It's easy to understand that there's a lot more bloodshed in her future.