Cunning, ruthless, and rattlesnake mean, Skinner Sweet has a reputation for cussedness as long as he is ornery. As the first vampire conceived on American soil, however, he's not your usual creature of the night. Stronger, fiercer and powered by the sun, Sweet is the first of a new breed of bloodsucker: the American Vampire. Forty-five years after rising from his grave, Sweet finds himself in 1920s Los Angeles, where the young and beautiful are drawn like moths to the burning lights of Hollywood. Something beyond simple human greed is at work here, however, as struggling young actress Pearl Jones is about to discover. When her movie-star dreams are transformed into a bloody nightmare, Sweet provides her only chance for survival as well as the power to take revenge...

American Vampire: Volume 1 collects together the first five issues of this ongoing series. As of November 2010 the monthly comic book was at issue seven. These first five issues are the only ones that Stephen King had any involvement with, so far issues six and seven have been written by Scott Snyder on his own.

The story follows the origin on a new variety of vampire that was born in America. This new species is more deadly then the traditional vampire.

The two main characters are outlaw Skinner Sweet, who was born in America's Wild West, who is accidentally turned into a vampire before he is hung, and Pearl Jones a 1920's wannabe actress who is also turned into a vampire by Sweet.

I have to admit that I've become a little bored of vampire tales over the years, and wasn't expecting this to add anything new to the mix. Thankfully, I was surprised to discover that there's plenty going on here. Not only is Scott Snyder and Stephen King up to scratch, but Rafael Albuquerque artwork adds another dimension to the story.

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Nick Smithson