Bite Club

By Alex De-Gruchy
May 04, 2006

Bite Club is the six-issue Vertigo mini-series written by David Tischman and legendary writer/artist Howard Chaykin, who previously worked together on American Century, also from Vertigo. Joining them on art is David Hahn, whose artwork can be seen in titles such as Fables and Lucifer. This original mini-series, packed with sex, death, blood and double-crosses was successful enough that the same creative team have recently launched a sequel - Bite Club: Vampire Crime Unit.

Plot

Vampires are real. This is a simple fact in the world of Bite Club, and it is why vampires have been accepted as legitimate citizens. They live their lives just like everyone else - working, getting married, having children - albeit with much longer lifespans and greater physical strength. The vampiric Del Toro family have been Miami's biggest crime family for decades, under the leadership of their patriarch Eduardo Del Toro, a 265-year-old vampire who came to America from Nicaragua. He is also a husband, a father of three and a grandfather of one. Eduardo's luck finally runs out in the opening scene of Bite Club, as he is shot and killed - by wooden-tipped bullets, of course - by a mystery assassin.

Leto, one of Eduardo's two sons - and America's first ordained vampiric priest - turned his back on his family's violent legacy two years ago. Upon hearing of his father's death, Leto goes home simply with the intention of paying his respects. However, when Eduardo's will names Leto as his heir, the family business is suddenly in the priest's hands - much to the chagrin of his ambitious sister, Risa. The second brother, Eddie, has problems of his own to deal with at home as his son Danny keeps getting in trouble with the law. Then there is Victor, the Del Toro family underboss who makes no effort to hide his anger at Leto being named leader.

The main premise behind Bite Club is a sound one, as it offers up the question of whether or not Leto will return to his old violent ways while dealing with the deception and treachery from both his colleagues and his own family members. Accepting his position as head of the family, Leto begins the hunt for his father's killer, and even though this becomes one of the main factors driving the plot, it loses steam about halfway through the story and comes to a messy, unsatisfying conclusion. The sub-plots, such as Eddie's son Danny having problems and Risa's record-producing career come off as nothing but whining teenage self-pity and some ultimately pointless scenes that only serve to highlight how much of a bitch Risa is.

Characterisation

The Del Toro family are a messed-up bunch, as they all openly admit. Risa is a totally ruthless woman who cares about nothing but herself and her own ambition. Leto, the priest, has had sexual thoughts regarding his sister Risa over the years, and she knows this. Wanting to take advantage of the situation, there is a scene where a naked Risa goes so far as to attempt to seduce Leto in a dressing room. Eddie claims to want a better life for his son, but that doesn't excuse him from being the violent thug and murderer that he is. Eddie's son, Danny, is a teenager trying to find his own identity and place in the world, but even he isn't afraid to spill the blood of others to do so. Victor has been having an affair with Arabella, Eduardo's widow, for the last three years, and he's a cold-blooded killer, which we can see in one scene where he doesn't hesitate in tearing out a hooker's heart with his bare hands.

The problem is, because each character has their own selfish agenda and possess very few - if any - redeemable qualities, it is hard to become emotionally invested in the story. This is even the case with smaller supporting characters - for example, even though Arabella doesn't play a huge part in the story like other members of her family, some of the scenes she does have show that she is a cruel, manipulative woman. Although I'm not against seeing the bad guys win Ð as long as the story is told well Ð when every character is a bad guy, you find yourself not really caring who lives, who dies and whether or not they solve their respective problems.

Art

The art in Bite Club is very accessible and easy on the eyes, as David Hahn has a very clean and minimalist style. Many of his panels look as if they were ripped right out of an animated cartoon - and that's a compliment. Even with the smooth, sleek lines, this doesn't mean that Hahn skimps on the details, as he successfully manages to bring these characters and the world they live in to life. Particularly impressive is Hahn's portrayal of the city of Miami itself, as he conveys the personality of the city in every scene. The backgrounds and scenery are always well crafted and believable, and genuinely add to the atmosphere of any given scene.

The only negative aspect of the art is the colouring by Brian Miller. The style he adopts is primarily monochromatic, as entire scenes are portrayed in one colour in varying shades. And although at times it can compliment the clean art, more often than not you find yourself wishing for more variety. It can also be a little jarring how drastically the colour changes from scene to scene. For example, in part two of the story, there is a scene between Leto and Risa in a dressing room which is depicted in shades of purple, and followed by a two-page scene portrayed in shades of orange, before cutting again to a scene that is coloured in shades of blue.

Overall

So, does Bite Club suck? (Sorry, couldn't resist). Bite Club is successful in combining elements of organised crime, family drama and vampires. There are several nice touches and small details that certainly create a different spin on the vampire mythos. Character relationships and the violence and duplicity inherent in a gangster story are also dealt with well at the same time. However, despite these good points, Bite Club still has its share of problems. There is not a single character who you can empathise with or relate to, and when this is the case, you find yourself not caring about any of them. Even Leto, the main character and priest, is a generally unsympathetic character, and so one of the central plot points of the story - will Leto return to the violent ways of his family? - is rendered meaningless. If you really can't get enough of vampires, then Bite Club is worth checking out for the original elements that it brings to the vampire mythos. However, it struggles to stand on its own merits as an engaging story, and as a result the little touches may not be enough to even make you give a damn.

Score - 5/10

Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Writing: Howard Chaykin & David Tischman
Pencils & Inks: David Hahn
Colours: Brian Miller
Collects Bite Club Issues #1-6