“The Masquerade keeps us safe. The Masquerade is everything.”
In the godless times of 1991, there arose a TTRPG system so goth, so theater-kid horny, it was only played in the darkest of basements and dingiest of industrial clubs. That system was Vampire: The Masquerade. Now, the lunatics at Vault Comics have resurrected this goth institution for a new generation, helmed by Tini Howard, Tim Seeley and Blake Howard and with artwork and lettering by Devmalya Pramanik, Nathan Gooden, Addison Duke and AndWorld Design. Join us as we drink deep and descend into the water and well of Vampire: The Masquerade #1.
Justin Partridge: Hello, fellow dark passengers, and welcome to our coverage of Vampire: The Masquerade from Vault Comics. I am Justin Partridge, one of the new kids here at Xavier Files and a virulent TTRPG nerd. One of my all-time problematic faves has always been Vampire: The Masquerade, and I am just pleased as punch to see the license get picked up by an up-and-coming comic company that doesn’t seem to be afraid to get a little dangerous with properties.
Joining me on this dark path is Dan “The Man” McMahon, who valiantly volunteered to cover this series with me (Cain help his cursed soul). Dan, what’s your experience with this system, and why did this property speak to you personally?
Dan McMahon: Zero experience with the system. I was slightly aware of its existence because of the video game. With some of the pillars of the series being violence, vampires and a heavy dose of horny, it seems like a brand that would really draw me in. Let me tell you what, it really sank its fangs into me. In my last XF article, my co-writer referred to me as a chaotic ball of nonsense, so I will keep that energy here. When Vault announced they were doing a licensed book like this, I was so excited because it always feels like the creative teams are given the freedom to write what they want.
JP: HOLY CROW, that’s even BETTER! I think that also speaks to the beauty of this property in that it’s so vast and varied that one can have contact with it without ever even LOOKING at a set of dice.
This opener really hooked me as well. I think it’s a great example of how and why the game works while also introducing readers into the world without overwhelming them with lore and minutiae right out of the gate.
So roll up, neophytes and Embraced alike, as we enter the dark world of Vampire: The Masquerade to see what violent delights and violent ends this new title has to offer us.
The Masquerade 101
JP: So, right from the jump, Seeley does a great job laying out the stakes and cost of exposure in this world of vampire crime. Though we open on a pretty familiar pulp setup, a heavy trying to keep their money-men in line through intimidation, Seeley I feel does a great job of subverting that in favor of horror.
We soon learn this heavy isn’t just a normal thug and the guy she’s shaking down isn’t even human. He’s vampire, and he let the Masquerade (the reverental name some factions assign to the reality of vampires living unnoticed amongst humanity) slip … and it will cost him the life of his human girlfriend.
I won’t lie, this whole scene feels VERY much like an introductory play scenario for the system, while also establishing the power structure of the Twin Cities overall. Am I correct in this observation, Dan, or am I just projecting my need to play TTRPGs with real, in-the-room humans again?
DM: As someone who spends one night every week living that TTRPG life, this all does feel like a setup for a world we are just entering. It’s ready and wanting to be explored. Seeley has a mastery of horror in comic books, having worked on it so often. The setting of the story was really interesting to me because it’s in Minnesota and not some big city like New York. I love stories not set in some major metropolis where a million other stories are taking place. As a reader, it gives me a more unique flavor for the story moving forward.
Something I’ve admired about the Masquerade universe is the fashion. I am not sure I can put into words what style of clothing it is, but I’d describe it as a mid-2000s club goth vibe. From the moment I laid eyes on Cecily’s fuzzy purple jacket and sunglasses, I knew I was in love. Vampires in sunglasses is 100% a thing that I lose it over, just a weird thing I love in vampire stories.
Cecily herself, though, is my kind of leading character. She is very rough around the edges and pretty downright aggressive from the tactics we have seen thus far. But then we learn about her personal life. What did you think about the introduction of her personal life?
JP: WAY IN, to be totally honest. And you are absolutely nailing it. Everything we get so far in these opening pages just SCREAMS core V:tMA experience and aesthetics. The set design, the costumes, the sudden bolts of violence that pepper modules and scenarios to keep players on their toes. It’s all wonderful stuff.
And it’s also funny you mention Cecily Bain’s personal life. Seeley and Tini Howard (more on her and co-writer Blake Howard’s concurrent narrative in a bit) as writers are very good about bringing out the “humanity” of monsters, and we see that start to shine through pretty early after the shocking opening scene, scaffolding the violence with real emotions, which is always a fine needle to thread. Doubly so in an opening issue.
But more than that, this sort of monster/human narrative thread is a big, big, BIG part of the player experience as a PC on table with this system. Obviously this isn’t something that “newbie” readers might pick up (but I’m VERY glad you did, Dan), but it’s very cool seeing the creative team start to seed this from the jump.
And we haven’t even TALKED about the Vampire Society Tiers! How did this stuff grab you? And was it accessible to you, having come to this property through the video games and side material?
DM: Before we get into that, I just want everyone to know I am listening to the “Blade” soundtrack as we write this. Honestly a lot of it went over my head I think as a newcomer. I do think I grasp the concepts from the chat Calder and Cecily had on the rooftop. Normally that would be a weak point for me, but this made me only want to go and read about the world more. It was clear that there is a prince of their region and there is a lot of turbulence in their kingdom right now. I think I was more attached to Cecily’s story and was her passenger, just trying to get by in this fang world.
JP: Totally! And I think this opening issue could have been maybe a bit tighter in terms of establishing the “social order” of the vampire factions and royalty. A lot of the Bain scenes assume at least a working knowledge of the franchise, and that can always be a bit of gamble, especially for an opening issue (even WITH the built-in audience coming from other arms). But that doooooes lead us directly into the next great section of this opener…
Welcome to Our World(s)
JP: That it’s basically a Vampire Two-in-1! While Sheriff of the Twin Cities Cecily Bain enjoys a somewhat sheltered life in the Vampire Elite in “Winter’s Teeth,” Tini and co-writer Blake Howard’s first installment of “The Anarch Tales” shows us life on the other side of the vampiric tracks.
Here we are introduced to our other lead, Colleen Pendergrass, a Thin-Blood (meaning a lower-tiered, constantly starving Sired vampire, usually one done out of passion or straight murder like Colleen) who serves as makeshift den mother to another group of rejected and starving vampires. This is also classic tabletop stuff here, as the game allows for players and game runners to explore the economic strata of Masquerade society in the form of “outcasts” and Clanless active vampires.
Moreover, this stuff is classic Tini, right? We have a warm but put-upon leading lady. We have a larger group of interesting side characters, all with their own quirks and charms (like the “Rat King” who is just a shitty kid who can augment his appearance to look more frightening). And we have a complex interdynamic between the “den” already in place. How did you enjoy the first bits of the “Anarch Tales,” Dan?
DM: Gotta say doing this back and forth is making me enjoy the book that much more because I am learning so much about the world from you! I really love that this comic has the two different portions going on at once. With “Anarch Tales,” we are getting to see a lower-level group of vampires without any of the luxuries as the upper crust we saw in “Winter’s Teeth.” Getting to see different walks of life for vampires is something I am super excited to get more into as the series progresses. Being a casual vampire fan, I have always wanted to see the different types of vampires and cultures that there are, so this was something I was pumped about.
I dig a group of weirdos, which this pack seems to be. Even if they’re clanless, we get hints that they’re a sort of family unit with Colleen providing for them. Each of the members of this group look to have some interesting background, but I think “Rat King” is going to be my favorite. When we first see him in the army helmet, I knew I was going to dig him. Maybe I just have a thing for odd quirks and accessories.
JP: I mean, he’s just OBJECTIVELY adorable, so I absolutely do not blame you. But that’s GREAT to hear. I think one of the great strengths of this property, and of this opening issue, is that it isn’t limiting readers to just ONE cross-section of Vampire life and status. Seeley and the Howards are giving us a pretty large vantage point, because the property in itself IS so vast and can contain all manner of stories. We have The 13 “core” Clans, not to mention more than a dozen different “Bloodline” ties (which Seeley gets into a bit more with Bain and how her Brujah blood can split further into “True” and “False Brujah” status).
It’s all very crunchy and complex, but I think this opening skews more being “user-friendly” and less “overwhelming” (which stuff like this can tend to be). And I think a big part of that is due to how great the characters are fleshed out. We experience a lot of the “world-building” through their OWN experiences, and, aside from some more essential exposition in the “Winter’s Teeth” segment, they never really turn to us the audience and just start talking rules to us.
Where Do We Go from Here?
DM: So I have been lucky enough to get to check out the next two issues, and I just gotta say that things get so much bigger. I don’t know if you’re ready for what is to come. I am so excited for you to drop more knowledge of the system, because what’s coming shows us a lot more of the world. I can’t say much more than that, or they will send Cecily after me.
JP: I AM WAY EXCITED! Both these opening stories send the reader out on some fun cliffhangers to keep us guessing on where and what they will all get up to in the next issue. I have to admit, I am a touch disappointed that this is just a miniseries, as I think V:tMAS is fully a property that could sustain an ongoing (probably even a FEW, tbh), BUT I am very excited to see where our leading ladies are headed next.
Also before we get out of here until the next issue, can we just say, this opening issue is straight up GORE-GEOUS. It’s a lot of interiors and characters interacting with one another, but Devmala Pramaik, Nathan Gooden and colorist Addison Duke bring a real life to the characters and bold theatricality to the quick jolts of vampiric powers they display here. Obviously, I would like to see how they handle a set piece or fight scene to make a better judgment on their staging, but I have to say, this opening LOOKS as great as it reads, right? I figured I just needed to explicitly say that before we left everyone alone for the week.
DM: Every piece of this book is beautiful. The covers, interiors and colors are all mouth-wateringly stunning. I cannot wait to see how this all comes together by the end of the miniseries. This may be the push I needed to pick up the books to see if I can get a game going. I needed more goth vampires in my life, and this is my fix.
JP: WHO DOESN’T, HONESTLY? But yeah, in case you couldn’t tell, we really loved the opening issue here, and we think you will, too. Even if you don’t have a working knowledge of the property or have been looking for an easy way to jump in, without having to buy ancient PC games or random other video games for various systems, I think Vampire: The Masquerade #1 is exactly what your black heart desires.
Until next issue, be seeing you …
Quick Bites
• So there are FULL ON character sheets in the back of this thing, all compatible and playable with the current 5th Edition of the core rules of Vampire. Which was, to be totally frank, an update that was sorely needed as it largely sanded away a lot of the problematic racial elements of the original rules and lore as well as allowed PCs more agency and choice when it comes to the more sexually charged situations certain super gross GMs would (and could) force players into. So that’s a win for sure.
• Also both Seeley and Howard have spoken a lot about how they themselves have played the game and are coming at it, as writers, from the perspective of players, so that’s also a big win in terms of the “authenticity” of the series so far.
• This series having three credited writers and two full art teams gives it a nice collaborative feeling. I (Justin) always like when comics have “writer’s rooms,” so I’m anxious to see where that takes the book in further issues. (Dan loves this, too)
• When can we play a one-shot Justin? – Dan
• DON’T EVEN TEASE ME, I could play this (and Call of Cthulhu) forever. You know, that actually sounds like a pitch … *eyes upstairs*
Justin Partridge has loved comics all his life. He hasn't quite gotten them to love him back just yet. But that hasn't stopped him from trying as he has been writing about them now for a little over a decade. With bylines at Newsarama, Shelfdust, PanelXPanel, and more, Justin has been doing the work and putting in the time! Comics have yet to return his calls. Usually he can be found on Twitter screaming about Doctor Who.
Dan McMahon is a life long hunk. Most of his time is spent writing about things he loves, tweeting about Willem Dafoe, and his podcast GateCrashers.
