When I think of vampires, I tend to go with Dracula, Anne Rice books, goths, and heck, even the Blade movies. Well, now we have a new vamp on the block, and this one is a big fan of tophats. So big, in fact, that he's named after them. Hatpire, created by one Becky Turpin, follows the oddball life of the title character as he does all sorts of cutesy stuff. This one updates three times a week, to fulfill all of your vampire needs. Onward!
Hatpire is the Hello Kitty of vampire comics. Why do I say that? Because it's squishy Chibi-ish characters and really bright colors remind me of what a day in Japan must be like. Everyone walking around throwing peace signs and winking at each other. Nevermind that. A very cute and simple art style that would fit in perfectly mashed between Pokemon and Spongebob.
I can't really tear apart the writing and pick out anything that bothers me other than that there is pretty much no dialogue. Lots of symbols and exclamation points are used to convey emotions or actions, and while it's cute, it makes for a really simple comic. I take it that's what Becky is going for, but after a while it might get tough to figure out how to keep things going without words. Just sayin'. Apart from that, Hatpire himself sure is nice. I mean, he has to be the nicest vampire ever, because he doesn't suck blood(maybe offscreen?), and at one point he finds a coin, only to give it back to the guy who lost it. How kind. How un-vamp like. But, this is a truly different take on bloodsuckers, so don't come in here looking for a way to bring your goth side out. You're more likely to put on a pink sweater and hug someone.
Hatpire is a comic for fans of light hearted fluff, and while it's not my cup of green tea, it might be yours. It's cute family fun, and perfect for young girls looking for the next Care Bears, or whatever else is in with them these days. Sink your teeth(heh) into Hatpire and decide for yourself.
I give Hatpire...
(For cute and colorful art, but too simple for my tastes)
