DUSK – LOVE BITES / Written by DAVID DOUB/ Pencils and Inks by JERRY GONZALES / Colors by JERRY GONZALES & PATRICIA KRMPOTICH / Letters by JERRY GONZALES & BENJAMIN NAPIER / AEROBICIDE: THE EXTREME NINJA WORKOUT Created by TERRY PARR / “Devastator” Lyrics by DARREN TEKFORCE COLUMBUS / Published by SHONUFF STUDIOS!

Eve was a battered wife, until a vampire called Ash saved her. He hoped to give her a chance at a normal life, but she chose to stay in his service. As a thrall, Eve found an empowerment she never had as a normal woman. It is a double-edged sword, however, as the blood of a vampire slowly binds the mortals who drink it to the will of the vampire.

Eve gains a new insight into the dark world she’s entered when Ash meets with another vampire lord, called The Matron. With the vampires in secret conference, Eve steps out with Phillip, a thrall of the Matron. The night which follows will reopen old wounds for both thralls, as Eve learns that not all vampires are as kind as Ash and not every thrall gets the same gifts from their bond.

Dusk – Love Bites is a story with a message. That message, however, is neatly tucked away within the confines of David Doub’s long-running Gothic romance comic. It is a powerful tale about self-loathing and love gone wrong that fits the world of Dusk thematically. Unfortunately, we have to wade through a fair bit of seemingly unconnected material to get to that message.

The chief problem with this story is that no effort is made to welcome new readers into the world of Dusk. It is presumed that anyone reading this book is already familiar with Eve’s circumstances and her life as a monster-hunting vigilante. This makes it somewhat jarring, however, when the comic opens with Eve being attacked while at the gym, while cutting between panels of the yet-to-be-introduced Phillip and Matron.

This discontinuity is partly the fault of artist Jerry Gonzales. He is a talented artist, viewed panel by panel. However, story flow is not his strong point.

Nothing is done to differentiate the simultaneous sequences and this can be disorienting at times. A subtle tint shift to the colors would have helped immensely in establishing the opening scenes are in different locations. What’s particularly vexing is that Gonzales offers such color shifts later in the comic, depicting the dance club sequence. This scene is honestly amazing, featuring a cameo and song by nerd rapper Tekforce.

Gonzales’ work comes off better in the back-up story, which crosses Dusk over with Terry Parr’s Aerobicide series. The colors by Patricia Krmpotich make Gonzales’ pencils and inks pop better. The finished art here has a Mike Allred vibe, which suits the sillier story involving Eve getting into a fight with ninja aerobics instructor Sheri Ken over a mystic artifact.

Dusk – Love Bites will appeal to fans of the series and Aerobicide. It is, however, not easily accessible to new readers. Those who have yet to experience the world of David Doub’s Dusk would do well to contribute to the book’s current Kickstarter drive. $12 will net you the complete set of Dusk graphic novels in ebook format, as well as this new book. That’s an offer with some bite to it!

FULL DISCLOSURE: KabOOOOOm.com was given a free copy of this book for review purposes.