Review

Vampire Free Style reviewed by Tim Girard from Blog Critics Magazine (http://blogcritics.org)

I cut my teeth on comic books. Well, in its fashion. I grew up reading the horrific Marvel Star Wars side universe and graduated to more ruthless titles such as the Uncanny X-men and Spiderman. Mine was a world of violence and superhero throwdowns that were bloody and filled with rage. (In its own respect it was very much the predecessor for the WWF and the more provocative UFC.) I was a witness to the comic atrocities of the Mutant Massacre and the eventual Fall of the Mutants. I was around when Marvel instituted the Mutant Registry Act and I was a bystander when Wolverine and Spiderman beat on one another. I stalked the night with the Green Arrow and met four little turtles way back before they were a cartoon or a live action movie. I helped shoulder Cub when Lone Wolf trekked through the wilderness. I have seen devils rise and angels fall. I know my way around a comic book. I understand the animated world. Go back in time to Ralph Baskhi' Lord of the Rings. I was there. Go back to Disney's early Symphonies. (I'm not that old but I grew up with them.) Japanimation lurked in the shadows. Films like Akira and Vampire Hunter D were an undercurrent in the animated world. In the nineties, animators hooked into the comic world, spawning the afore mentioned X-Men and a plethora of other titles. Following these titles were spin offs like Teen Titans that played on the manga concept yet held a ferocious spirit as well.All this brings me to Vampire Free Style. Written and drawn by Jenika Ioffreda, Vampire Free Style tells the story of a cat, a witch in training, and a vampire. I have to admit this is gross simplicity at its finest. The story is much more complicated than that. There is a host of characters, a history (one which the reader travels through as characters are revealed), and a missing girl. Ioffreda takes her time in a whimsical fashion. The characters seem to be a visual hybrid of Dave McKean from his work on the Sandman series. (Neil Gaiman is an influence according to Ioffreda's website.) They are drawn elegantly, and one cannot help but appreciate these characters for what they are. That being said, I do have to take some issue with the cat. The cat within the story functions as an almost living vessel for the missing girl. It is as if she were the cursed princess waiting for her release. For me, the cat's drawn style was distracting - much like watching an American cartoon that is heavily influenced by manga where the character is transformed into something absurd and loud only to revert back to its original form. (Teen Titans was renowned for this.) The cat seems out of place. I know this is by design. And I know there are fans out there saying 'duh' (my daughter is one of them!). For me, the cat seems a little too Disney Formula, a little too playing by the rules of cute sidekick. That is where I find myself with the story. Not formulaic. Vampire Free Style is anything but formulaic. If it were a meal, I would say it is something of a dessert: light, airy, and not too heavy. The artwork is splendid, and one sees a tremendous amount of time and love has been put into crafting not only the characters and the story, but the appearance as well. The pages are professional, glossy, and showcase the talent behind the creator rather than the printer. My hat's off to Miss Ioffreda for her undertaking!Would I recommend Vampire Free Style? I would. I would caution those of the exceeding testosterone inclinations; this ain't your Poppa's comic. This is something different. Don't expect snarls and claws, goofy quips from spandex masks. Expect something a little different, a little ethereal. In a genre inundated by impossible bosoms and muscles, something a little different isn't so bad. In fact, I would recommend it every now and then - and Vampire Free Style is a good place to start.

Vampire Free Style issue 4 reviewed by Richard Bruton - Forbidden Planet International
(www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog)
Jenika was kind enough to send me issue 4 of her great Vampire Free Style recently. You may remember that I said of the first 3 issues back in April 2008:Vampire Free Style is an absolutely delightful book, with much to offer to a wide range of comic and non-comic readers. There's a lightness and playfulness throughout the book but the cuteness coexists happily with a sense of loss and sadness that, if Jenika handles it right in forthcoming issues, will make this book far more than the cute Manga Goth book it superficially resembles. It's a modern little fairy story, mixing gothic romance with a great sense of fun in both writing and art.In these first three issues we're introduced to a young trainee witch boy with a habit of jumping off roofs trying to fly his broomstick. Our young witch boy meets an interesting cat on his latest aborted flying lesson. But this black cat, Micia, is no ordinary cat and she seems to be linked not only to Padroncino (the witch boy), but also with Edward, leader of a group of Goths who can only see a beautiful Death like Goth girl whenever he looks at Micia. Obviously there is more to this cat than meets the eye.Indeed there appears to be much more to so many of the cast of characters. Padroncino is desperately searching for the girlfriend who mysteriously disappeared; there are witches and witchcraft everywhere, and more questions than answers so far. The interweaving of their stories is seen, by the start of issue three, to last through the centuries. Lost necklaces, secret masters living in the darkness, and of course, at some point we find out why it's called Vampire Free Style. Although, with so many Goths around, it was no surprise to find out that someone with a thirst for blood would be showing up.And with issue 4, it all starts coming together a little more. Edward, recently bitten by a vampire is dreaming of his past life, 300 years ago, where we find out that not only was he a Vampire himself, but he fell in love with a mortal called Elea.And on the looks alone, it's very likely this Elea is the same Elea that our despairing and heartbroken witch boy Padroncino is looking for after she mysteriously disappeared. Strange that she should disappear just before that cute black cat Micia appeared.Whilst this issue is all about story, Jenika still manages to get moments of intense sadness and loss in, as well as a great comedy routine with Padroncino trying his best to work a transforming spell that's playing havoc with MiciaVampire Free Style is really developing into a very good comic and Jenika seems to be able to work the very difficult balancing act of manga hi-jinks and comedy against a backdrop of Gothic romance and supernatural thriller very well indeed. The art is lovely, the stories getting better and better.My only complaint? It's been at least 9 months between issue 3 and this issue. I'd love to see them more often.

Vampire Free Style issues 1, 2, 3, 4 reviewed by Eden - (www.comicsgirl.com)
There are going to be certain expectations attached to a manga-style comic book featuring vampires that is created by a young woman — and mostly, these expectations aren’t good. It’s something that in incompetent hands can be disappointing amateur, too much of a self-indulgent fantasy for the goth girl behind it. I’m glad to say that Vampire Free Style defied those expectations. In the hands of London-based creator Jenika Ioffreda (who was kind enough to send these copies for me to review all the way from England), this series is a surprising delight.Young boy witch-in-training Padroncino is mourning his missing girlfriend when he finds a black cat he dubs Micia. Micia also grabs the attention of the mysterious Edward, who sees a mysterious young woman any time Micia is around. There’s also an ancient curse, a necklace and a creepy hooded figure known as the Master. These are all typically delightful stock characters from any dark shoujo manga you can find.Self-published and obviously a labor of love, Vampire Free Style does start off a bit shakily — it does feel like it takes Ioffreda a little while to find her voice — but even from the first issue, she has a good eye for detail (Padroncino’s room is wonderfully messy, with an unmade bed and posters taped to the wall). As the series progresses, so does Ioffreda’s art — it was lovely from the beginning, but it becomes stronger and more expressive with each subsequent issue.Ioffreda doesn’t seem afraid to let her influences shine — she says she’s a fan of Death: The High Cost of Living and Nana and echoes of those titles can be felt here from the cute artwork to the wonderful attention paid to the clothes.Ioffreda seems like she is still growing as both an artist and a writer, though. The goofy bits with Auntie Margherita, who likes to dress Micia in various cute outfits, feel like unnecessary comic relief. And by the end of the fourth issue, it felt like the story was really just getting started — too much time was spent on establishing the characters before the plot kicked in.
But these are relatively minor complaints — Ioffreda is a talent to watch, and there’s a playfulness to her work. Her love for what she’s doing shines through and left me with a great affection for her work. I was surprised at how engrossed I became in the story and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.