| Issue #4 | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Title: |
Double Exposure |
|
Writer: |
Scott Snyder, Stephen King |
|
Artist: |
Rafael Albuquerque |
|
Colors: |
Dave McCaig |
|
Letters: |
Steve Wands |
|
Cover: |
Rafael Albuquerque |
|
Variant: |
Jim Williams |
| Issue Guide | |
| Previous: "Issue #3" |
Next: "Issue #5" |
Publisher's Summary[1][]
It's high noon for the American vampire as Pearl Jones faces off with the coven that ended her human life and Skinner Sweet gets the showdown he's been demanding for the last 20 years – with his old adversary Marshall James Book . Scores will be settled in this extra-sized issue of AMERICAN VAMPIRE, with stories by author Scott Snyder and the master of horror himself, Stephen King.
Characters[]
Los Angeles, California - 1925[]
- Pearl Jones
- Hattie Hargrove
- B.D. Bloch
- Henry Preston
Lakeview, Colorado - 1909[]
- James Book
- Will Bunting
- Felix Camillo
- Abilena Camillo
- Ronnie Jeeks
- The Blackmouth Twins
Synopsis[]
Los Angeles, California - 1925[]
The issue opens with a flashback to when Hattie meets Pearl at the diner she works. It is revealed that Pearl had let Hattie slid on paying for breakfast and Hattie returns the favor by giving Pearl a pair of movie tickets. Pearl offers to go to the movies with Hattie.
In the present, Pearl arrives at the Hollywoodland sign to meet with the Hollywood vampire coven. B.D. Bloch releases Hattie to Pearl and states that Pearl will now be his prisoner in order to find Skinner Sweet's weaknesses. Before Pearl can resist, Hattie attacks Pearl with a knife as part of a deal with Bloch to make it in Hollywood. Hattie explains that it was her who sold Pearl to coven in exchange for her big break.
The vampires fight and defeat a weakened Pearl. Henry Presont arrives to find Pearl unconscious and throws her in his car to make a getaway. Pearl comes to as the car is attacked by vampires and manages to use Henry's gun to shoot it off and they escape.
With the dawn, Henry allows the barely conscious Pearl to feed on him so she will survive. Henry reveals that he is a veteran of the Marine Corps and offers to help Pearl get revenge on the Hollywood coven.
Lakeview, Colorado - 1909[]
James Book, Will Bunting, Felix Camillo, and Abilena Camillo arrive in Lakeview and discuss the possibility of vampires.
Meanwhile, Ronnie Jeeks and the Blackmouth Twins have been watching the Bakersville Mines entrance for 2 days, waiting for Skinner to come out.
Skinner Sweet discovers that he is weak during moonless nights.
James Book and his gang come upon Jeeks and the twins and knock them out.
Felix discovers the head of his father hanging from a tree outside the mine and grieves while Percy and the Lakeview coven watch from a nearby mountain.
Felix rushes into the mine, trips and is set on fire by Skinner. Abilena and James begin to follow when Abilena kisses James to express her hidden love for him. He insists that Abilena stays outside while he enters the mine alone in search of Felix.
Inside, James discovers Felix's body and shoots the weakened Skinner twice before Skinner manages to throw a rock at him and knock him down. Skinner decides to infect James with his blood in hopes of making him a vampire and is shot by Abilena soon afterward. The gunshots cause the mine to collapse and James, Abilena, and Will manage to escape with Felix's corpse before it catches them.
The Lakeview coven, having fed on Jeeks and the Blackmouth Twins, leave satisifed with Skinner being trapped in the mine.