Wow. After reading the first issue of "Impaler," my first thought was 'How did I miss this?' The series originally debuted in 2006, and it's a great take on both the tired genre of vampires and the mythos of Dracula itself. The story starts out in 1460's Romania, where the army of Wallachia is being overrun by vampires. In a twist to the legend of Vlad the Impaler, the version of Vlad in this story is an agent of church, who goes through a ritual to become a blessed warrior of God and battle the demonic forces assaulting Wallachia.

Fast forward to present time, and a seemingly abandoned cargo ship floats into New York Harbor. Upon closer inspection, police find the murdered crew on the ship, as well as an ancient evil that is now loose on the streets of New York.

Writer William Harms does the improbable here, as he crafts a very unique take on a genre that has been done to death. His dark story is matched perfectly by the art team of Nick Postic and Nick Marinkovich, who depict vampires as unliving shadows that can get to anyone, anywhere at any time.

All in all, a very creepy first issue, and one well worth checking out.