I was reading the 30 DAYS OF NIGHT story arc RED SNOW and found it to be one of the best 30 DAYS storylines in a long time. I have been a 30 DAYS fan for a long time having enjoyed the original, debut story quite a bit but believe it or not I found the sequel DARK DAYS to be even better. And, yes, I thought BLOODSUCKER TALES was really well written and engaging. But, even the most ardent of 30 DAYS fan would have to admit a decline in the quality of the series. SPREADING THE DISEASE was little more than a mix of THE PARALLAX VIEW meets BLACK SUNDAY meets COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE. And that goofy, goofy, I mean goofy DEAD SPACE storyline with the vampires in Outer Space reminded me of the worst episodes of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. The main problem evidenced by these poor storylines is the fact that there really is only so much you can do with vampires in a "comic universe" after you've over exposed them.

When it came to being skeptical of Bigfoot, the late Arthur C. Clarke provided one of the best arguments for not believing in the mysterious monster. The late Clarke's reason why there was no such thing as Bigfoot was as follows: "Too many people claim to have seen them." In one little sentence Clarke completely deflated virtually any argument for the existence of the Sasquatch and he could do this because that little sentence was loaded with a lot of common sense. If so many people could see the giant hairy beast they why was it so many people can not see it? Either it was a rare, elusive creature or it wasn't.

It is like in Marvel Comics when a superhero meets a vampire or a werewolf and initially doesn't believe in their existence. What the hell is not to believe? Can't they see all the parallel universes, mutants, aliens from outer space, intelligent robots, altered humans and swamp creatures around them?

I couldn't help but think of Clarke's words when reading the future installments of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT. In the first few series we were given the impression that there were very few vampires in the world and they were careful how and were they hunted. In future installments we get the impression they are everywhere. Well, there really is no other "impression" to derive…they are everywhere. They run in gangs and packs and they hunt and "turn" people into vampires. They attack in regions all over the United States if not the world and they do so while remaining elusive. Or, as elusive as one can be randomly attacking people in large groups on a global scale. So how doe the public keep from learning this?

Why, through the use of one of the greatest cliché devices in popular culture: the government is covering it up! This is so old and clichéd that it really doesn't does little more than inspire yawns when used. Plus, there is that little matter that the boobs in Washington are hardly known for being able to keep their mouths shut and government agencies aren't exactly known for their confidence. If something a dopey as the recent passport scandal couldn't stay under wraps or something as serious as the Abu Gharib scandal remains below the radar how could the government keep decades of attacks by hundreds of vampires under wraps?

Therein lays my problem with the 30 DAYS OF NIGHT series. It has moved from horror to the realm of fantasy. When this happens the stories top being scary and the vampires lose much of their menace.