by Sarabeth Pollock:
“The graphic novel we’ve put together in this collection is fun and entertaining, and features all the main characters from the show, as well as some very revealing bits of back story…. Many writers are only bound by the limits of their imaginations, but television and film writers are bound by the limits of production. Logistics, money, time and technology all need to be taken into account when breaking story. But the world of True Blood, I am happy to say, has a brand-new medium to play in. One that is both exciting and liberating. It is a road that leads to unknown possibilities and endless potential—and I, for one, cannot wait to see where it takes us.”
—Alan Ball, Introduction to All Together Now
Truebies know that the HBO hit series True Blood is based on the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Series, written by Charlaine Harris. If you’ve watched the show and read the books, you already know that there are some major differences between the show and the books. IDW Publishing set out to create a six-issue comic collection based on the television show, and show creator Alan Ball saw it as an opportunity to delve into the history of the characters with endless potential to develop new storylines not possible to depict in a television show.
True Blood: All Together Now takes place at Merlotte’s Bar in Bon Temps, Louisiana. There’s something in the air, something that makes telepathic barmaid Sookie and shape shifter-bar owner Sam Merlotte uneasy. Tara Thornton is working the bar, Lafayette is lounging on his barstool, and ever-flirtatious Jason Stackhouse is entertaining his female company. Suddenly, Eric Northman, vampire and Sherriff of Area 5, shows up requesting an audience with Sookie. At first they blame the tension in the air on Eric, but the group is taken by surprise when one of the patrons turns into a terrifying monster reminiscent of Spiderman’s nemesis Doctor Octopus. Eric identifies the creature as Imp Shaloop, a malevolent spirit from the days of the local Choctaw tribe, but the creature tells the group that he prefers to be called Ted (classic True Blood—a menacing demon named Ted!).
Ted is at Merlotte’s on a quest for revenge, revenge against someone who wronged him. But first, he wants to have a little fun. Vampire Bill Compton, Sookie’s boyfriend, arrives just before a force field prevents anyone from escaping, so no one is leaving until Ted gets what he wants. It isn’t long before a few people die and Ted reveals that he will allow everyone to live…provided that they all share their more shameful secret. And thus begins a night of storytelling that delves into the heretofore unknown histories of the cast we all know and love.
The writing in this book is fantastic. The dialogue is tight and witty, as if it’s coming directly from a script for the show. The flashback scenes are all drawn by different artists, giving each of the chapters a fresh new feeling even though the entire story takes place over the course of one night. Each story was compelling and captivating. Lafayette’s story struck me as one of the more poignant, as he talks about the time when his mother discovered that he is gay: “Crazy bitch thought she could scrub the wickedness out of me,” he recalls. One of the greatest strengths of this graphic novel is that each of the characters shares something painful from their pasts in front of everyone else, so that at the end of the night they are all left with the knowledge that their deepest secrets are out in the open. It binds them all together and will no doubt set the stage for future stories.
Alan Ball was absolutely correct that comics would be able to add a rich new dimension to the True Blood continuum. True Blood: All Together Now sets the bar high with its witty writing and lush color. It’s a great way to feed the urges between seasons of the show, because as we all know, waiting sucks.
Sarabeth Pollock is a contributor for DarkMedia. Follow her on Twitter at @SarabethPollock and check out her blog at sarabethpollock.wordpress.com.
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