I’ve never been a huge fan of stories where vampires were heroes. I prefer my bloodsuckers to be monstrous or more nuanced characters. So it’s no surprise that I fell in love with, Redneck, the creator-owned vampire series from Image Comics’ Skybound imprint by the creative team of writer Donny Cates, artist Lisandro Estherren, and colorist Dee Cunniffe. Because the vampires in Redneck aren’t heroes. They’re flawed people trying to survive in a dark and dangerous world. Sure, they’re supernatural monsters capable of great violence, but sometimes the most monstrous acts in the series are committed by human beings. That’s become evident over the course of the series 19 issues where Cates and company have cooked up a finely-crafted four color tale of family, crime, and consequences that are seasoned with the classic trappings of vampire stories.

Sound intriguing? Want to know more, but unsure where to start? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Ultimately, Redneck is the story of the Bowman clan, an extended family of Nosferatu. When we first meet them, they’re leading a seemingly peaceful existence in a small Texas town where their family runs a BBQ joint. The Bowman’s have a decades-spanning feud with another family in the town, the Landrys. In the series opening arc, that legacy of hate has violent consequences that change the Bowman’s life forever. The series next arc has the Bowman’s leaping from frying pan into the fire, and the third arc is full of some beautiful moments as well as heartbreaking and horrific ones. The fourth arc, which is currently unfolding finds the Bowman clan in perhaps the darkest place they’ve ever been.

These arcs work because while the Bowmans are bloodsucking vampires, they’re still flawed human beings trying to be better than their monstrous natures. Sometimes they succeed at that, sometimes they fail miserably, and sometimes outside forces leave them with no choice at all. So they’re a fun collection of characters to root for and scream at when they screw up.

The chief character of Redneck is Uncle Bartlett, who is not a blood relation, but still an integral part of the Bowman clan. What’s great about Bartlett is he’s a man who wants to do good, but that part of him is hampered by a heaping helping of cowardice. So he’s a very flawed character that you’ll spend equal time screaming at and rooting for. In contrast to Bartlett is JV, the Bowman family patriarch, who’s sort of the larger than life archetypical Texan badass, but also flawed. The Bartlett family has several children of various ages as well. My favorite is probably the youngest, Perry, a sweet-natured child blessed and cursed with the gift of telepathy.

Redneck may be a family drama about crime and violence, but it’s also a horror book that features several very scary characters. I don’t want to spoil any reveals, but two of my favorite fearsome characters include the ancient vampire the Bowmans call “Granpa,” and one of their human familiars who goes by the moniker of “Evil.” How does a human earn the name “Evil” and get to be one of the scariest characters among a family of vampires? You’ll see. It’s part of the many powerful and horrific revelations in the series first 19 issues.

Fans of vampire fiction will find plenty to love in Redneck too. There’s a lot of world building that goes on that draws inspiration from a wide variety of bloodsucking tales. Do you enjoy the gritty dirty vampires of Near Dark? That’s clearly an influence on Redneck. Like the Machiavellian intrigues of secret ruling vampire courts? Cates and co bring those elements into their tale as well. Plus, the series is slowing establishing a series of fascinating rules on how vampires, their abilities, and their culture work.

I’ve talked a lot about the writing of Redneck, but I need to give props to the other reason why the series is such a powerful and emotionally resonant comic, the art team of Lisandro Estherren and colorist Dee Cunniffe. Selling drama in comics depends on an artist’s ability to convey emotions and Estherren’s character acting skills are decidedly on point. A lot of the series humor and emotional power comes from his work. And Vampires are a nocturnal species so a lot of their world takes place at night, which Cunniffe brings to vivid light with his color palette. His use of blues and blacks to depict the night sky and the way he employs lighting effects add so much to the book’s overall mood and tone.

So are you intrigued? Looking for a way to get started or caught up on Redneck? Well, the good news is almost all of the series is available in three collected graphic novel editions; Redneck, Volume 1: Deep In the Heart of Texas; Redneck, Volume 2: The Eyes Upon You; and Redneck, Volume 3: Longhorns. Those three books collect the series first 18 issues. Issue #19 is available via your local comic book store or digitally, and issue #20 is in stores May 22nd.