Walking in the Dark
is a horror/film noir style webomic by Leanne Gover.
The comic takes place the 1930s and focuses on Ben Westford, a reporter for a tabloid magazine who also just happens to be a vampire. The job is actually a cover for investigating the supernatural ongoings in his hometown of Eris City. One day, an incident drags in a local college professor Stella (a.k.a Star) Storm into the mix. While initially disliking Ben (due to opposing tabloids in general), she realizes there's a much bigger world beyond the human scope and becomes an ally. Add in Ben's assistant and photographer, Naidashi Yoshimoto (or just Nai), a tengu that he adopted, and Pickles, a demon puppy that came out of a green gem. The four chronicle and confront the seedy supernatural underworld.
Originally started in 2000 and taking place in the modern setting, as well as having a more Animesque style. The comic was canceled when Leanne felt the story wasn't coming along as she wanted (though has been saved and can be read via a zip download on the site's "Extra" page if you're curious). After sitting on the back burner for a few years and an overhaul of the story and character designs, the comic returned in 2010 and has so far been running steady since.
Updated Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Now has a character page, please contribute.
Walking In The Dark has the following tropes:
- Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Many of Ian's cronies display this since Ian drilled into their mind that humans were nothing to them and should be considered bugs. Rhonda, the pink-haired chubby vampire, is especially guilty of this as she constantly gloats to the protagonists the tenth issue while trying to kill them.
- Being Tortured Makes You Evil: Ian breaks down his "recruits" through physical and mental torture, including starving them of blood and dumping humans that they care about in with them
- Big Bad: Ian Easton, the vampire that turned Ben and has started a cult with the goal of taking over the human world. He's later revealed to be working with/for a mummy lady.
- Boom, Headshot!: Stella manages to hit Rhonda in the face with fire in Issue 10, giving her a nasty burn scar.
- Breather Episode: The extra comics that usually follow a chapter. Likewise, chapter 9 which is more of a comedy episode.
- Cain and Abel: Sumi and his sister, with the former the Abel.
- Chekhov's Gun: The green crystal Pickles hatched out of. Turns out they're used to trap demons and Ian is harvesting them for his plans.
- Chekhov's Gunman: A girl Nai meets in a flashback makes a comeback in a later chapter as a more important role.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Ian's method of converting vampires to his side. His henchwoman, Fern, likewise loves to do this as well.
- Connected All Along: The girl Nai met mentioned above turns out to be related to the police chief.
- Cute Witch: Stella, when her powers begin to awaken as well as Nancy.
- Dark and Troubled Past:
- Reece explains his in the 8th issue. His family was killed by Ian and he was saved by Ben. He grew up in an orphanage bitter and carried out wanton attacks on vampires no matter if they were evil or not till he was caught by the vampire council. He would've been killed if Ben had not spoken on his behalf.
- Ben's isn't any better. He was an assistant to his father who was a doctor when he was younger. However, they had the misfortune of treating one of Ian's targets and were captured. Ben was turned, tortured and forced to feed on his father in his feral state. The only reason he avoided being one of Ian's lackeys was due to the council managing to find Ian's hideout which forced Ian and his cronies to flee.
- Dark Is Not Evil: The huge spider Stella meets in Issue 10 turns out to be fairly reasonable and only hostile to those digging up green crystal as they harbor demons and he wishes to make sure they don't get out.
- Discreet Drink Disposal: At a speakeasy, Ben dumps his gin and tonic into a plant and replaces it from his flask of... er, red wine.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Nancy who wasn't officially introduced until the 9th chapter. However, she's revealed she likewise was at the orphanage Reece went to.
- Eye Scream: Will stabbed the siren in the right eye as a child when it took his father.
- Film Noir: Has the style of such with Ben providing a narration at the start of every chapter.
- Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: Ben naturally, tries his best to make sure no one falls prey to evil supernatural beings (especially if it concerns Ian), helps out the law enforcement when needed, and carries around a flask of blood to keep his hunger in check.
- Gender Bender: Chapter 9 focuses on this after Star's potion explodes while Ben and she are arguing and turns her, Ben, Nai, and Pickles into their opposite genders. The rest of the issue is trying to reverse it.
- Happily Adopted:
- Nai who hails from another dimension and was sent into the Earth realm after his home was attacked.
- Nancy, the young witch. She was at the orphanage with Reece and was later adopted by two witches.
- I Am a Monster: Ben felt this way after he was turned until one of the council guards calmed him down.
- I Have No Son!: The last thing Ben's father said to him before Ben was forced to feed on him.
- Intrepid Reporter: Least the cover Ben uses to do his investigations.
- Language Barrier: Nai had trouble communicating with the people of Eris City at first because he spoke only Japanese.
- Locked Out of the Loop: The Capellos are apparently the only major criminal operation in Eris completely unaware of the supernatural.
- The Mafia and The Mafiya: The Capellos and Zakrevskys, respectively.
- Maligned Mixed Marriage: Raminder's brother wasn't very happy when his son married a Muslim woman.
- Masquerade: Explored, obviously not many humans know about the supernatural things going on in the city. Considering this is set in the 1930s, they're likewise not as superstitious as they once were in the olden days.
- Monkey Morality Pose: Third panel of this page.
- Mummy: After Ian's flunkies make off with an amulet, one arises to go looking for it.
- Said mummy’s older sister is working with Ian.
- Must Be Invited: Greg's family was killed by Ian after he tricked Greg's father into inviting him in to their house. Ben was unable to save the brother in time because Greg was reluctant to allow another stranger in.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Linda practically spoils the whole stakeout that Ben, Nai, and Star were doing by brazenly calling out Ian's mooks who outnumber her three to one, which was dumb even if they weren't vampires. Granted she didn't know they were monsters but should've known better when Star was telling her to be quiet after she followed her.
- Our Sirens Are Different: A siren is the main monster of the 11th chapter whose prowling near the coastline luring sailors towards the sea so she can eat them. Ben winds up under its spell when investigating disappearances in the area.
- Our Vampires Are Different: They're not inherently evil and still keep their personality when turned with the only change in that they need blood and can't go out into the sunlight. The evil ones seen were pretty much forced into it after a few torture sessions or were just pricks to begin with.
- Pointy Ears: A common trait of vampires though they can hide them if they wish.
- Playing with Fire: Star gains this ability with the awakening of her witch powers.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Another usual trait of vampires, especially if they're angry or about to get serious.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: Pickles, a demon dog that came out of a gem when it was broken.
- Secret-Keeper: Reece who knows about the vampires first hand as his family was killed by them and other monsters of the city but keeps it mum and out of the eyes of the public.
- Sunglasses at Night: Ben, which is lampshaded in a filler comic.
- Take Over the World: Ian's goal as he wishes for vampires to be the dominant species over humans.
- Trans Nature: Will, the lighthouse keeper in issue 11, is a trans man, which is foreshadowed by him being unable to hear the siren enemy of the issue, who had earlier been seen not to be able to affect women.
- Undead Child: Prism, not surprisingly, the eldest of Ian's minions.
- Ungrateful Bastard:
- The male of the two mobster twins. After Ben saves his sister from getting bitten by Fern. He goes on and tries to shoot Ben despite the fact. Of course, being a vampire, Ben survives and naturally is annoyed by this. The sister is at least a little more gracious about it.
- Star's sister Linda after Star saves her from one of Ian's cronies by using her fire powers. Bit justified though as she didn't know about the monsters since Star never told her, thus causing her to freak out. And seeing her sister wield fire didn't help matters. They do eventually patch things up after Reece explains why Star was hesitant to tell her in the first place.
- As Ben points out, considering what he did for them, the witches could at least be civil towards him. At least the elder one anyway.
- Vampire Detective Series: Fits the bill quite well given the premise.
- Wham Episode:
- Issue 4: Stella unwittingly gives Ian's group a scroll that contains a spell he needs for his plans.
- Issue 6: Stella's magical powers activate during a fight. But her sister Linda, in conjunction with dealing with vampires for the first time, freaks out after seeing this and calls her a monster to her dismay.
- Issue 10: We find out Ian's plan is to harbor crystals which capture demons. What's more, he working alongside another mummy who turns out to be the older sister of the first one that awakened.
- The Worf Effect: Poor Ben can't seem to catch a break when a fight breaks out.
- Youkai: Nai and Pickles fit the mold pretty well being a tengu and a demon puppy respectively.
