V Wars
V Wars is a science fiction horror franchise originated by author Jonathan Maberry, encompassing prose anthologies, comic books, and a Netflix television series that depict a global pandemic triggered by an ancient virus, transforming infected humans into diverse vampire species and sparking war between humanity and the vampires.[1][2] The core premise originates from Maberry's anthology collections, which compile short stories framed as frontline reports and eyewitness accounts of the escalating vampire conflict, featuring contributions from multiple horror writers.[1][3] The Netflix adaptation, produced by IDW Entertainment, premiered its single 10-episode season on December 5, 2019, starring Ian Somerhalder as Dr. Luther Swann, a virologist whose research into the virus pits him against his transformed best friend, vampire leader Michael Fayne, amid societal breakdown and militarized responses to the outbreak.[4][5] Complementing the prose works, IDW Publishing's comic series illustrates early stages of the vampire emergence, portraying battles against newly evolved blood-dependent predators.[6][7] Although the television series earned a 60% approval rating from critics for its blend of medical thriller elements and vampire lore, it garnered mixed audience feedback and was canceled after one season due to insufficient viewership metrics.[8][9]Source Material
Anthology Series
The V•Wars anthology series comprises shared-universe prose collections edited by Jonathan Maberry, portraying a worldwide vampire outbreak initiated by a millennia-old virus that reactivates dormant human DNA, producing diverse vampire phenotypes shaped by each individual's genetic profile and cultural heritage.[10] The narratives adopt the format of embedded journalism, delivering "eyewitness accounts" and "frontline reports" on the escalating hostilities between unaffected humans—termed "beats"—and the infected vampires, or "bloods," amid societal collapse and militarized responses.[10] This structure underscores the pandemic's chaotic progression, from initial infections and Patient Zero's predations to organized vampire insurgencies and human countermeasures.[10] The flagship volume, V-Wars, appeared in 2012 from IDW Publishing, assembling original tales by contributors such as Gregory Frost, Nancy Holder, John Everson, Yvonne Navarro, and Scott Nicholson, which detail the virus's emergence and early human-vampire clashes.[10][11] Follow-up entries expanded the chronicle: V-Wars: Blood and Fire (November 2014), featuring works by Kevin J. Anderson, Scott Sigler, Larry Correia, Joe McKinney, and returning authors like Holder and Navarro, focused on intensified guerrilla warfare and vampire factionalism.[10][12] V-Wars: Night Terrors (October 2015) shifted to reporter dispatches embedded with both sides, probing psychological and tactical dimensions of the conflict.[10][13] The concluding V-Wars: Shockwaves (2016) incorporated stories by John Dixon, John Skipp, and others, examining reverberating global aftershocks including terrorist operations and containment failures.[10] Across the series, vampiric strains exhibit marked variability—ranging from feral predators to cunning societal infiltrators—driven by the virus's interaction with host biology rather than uniform mythology, emphasizing empirical causation over supernatural tropes.[10] Maberry, a New York Times bestselling author, curated the volumes to interconnect loosely while allowing authorial independence, fostering a mosaic of perspectives on the war's human and inhuman tolls.[10] The anthologies established the foundational lore later adapted into comic and television formats, prioritizing gritty realism in depicting viral evolution and interspecies strife.[10]Comic Book Series
V-Wars is a comic book miniseries written primarily by Jonathan Maberry, with art by various artists including Alan Robinson and Tommy Lee Edwards, and published by IDW Publishing.[14][15] The series ran for 11 issues from April 2014 to February 2015, expanding the vampire pandemic universe established in Maberry's 2011 anthology novel of the same name.[16][6] It depicts the initial escalation of conflicts between humans and emerging vampire species triggered by an ancient blood-borne retrovirus.[14] The narrative centers on virologist Dr. Luther Swann, who investigates the outbreak after his colleague and friend Michael Fayne becomes Patient Zero, exhibiting vampiric traits following exposure to the virus during an Arctic research expedition.[17] As the pathogen spreads globally, it activates dormant genes in humans, producing diverse vampire variants with species-specific physiologies, abilities, and vulnerabilities, ranging from blood-dependent predators to more specialized forms.[14] Swann's efforts to understand and contain the plague intersect with military responses, ethical dilemmas over vampire rights, and factional infighting among the infected, framing the story as the prelude to broader "Vampire Wars."[16][6] The series was collected into trade paperbacks, including V-Wars Volume 1 (2014) and V-Wars Volume 2: All of Us Monsters (May 2015), with a comprehensive Graphic Novel Collection released in April 2019 compiling the full run alongside bonus material.[18][7] Cover art for issues often featured designs by Ryan Brown, emphasizing themes of contagion and primal horror.[15] Subsequent IDW one-shots and miniseries set in the shared universe, such as V-Wars: Crimson Queen (2018) and V-Wars: God of Death (2019), explore peripheral events like individual vampire lords' rises, but the core 11-issue arc remains the foundational comic narrative.[17][19]Netflix Television Adaptation
Development and Premise
The Netflix television adaptation of V Wars was ordered as a 10-episode series on April 16, 2018, with Ian Somerhalder attached to star as Dr. Luther Swann.[20] Showrunners William Laurin and Glenn Davis, known for creating the series 1-800-Missing, adapted the material from Jonathan Maberry's IDW Publishing comic anthology, which originated as a collection of short stories by multiple authors edited by Maberry.[21] Executive producers included Eric Birnberg and Thomas Walden for High Park Entertainment, David Ozer and Ted Adams for IDW Entertainment, and James Gibb for Netflix.[20] The premise centers on Dr. Luther Swann, a physician and scientist, who confronts a global crisis triggered by an ancient virus unearthed from Arctic ice amid climate change-induced melting.[5] This pathogen rapidly transforms infected humans into vampire-like beings with enhanced strength, bloodlust, and sensitivity to sunlight, sparking societal collapse, murders, and escalating conflict between human authorities and organized vampire groups.[4] Swann's best friend, Michael Fayne, becomes one of the first victims, forcing Swann into a personal and professional struggle to contain the outbreak while navigating divided loyalties and the rise of vampire militancy.[20] The narrative frames the epidemic as a modern plague akin to historical diseases, emphasizing epidemiological response, ethical dilemmas in virology, and the potential for war between "vampire" factions seeking autonomy and human governments imposing quarantines and military measures.[21]Production Details
Principal photography for the Netflix series V Wars commenced in late June 2018 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, marking one of the largest productions ever filmed in Greater Sudbury.[22][23] Shooting continued through the summer and fall, with additional filming in Toronto and surrounding areas, including street scenes in Galt, Ontario, before wrapping in October 2018.[24][25][26] The production was handled by High Park Entertainment and IDW Entertainment, in association with Netflix.[5][27] The pilot episode was directed by Brad Turner, known for work on Stargate.[28] Post-production followed immediately, commencing on October 2, 2018, and incorporating visual effects for vampire transformations and action sequences, with contributions from supervisors such as Philippe Thibault at Folks VFX.[26][29] Visual effects work extended into late 2019, even as episodes neared release.[30]Casting and Characters
Ian Somerhalder stars as Dr. Luther Swann, a virologist and hematologist whose research into a mysterious disease—revealed to transform humans into vampire-like beings—drives the central conflict after it affects his personal life.[5][31] Somerhalder, previously known for roles in The Vampire Diaries and Lost, was cast in the lead role announced in February 2018.[32] Adrian Holmes portrays Michael Fayne, Swann's closest friend and a detective who becomes one of the first victims of the vampirism outbreak, complicating Swann's efforts to balance science and loyalty.[5][8] Holmes, recognized from Arrow and Continuum, joined the cast alongside Somerhalder in early announcements.[33] Supporting roles include Jacky Lai as Kaylee Vo, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agent assisting in the outbreak response;[5] Kyle Breitkopf as Desmond "Dez" Swann, Luther's teenage son navigating the societal fallout;[5] and Peter Outerbridge as Calix Niklos, a charismatic vampire emerging as a leader among the infected.[31] Additional key cast members are Laura Vandervoort as Mila Dubov, a vampire with ties to organized crime; Kimberly-Sue Murray as Danika Dubov, Mila's sister involved in the vampire underworld; and Sydney Meyer in a recurring role.[5][34]| Actor | Character | Role Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ian Somerhalder | Dr. Luther Swann | Virologist combating the vampirism virus.[5] |
| Adrian Holmes | Michael Fayne | Detective and early vampire victim, Swann's friend.[5] |
| Jacky Lai | Kaylee Vo | CDC agent aiding containment efforts.[5] |
| Kyle Breitkopf | Desmond Swann | Luther's son facing personal and societal threats.[5] |
| Peter Outerbridge | Calix Niklos | Influential vampire figurehead.[8] |
| Laura Vandervoort | Mila Dubov | Vampire linked to criminal elements.[31] |
Synopsis and Episodes
V Wars centers on Dr. Luther Swann, a virologist who discovers a ancient pathogen released from melting permafrost in the Arctic, which mutates humans into aggressive, blood-dependent beings resembling vampires with enhanced strength, speed, and senses but compelled to feed on human blood.[35] Swann's investigation intensifies when his close friend Michael Fayne contracts the disease, becoming "Patient Zero" and rapidly evolving into a charismatic leader who views the transformation as an evolutionary advancement rather than a curse, rallying other "turned" individuals against human oppression.[4] As infections spread globally, governments impose quarantines and military responses, pitting Swann's quest for a cure and containment against Fayne's push for coexistence or dominance, amid personal tragedies, ethical conflicts, and societal collapse.[8] The single season comprises 10 episodes, released simultaneously on Netflix on December 5, 2019.[4] [36]| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Down with the Sickness | December 5, 2019 |
| 2 | 2 | Blood Brothers | December 5, 2019 |
| 3 | 3 | Because I Could Not Stop for Death | December 5, 2019 |
| 4 | 4 | Bad as Me | December 5, 2019 |
| 5 | 5 | Cold Cold Ground | December 5, 2019 |
| 6 | 6 | It's Not Enough to Have Roots | December 5, 2019 |
| 7 | 7 | Red Rain | December 5, 2019 |
| 8 | 8 | The Junkie Run of the Predator Gene | December 5, 2019 |
| 9 | 9 | This Is the Army, Mr. Jones | December 5, 2019 |
| 10 | 10 | Bloody but Unbow'd | December 5, 2019 |