The last two issues of Vampirella have been… rather forgettable in the grand scheme of things despite some “interesting” things happening. However, maybe that can change for this particular issue. Is it good?
Vampirella #3 (Dynamite)
Vampirella finds herself allying with a Nosferatu looking vampire called Drago, who has a plan to help her lift her curse so that she doesn’t end up bringing about the end of the world. She needs to drink the blood of several different vampire breeds in order to do so and their first target is in Thailand. The vampire is called a “krasue” and it’s an odd looking thing to be sure.
…Well that’s just a whole lot of “eww”.
While the last two issues pretty much dealt with setting things up, this one felt like it finally got the ball rolling. Sure, the issue is basically sort of a “monster-of-the-week” story where very little advances and it’s just Vampirella fighting a monster, but things felt like more exciting and intriguing than before. The vampire itself being fought is actually pretty interesting and has a really neat and creepy as hell design to it. It does make me curious now to see what the rest of the monsters Vampirella will face will be looking like and what their backstory will be considering the interesting facets here in this issue.
The writing by best-selling author Nancy A. Collins is perfectly fine just as it was with the previous issues. The dialogue and narration are alright, outside of some awkward moments here and there. Characterization for everyone is perfectly fine and Vampirella still remains interesting, outside of the ending. The ending and what Vampirella does feels rather unclear and not explained very well. It feels like she reaches a conclusion with a little evidence (or maybe she has the evidence but didn’t share it with the audience) and ends up doing something that comes across as being rather asshole-ish.
Yes, recap the hell out of that last issue to the character who already knows everything you are saying.
The artwork remains roughly the same as the last issue with one exception. That being the design of the Krause, which is rather memorable and stands out a lot. In fact; due to the design, some of the imagery around it; and use of shadows and colors; the book has a more horror-like tone to it than before that does give it some more flavor to it. Otherwise, characters look fine outside of very odd looking facial expressions and weird poses they do that look more like it should be hurting them. Layouts, action, coloring, and the rest are all very fine here like with the last issue.
Is It Good?
Vampirella #3 is a setup from the previous two issues, upping the horror tone and excitement with the story while also promising a lot of potential with future issues given what we have seen here. There are problems here though, like with the previous issues, but there are improvements as well. I’ll keep my eye on this title as it continues on into the future.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
