Vampirella #1 // Review
This year is a huge milestone for Vampirella; her 50th anniversary. In lieu of cards or flowers, please RSVP to her new ongoing series. Writer Christopher Priest, artist and colorist Ergün Gündüz, and letterer Willie Schubert are coming together to bring Vampirella back into the spotlight with an all-new story.
Vampirella's new story unofficially began a few months ago with a special Free Comic Book Day issue, but worry not if you missed it. Issue #1 is the true beginning where new and old readers alike can become get to know Vampirella and learn why she's being hunted down by an immortal demon.
After being involved in a plane crash, Vampirella's former human identity has "died" leaving her feeling lost, unsure of what to do with herself. She seeks out therapy to try and make sense of her new life. Of course, her therapist doesn't believe she's actually a vampire, that she's being hunted by an immortal demon, or that one of his other patients is a werewolf.
Despite beginning with a plane crash/vampire vs. demon brawl, the rest of the issue is very dialogue heavy. The majority of the story is focused on Vampirella and her therapist just talking. While it's not as exciting as twenty-something pages of nonstop action, Priest at least puts the space to good use by developing Vampirella's character and revealing bits of her history during her conversation with the therapist.
Being a vampire story, it's a given that there's a bit of blood and gore. It's not the most graphic comic on the market, but Vampirella does some drinking of blood, a character is decapitated, and someone gets stabbed in the eye. Overall it's really no more graphic than a very mild PG-13 movie. It's worth pushing through the bloody panels if you can because Gündüz is a very talented artist. The way he composes scenes and the colors he chooses make for beautiful panels.
Whether you're a longtime Vampirella fan or a total newbie, this is the chance to jump into a great new series and help the character reach her next milestone.
