VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA #7, available from Dynamite on May 27, follows the resurrected vampiress as she begins to form a rebellion against the demonic forces enslaving Earth. Meanwhile, Nyx has her own problem as the Fathers question her authority and force a power struggle. The demon war for Earth is coming.
Cover Art
Lucio Parrillo turns in another beautiful painting on the cover. There’s a special quality about Parrillo’s depiction of Vampirella that evokes the sexy, 70’s vibe that. The shadows are smokey, and the silhouettes for each character are not cartoonish or exaggerated. Parrillo’s cover would work just as well as a velvet painting in the lounge of a night club, in the best possible way.
Writing
Thomas Sniegoski continues Vampirella’s resurrection arc. Now that sunlight has been restored to the Earth’s surface, Vampirella searches for a way to bring back the Danse Macabre to help her and the humans with the rebellion.
Sniegoski is juggling a big story with multiple threads, so it would be easy for the reader to get lost. What helps keep it all centered and moving is Sniegoski’s attention to each character’s motivations and actions. Vampirella is trying to find herself after being “dead” for 25 years. Pendragon is looking to marshal all the resources he can to ensure the survival of humanity. Nyx is killing everyone and everything in her way to hold on to her seat of power. You never get the impression that a decision is random or an action feels out of place. It’s deceptively complex storytelling, and Sniegoski manages to keep it all clear.
Pencils/Inks
The art was uneven in the last issue (read the review here), but Michael Sta. Maria picks up art duties here and does a great job. Nyx gives a speech to a stadium full of assorted demons, and each one is drawn distinctly and cleanly. At one point, Vampirella and Pendragon are attacked by bed sheets. Yes, that’s right…bed sheets, and yet, Sta. Maria succeeds in making bed sheets dangerous. Really nice job here with the artwork from Sta. Maria.
Coloring
Omi Remalante Jr has coloring duty. The shading and eye color are the two high points from Remalante’s work. This is Vampirella after all, so there’s quite a bit of skin showing with the main character. Remalante uses shading to great effect to keep Vampirella’s skin from looking flat in a wide array of lighting settings. Vampirella is on a spaceship, then broad daylight, then inside a “haunted” safehouse and everything in between, but her skin never look plain or flat.
Vampirella’s eye pop with color in several spots to add emotional weight to her mood. The second to last panel on page 23 is the favorite panel for this issue specifically because of the pop of eye color. Vampirella has a look of shock/surprise at the sound of a terrifying voice, and the red color of her eyes is practically electric.
Lettering
Troy Peteri has done something interesting here with the lettering. Throughout a large chunk of the book, both Pendragon and Vampirella hear the disembodied voice of Passion (the “ship’s” computer) to guide them through their mission. Peteri chose to use an action bubble instead of a standard word balloon to keep the voices separate. It largely works, but it takes a little getting used to. The Fathers are also shown as a disembodied voice using a word balloon without the tail. Again, it largely works, but it may get a little confusing keeping all the voices straight in future issues. It may help if Peteri use more background colors in the balloons to create distinction between the voices a little more clearly.
Conclusion
VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA #7 is a strong continuation of the resurrection story. The writing is solid and the art is significantly better than the previous issue. Vampirella fans should pick this up.
Author’s Note: Local Comic Shops (LCS) are going through a tough time right now with the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. Comics fans of every flavor that care about his or her LCS should try to do what they can. So, here’s my part:
If you’re in Northern Delaware, South East Pennsylvania, or Southern New Jersey area, please take a moment to visit Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, DE. Say ‘hi,’ pick up a book, order a book (they’re on Comichub.com), and let them know you support them.
If you’re nowhere near that area, please find YOUR LCS using Comic Shop Locator and lend your support.
Thanks, and stay safe.
