Vampirella faces a conflict of choice that pits her against two of the very things that she has cared for. 
She could either side with her people, The Vampri, to save them from blood drought and consume all human life, or she could protect her adopted homeworld, earth. Forced to grapple with the legacy of her own familial ties, what lengths will Vampirella go to prevent the deaths of her friends?
Christopher Priest is no stranger to telling stories that leads readers through different moments in time, to contextualize the full picture of a story. What’s great is, whether or not readers have read the previous issues of this arc, Priest is able to fill the reader at a good pace that keeps the story flowing, and making sure to give readers a good jumping on point should this book be their first comic. This arc, along with this issue provides an interesting dilemma and character study of Vampirella. The conflict she is in where she has to reconcile her cultural identities that clash due to the very nature of who she is, while nothing new, is unique for this particular arc. Having to decide whether to completely choose one or the other, is something that anyone of any culture or creed can relate to, especially if it’s representing the bad qualities instead of the good (be it choosing to feed on humans or not, seeing oneself superior to another being or species, etc). It’s interesting seeing Priest explore the clashing cultures and politics of the vampri, displaying what sets Vampirella apart from her own native people, while simultaneously showing the commonalities that they share with humans.
It’s great meta-commentary reminiscent of vegetarianism, and factory farming, which in the case of Vampirella is as entertaining as it is compelling. Priest adds some depth to Vampirella that makes this title worth reading, giving readers a sci-fi story that will become a recommended read for readers in the years to come. Most readers would probably look at Vampirella as just a character full of eye candy, but Priest does a fantastic job at adding more depth to the character that hasn’t often been explored to a degree which might entice readers to go back and pick up previous issue in priest’s run, possibly gaining appreciation for this classic character.
The art and colors by Gündüz is as stellar as this interstellar story, delivering a cinematic sci-fi flair that is perfect for the tone of this story. The layouts, set pieces, and action displayed by Gündüz pencils and colors are beautifully rendered. The lettering by Willie Schubert is crisp, making the reading experience enjoyable as the lettering accompanies the art, without ruining the balance that makes a good comic experience. This is a very fun, engaging sci-fi tale for the character that makes this book a worthwhile read. It’s safe to say that this is a solid creative team that makes great efforts to tell the best story that they can tell, and with a book such as this, it’s worth adding to your pull list.
Newsdesk