Monday, September 6, 2021

Comics Review: VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA Volume 2 #21

VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA VOLUME 2 #21
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Thomas Sniegoski
ART: Michael Sta. Maria
COLORS: Omi Remalante, Jr.
LETTERS: Troy Peteri
EDITOR: Joe Rybandt
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Ben Oliver; Stephen Segovia; Michael Sta. Maria; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2021)

Rated Teen+

Vampirella is vampire and female superhero created by the late author and science fiction and horror expert, Forrest J Ackerman, and comic book artist, Trina Robbins.  Vampirella first appeared in Vampirella #1 (Sept. 1969), the debut issue of a black and white horror comics magazine from Warren Publishing.  Writer-editor Archie Goodwin changed the character from a hostess of horror comics to a leading character in her own stories.

Vampirella publications were published by Warren into 1983, and after Warren's bankruptcy, Harris Publications obtained the character and published new and reprint Vampirella comic books into the mid-1990s.  In 2010, Dynamite Entertainment obtained the character and has been publishing new Vampirella material since then.

One of Dynamite's Vampirella comic book series is Vengeance of Vampirella, which was also the title of a Harris Comics series.  Vengeance of Vampirella Volume 2 is written by Thomas Sniegoski; drawn by Michael Sta. Maria; colored by Omi Remalante, Jr.; and lettered by Troy Peteri.  The series focuses on a reborn Vampirella, fighting the forces of chaos to save humanity and then, trying to live in the world after the fight.

Vengeance of Vampirella Volume 2 #21 opens with Vampirella and her traveling companion, Jeannine, on the road.  They come across a middle-age couple, Phil and Agnes, in need of protection.  The couple encountered a trio of men who decided to ignore Vampirella's order that monsters and humans alike behave with each other and try to live in some semblance of peace.

Phil and Agnes offer Vampirella and Jeannine a hot bath and a home cooked meal in their hometown of Surette.  Vampirella finds the place strangely undamaged compared to virtually everywhere else, but their hosts assure her that their peace and quiet is the result of luck.  Our hard-traveling heroes, however, are about to discover that there is more to this small town hospitality than meets the eye.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Vengeance of Vampirella Volume 2 #21.  It is the second issue of this series that I have read, and one of a growing number of Vampirella comic books that I have recently read.

Writer Thomas Sniegoski offers a nice change of pace with his script for this twenty-first issue.  The story is of a familiar type, one now called “folk horror,” but luckily, here, Sniegoski is giving us the Vampirella twist.

The art and storytelling by Michael Sta. Maria still recalls classic Warren Publishing Vampirella, but also reflects this issue's change of pace.  Omi Remalante, Jr. colors capture the bucolic phoniness of Surette, and letterer Troy Peteri keeps the dialogue on simmer.

In my review of the twentieth issued, I said that I wanted more Vengeance of Vampirella Volume 2.  I still do, and you may join me, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Vampirella will want to try Vengeance of Vampirella Volume 2.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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