It’s a gathering of monsters.
Creative Staff:
Story: Nancy A. Collins
Art: Aneke
What They Say:
No longer the Queen of the Nosferatu, Vampirella is free to begin a new chapter in her life-as a field agent for The Kabal, a covert supernatural organization comprised of monsters that polices their own kind in order to maintain balance between humanity and the world of the occult. Her first mission is to rescue a fellow Kabal agent kidnapped by a group of mad scientists calling themselves the Prometheus Society, who demand the release of their fellow member, Dr. Faustus. But first she must coerce a former field agent, Lazarus the Walking Dead Man, into returning to the Kabal before going toe-to-toe with the likes of Dr. Moreau, Dr. Caligari, Dr. John Dee, and a certain Dr. Frankenstein. Let the Monster Rally begin!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Vampirella has been really strong overall since the relaunch of the main series and we’ve had some really fun miniseries and specials along the way as well. With the main series having brought a few things to a close recently with Vampirella stepping down from being the Queen of the Nosferatu, the main book has a lot of potential with what it can do. I wasn’t sure the intent but with this annual that we get here is something of a transitional piece that shifts Vampirella’s position to show us what’s going to happen going forward. And by the end of it what we get is something that really has me quite excited about what’s to come based on what Collins has set here.
One area that I liked in the ongoing was the introduction of the Kabal and its goal of dealing with threats to the world of a supernatural nature while also ensuring that the world doesn’t find out about such creatures and events. I had feared that he loss of position with the Nosferatu would take her out of the Kabal picture, but what it has allowed is for her to become a more formal agent of it now. And that’s the main focus of this annual as we get her induction into the group so that she can be truly active within this world in a positive way. While she’s got the dark edge about her there’s always been that side of her that wants to do right by the world and people. It’s something that’s long been an interesting aspect to her because she also gives in to the darker side as well, making it so that she’s not a sparkling clean diamond amid the darkness.
What complicates her induction here though is that amid the ceremony it gets interrupted by the Prometheus Society. This group has the potential to be a solid counterbalance to the Kabal for awhile as it’s essentially made up of mad doctors from over the centuries, from Moreau to Frankenstein. And they want Faustus back, though they weren’t involved in the end of the world event that was going on. To force it, they end up kidnapping Beatrice from right in front of them in order to get an exchange prisoners. It’s a straightforward setup that gives Vampirella her first mission while also tying into what came before to provide a touch more closure. But at the same time we get the setup for the potential big bads out there that could swing in with some new challenges for them. The Prometheus Society doesn’t exactly get any serious plans laid out here, but we get to know several of the members and some of their creations as Vampirella storms the place.
The thing that really cements this as a turning point is that if it carries through right, it essentially turns into a team book going forward in the main series. While Vampirella is intent on getting Beatrice back and her poisonous self will have a place in it all, there’s someone new that’s brought into the story. Madame Evily has Vampirella going to bring back a lapsed agent known as Lazarus to the team, a middle child of Frankentstein’s that’s made up of different parts of different creatures while essentially being unkillable. There’s a lot of fun to his introduction, but for me it’s the fact that he and Tristan are like a buddy cop movie together with gags and camaraderie just sells it. There’s plenty of time to get to know him and Beatrice better, though we do get some Beatrice backstory here, and including Evily on the team provides for “the monster rally”, which is pretty damn exciting. Additionally, Vampirella gets a nice upgrade as well here with a potion that improves her flight ability as she now has wings that can be folded away out of sight. It’s something that may feel a bit off for some, and my not being intimately familiar with the character history means I’m not sure if there’s greater significance here, but it’s something that for me adds a nice touch to her design and sense of power and place in this world.
In Summary:
The Vampirella annual does a lot of heavy lifting here that makes a huge impact on the ongoing series and its direction. Giving it a double length approach allows it to be packed with a lot of material, a lot of characters, and a lot of fun. We’ve had so many spinoffs alongside the main series that I’m admittedly wary yet each time the teams keeping nailing. Collins again proves that she has some great ideas for the property and I hope we’re not as rushed as the main book has felt at times as it moves forward. Aneke really provides a great look for the book here that’s made even better as colorist Dinei Ribeiro avoids the “Dynamite Style” of coloring that drenches it in heavy black shades that blur out the details of the artwork. Instead, there’s a lot more variety, a lot less garishness, and a whole lot more to like. I’m very excited about what’s to come next.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: September 30th, 2015
MSRP: $5.99
