REVIEW: 'Vampirella/Dracula: Rage' #1 by Christopher Priest and Christian Rosado

 

VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #1

writer: Christopher Priest

artist: Christian Rosado

letters: Taylor Esposito

covers: Lucio Parrillo (A), Celina (B), Mike Krome (C), Jay Anacleto (D), Cosplay / Rachel Hollon (E)

FC | 32 pages | Horror | $3.99 | Teen+

In Stores August 9, 2023

Picking up where Vampirella: Year One left off, Vampirella/Dracula: Rage presents Vampirella as you’ve never seen her before. Inconsolable grief hardens into an unquenchable rage as Vampirella tracks the cultists who threaten her son across Europe and America, unsettling political and economic alliances and unraveling the global network of the baby’s father — Dracula!

In a macabre exchange of norms, it is Dracula, the Lord of Vampires, who now hunts the elusive Vampiri in an effort to save Vampirella from herself — or, more precisely, to save her from becoming like him. To this end, Dracula recruits Victory, once Vampirella’s closest friend, to act as his ersatz Renfield while they try (and fail) to anticipate the next moves of a woman whose anger has now completely consumed her.

This bold new limited series bookends Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy, bringing Vampirella’s conflict with the Prince of Darkness to its ultimate conclusion and setting up a dramatic change in direction for the Daughter of Drakulon!

Score:

★★★1/2 (3.5/5)

QUICK REVIEW: In the newest sweeping saga of Vampirella, 'Vampirella/Dracula: Rage' #1 by Christopher Priest and Christian Rosado catches readers up on the latest drama that sets the foundation for this run. Dracula and Victory provide a convenient recap that Rosado details in stunning fashion with some dynamic and haunting visuals. The art really separates this comic from others in the Dynamite line for its elevated extravagant nature. Where it falls short is that Vampirella or 'Ella,' appears as a supporting character in her own book and we have to rely on others to be credible narrators. It's a good jumping-on point and there's a lot of potential but we'll have to wait until issue two to get more Ella.