Review: Vampirella/Reanimator #3
Ever since Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein mad Scientists in fiction have grappled with the morality of creating life. Bringing back the dead, creating creatures through DNA that have been extinct for many years, dabbling in the supernatural to advance their heinous agenda. A popular trope for this genre is to see the “Mad Scientist” destroyed at the hands of their own creation. Sometimes the story is handled with care, but other times it’s done on the fly just to capitalize on someone else’s work. This tale explores one of the more thought provoking in the handle with care narrative.
The Creative Team:
Cullen Bunn is taking this story into a realm that neither Vampirella or Dr. Herbert West have entered before. West’s mad obsession to control every aspect of life and death has driven him to do the unthinkable and forced Vampirella to play her hand, a hand she didn’t want to play since she’s risking her own existence by playing it. It’s a fascinating read as the morality of the situation at hand is one that real scientists will probably have to grapple with someday soon. The appearance of this issue’s antagonist is met with revulsion as it is a necessary evil. Great stuff includes Dr. Wests triumphant attitude when he believes that he has conquered death and Vampirella’s revelation to Dr. West as to how he’s conquered death.
Blacky Shephard works his usual magic with only the color red. His mostly black and white narrative clearly works well here and helps to make the reality of this world unique. Highlights include the first appearance of death and the splash showing the results of Herbert Wests creation.
In Conclusion:
This one has it all! Death as a goddess, her resurrected past. Dr. Wests compulsiveness, also his desire to not just play god, but, indeed, to become god! Vampirella’s calling him out on it and Vampi’s response to what West has wrought. This is an entirely satisfying issue that sets us up for bigger and better things next issue. **** (9.1 rating)
Vampirella/Reanimator #3
Writer – Cullen Bun, Blacky Shepherd
Art – Blacky Shepherd
Colors – Blacky Shepherd
Letters – Taylor Esposito
Publisher – Dynamite