Review: Vampirella V4 #0
Much has been said already about the promotional aspect of this new title… the fact that Vampirella does not remind ourselves (the ‘true’ fans) of the fiesty and busty vampire-busting monster-hunting swashbuckling lady in that iconic costume, but truth be told, in this issue we see a Vampirella with that same strong head-on approach we (the ‘true’ fans) so care about.
The readers are plunged into yet another re-telling of sorts of Vampirella’s origins and as the story is set in the far-future we see a company of travelers, looking for the lost tomb of Vampirella and they recount her tale and how she is ‘the one’ according to all manner of prophecies.
Their quest is a dangerous one and in finding the tomb they have to pay the ultimate sacrifice in order to resurrect their ‘savior’. Vampirella awakens and claws out of her cave-like surroundings, ready for anything that will try and get her back into that tomb.
The creative team sure had to fill some big shoes because most of the biggest writers you might imagine and most of the biggest artists you can think of, have contributed to her saga in the last almost 50 years. Writers like Busiek, Millar, Morrison, Warren Ellis, Nancy Collins, Alan Moore, Sniegoski and so on. Legendary artists like Linsner, Jusko, Amanda Conner, Jose Gonzalez, Mike Bair, Gary Frank, Patrick Zircher, Balent and many more. I think I best re-think the wording ‘big shoes’ because to their merit, everyone on the creative team -from editor to penciler to colorist to letterer to cover-artist to colorist- will thrive their best and it is best to say the new creative team will ‘just’ become part of the Great Pantheon Of Vampirella Creators.
So how did they actually DO it? How would I value this newest effort?
Foremost I am just a happy camper, because Vampirella is my fav character and I love seeing her come to ‘life’ and I value her every story, some more then others, but still I value them. I appreciate the publisher making the effort to have my favorite comic-hero on stands worldwide!
The writer Paul Cornell sure made that attempt and it just seems this start in this special-priced ZERO issue is just that. A start. We see some Flash Gordon influences, some horror, some great impact-moments and enough dialogue, monologue and descriptive sentences to make sure we get the most of this intro. How it will all balance out in the end, we will just have to wait and see but this #0 is solid.
The artist/colorist Jimmy Broxton is also making that attempt at doing his best. Of course I will compare him to other artists and note that his coloring feels flat and not at all like the coloring over Amanda Conner’s artwork for instance. I am a fan, so I will also say that his coloring is wáy better then the monochrome coloring used during Sniegoski’s ‘Vampirella Strikes” story at Dynamite. Sure I would have liked the splash in which ‘Rella is resurrected made in such a fashion that it would just as easily be made into a cover, a t-shirt or a poster, but that is just not the case. I am not ignorant though… Broxton’s style really works very well for this story, for this theme, for this tale of darkness and decay, this cave-like grave she is lying in. His scenes are note-worthy in drama, in ambiance, in perspective and every page makes me want to look at panel after panel… because it works! Check out some of his #ZERO art here!
So I am happy and eager to see the next installment, Jimmy and Paul. Thanks Dynamite for doing this!
writer: Paul Cornell
artist: Jimmy Broxton
cover: Philip Tan (a)
incentive covers: Joseph Michael LInsner sneak peek cover (b), J. Scott Campbell sneak peek cover (c)
FC • 32 pages • 25¢ • Teen+