REVIEW: Vampirella Vol. 3 #4
For one reason or another, I have seem to have missed a few issues of this new Vampirella series. It may be that the covers do not attract my eye or it could be that Dynamite Comics’ other female characters seem to be a more enjoyable read. Whatever the reason, I was a tad nervous going back to a book after taking a multi issue break.
Boy, I needn’t of worried at all. The absence of a “previously on….” section pretty much allows for pages and pages of exposition, which while helped bring me up to speed, did absolutely nothing to move the story forward. Sure, there is a confrontation of sorts, but in the end, all this does is set up the next issue confrontations.
Whilst I didn’t have high hopes for this series, I am still a little disappointed with this issue. I understand that chewing the scenery has a place in a story, but at least try to move the story forward. Instead of telling readers about motivations and history, show us. In Kate Leth’s defense, when she moves away from recap / info dump mode, her Vampi sounds like you would expect. The villain is as ego-maniacal as you would expect, matching the glamorous surroundings with grandiose speeches.
The interior art is dramatically different from the cover art, which is just as well, at least in my opinion. Ewan Casallos is quietly going about his business and putting together some strong pages. I am especially impressed with his facial art, of which he gets plenty of practice with in the dialogue heavy issue. Looking at his line work, there is a slight Alan Davies feel, although this doesn’t include the Davis curves, showing that Casallos is developing his own style. Valentina Pinto continues her excellent work on colors, showing how comfortable she is with the various environments and cast of creatures Vampi finds herself in.
This book is a cynical example of story compression, with set up following recap, effectively not giving the reader a lot of new story for their money. On top of that, whilst I appreciate that clothes don’t make the woman, I don’t mind admitting that I miss the old outfit.
Writing – 3 Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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