Review: Vampirellaâ€™s Valentine Special

Â I wasn“t sure what to expect heading into this one shot…campiness, I suppose, granted that its interiors first opened with the stereotypical human heart introduction page. I, however, was pleasantly surprised. Not just because the story that graced the pages afterwards wasn“t contrived mush just because of the holiday pretense attached to it; because it offered up a truly charming little interaction between Vampirella and a mysterious patron who had called her down to New Orleans (or N“awlins, if you prefer) for business.

Leah Williams manages to tell a short but sweet tale illustrated with beautiful work by Maria Sanapo with colors by Ceci de la Cruz. When I say that Maria“s art for Vampirella is beautiful, I have to admit, I“m underselling it. There are gorgeously vibrant, tight panels that zoom in on Vampirella“s face and they are stunning. Admittedly, sometimes when the action takes front and center her face gets a little lost in translation compared to these, but it“s not enough to detract from the overall quality of the work on the interiors. For a title centered around the undead, everything is so brilliant and vibrant that you lose yourself in the night of the Mardi Gras itself, feeling the energy dripped onto the pages through the color palette.

I know that some people might find it cheesy, but the entire issue rounds itself out with a touching sort of Aesopian moral. One that offers up a little bit of relief from the way the action runs hot throughout the entirety of the issue itself..but with reason. The explosive charge into battles also plays into premise of what our mystery character is trying to do, and effectively, since all the different interactions that Vampirella has in this issue seem to be like a mad dash to a final confrontation. Trust me when I say that it“s with reason, and once you find out why, you might appreciate the pacing just a tiny bit more.

If you“re looking for a unique, fun little read that’s sure to hit your feels in just the right warm place, then I suggest picking up this 3.5 out of 5 star one shot.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Leah Williams, Michael Golden (A) Maria Sanapo, Michael Golden (CA) Ergun Gunduz