Draculina first appeared way back in 1969 n the second issue of Vampirella, however this is the first time she has been given her own series. Spinning out of writer Christopher Priest’s more recent Vampirella and Sacred Six series, Draculina is all out pedal to the metal horror action from page one and it just picks up speed from there, and bodies.
For those of you who are new to the world of Vampirella perhaps some backstory would be in order. Draculina is the younger sister of Vampirella and besides their taste in scanty costumes the two share very little else in common. Draculina is similar to Shazam in that she shares her persona with a teenager. In the case of Draculina aka Lilith it’s a homeless girl named Katie. The bond these two share is what keeps Draculina from following more closely in her big sister’s footsteps. There is a sense of limitations that by the very nature of being tied to a young girl holds Draculina in check at times when her own desire is to unleash Hell.
The first issue doesn’t skimp on the creep factor at all, in fact it pushes the envelope right from our first meeting with Katie. Keep in mind that she is a thirteen year old homeless girl, so when we are introduced to her while she lies beside a naked dead guy obviously quite a bit older than her thirteen years, it is creepy to say the least. However, I am certainly no prude and if it’s going to work toward telling an engrossing tale I’m all in. Christopher Priest is one of my favorite writers working in comics today, so i have complete faith in him as a storyteller. That being said, I found that Draculina is a bit of a tough read without knowledge of Priest’s previous and current work on his Vampirella titles and tie-ins. If you are going in cold you may have a bit of a challenge sussing out the plot. Certainly the action is going to keep the pages turning, but at the end you might be scratching your head a bit. No worries though, nothing a brief primer on Priest’s Vampirella can’t fix. It may seem daunting at first, but once you dive into the trades you will be hooked and up to speed in no time. However, if you are going to read Draculina alone you may need a few issues to really feel confident with the narrative, either way you are in for one hell of an action packed story.
Visually Michael Sta. Maria’s art really benefits from Ivan Nunes colors. The pair seem to have developed a working chemistry quite quickly. Formerly Sta. Maria worked with Omi Remlante jr on colors to some fan accolades, but here we see a more nuanced and expressive pairing. The character designs are dynamic, the action sequences are energetic and the overall look of the book is bombastic. I mean the images just explode off the page. The visual pacing only enhances Priest kinetic writing style.
This book is off to a fantastic start. It has elements of noir crime, horror and more action than any one book should be capable of containing. If you are a fan of Christopher Priest I don’t have to tell you what to expect, but if this is your first time checking him out definitely stick with this one, I have a feeling you won’t be sorry, 4/5
Writer- Christopher Priest
Artist- Michael Sta. Maria
Colors- Ivan Nunes
Letters- Willie Schubert
Cover A- Collette Turner
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