Erica Schultz Brings Vampirella and Witchblade Together for a Supernatural Murder Mystery | Comic Crusaders Podcast #756

WEPAAAA! The supernatural side of comics is about to get crowded because writer Erica Schultz joins Al Mega on the Comic Crusaders Podcast to talk about Vampirella x Witchblade Special #1, the upcoming Dynamite and Top Cow crossover bringing two of comics’ most dangerous women together for a 48-page horror special arriving September 23, 2026.

Schultz has built one of those careers where trying to squeeze the résumé into a clean introduction becomes its own editorial problem. She has worked as a writer, letterer, editor and teacher, written characters including Daredevil, Wolverine and Vampirella, made history as the first woman to write a Spawn comic, and received an Inkpot Award in 2025. Her current run on Gunslinger Spawn puts her inside another mythology built on supernatural violence, tortured heroes and consequences that rarely stay buried.

Her latest assignment throws her directly into a different kind of supernatural mess. Detective Sara Pezzini is investigating an ancient curse when she becomes infected herself, forcing Vampirella into a confrontation with the Witchblade. Schultz has described the story as a locked-room murder mystery, giving the crossover more to chew on than a simple “two icons meet, misunderstand each other and smash furniture” setup.

Artist Valentina Pinti joins Schultz on the issue, with Sian Mandrake handling colors. The creative team is working with characters carrying decades of history, wildly different personalities and two fanbases that absolutely know when their favorite hero is being written sideways. Schultz’s approach gives the story enough room for horror, detective mechanics, personality clashes and the uncomfortable reality of Sara becoming part of the very mystery she is trying to solve.

The conversation also goes beyond the crossover. Al digs into Schultz’s unusual journey through multiple sides of comic production, how editing and teaching affect her writing brain, what she has learned from moving between licensed characters and creator-owned worlds, and whether career milestones actually change the mentality of somebody working inside the deadline-driven madness of comics.

For readers who love Vampirella, Witchblade, Spawn, horror comics, mystery storytelling or simply hearing working creators get into the mechanics behind the page, this one is loaded.

Vampirella x Witchblade Special #1 arrives September 23, 2026 from Dynamite Entertainment and Top Cow Productions.

Follow Erica Schultz:
Instagram: @ericaschultzwrites
Bluesky: @ericaschultz42

The Crusade Never Ends.