DRACULINA #3, from Dynamite Comics on April 27th, 2022, takes a slow train to NYC where the Detective and Katie connect the dots between Katie’s unexpected disappearances and several murders in NY and San Francisco. Meanwhile, Belial makes moves to put his daughter in her place.
The Details
- Written By: Christopher Priest
- Art By: Michael Sta. Maria
- Colors By: Ivan Nunes
- Letters By: Willie Schubert
- Cover Art By: Collette Turner (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: April 27, 2022
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Was It Good?
DRACULINA #3, as the blurb spells out, is very much a “connect the dots” issue. We’ve not been shy about pointing out that Priest’s writing style (in general and in the main Vampirella run and the Sacred Six mini) has been… challenging. When you jump here, there, and everywhere with no clear transitions or linear flow, it’s night impossible to sit back and enjoy the story. Thankfully, Priest is doing an appreciably better job in this run and even better in VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY.
Therefore, “connect the dots” is just the tick for this series as Katie takes the time to explain the bits and pieces of the aforementioned runs to her Detective escort about Draculina’s current quest. We learn what happened after Katie’s car accident. We learn how Belial inserted himself back into Katie’s life. We learn about a personal connection between the Detective and Draculina’s victims. And, we learn that being lost in time doesn’t mean Draculina wasn’t missed or completely alone.
There’s plenty of good stuff here to connect the dots of previous arcs, and more importantly, fill in some blanks. In fairness, a little bit of Priest’s trademark jumpiness is present to make the reading flow a little bumpy, but we’ve seen worse, so we’ll take it.
The art in this issue is excellent. Sta. Maria shows a commanding execution of detailed linework, but the true standout in this issue is Nunes’s coloring. The palettes are rich, the shading is masterful, and the textures are outstanding. Nunes appears to be transferring some of the coloring techniques used in the Barbarella series, and the results are phenomenal.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Before we dive in, refresh your memory on Katie and the Detective’s exploits by reading our DRACULINA #2 review.
We begin with the Detective and Katie boarding a long-distance train back to NY. Since they have plenty of time to kill, the Detective begins a casual Q&A to find out where Katie’s been and what Draculina’s done.
Focusing on the night of the car crash (see issue #1), Belial arrives and forces Stan to light the candle, saving Katie but forcing a face-to-face with Draculina. During the confrontation, Draculina promises to set things right by recovering a demonic artifact for Belial.
Days later, Katie wakes up in a posh house owned by a reputed mob boss, Giordano Basci aka Belial in human form. “Uncle Gio” doesn’t try to hide who he is from Katie, and it appears he may be interested in separating Katie from Draculina to establish a familial relationship with the alt-daughter he never had.
As the train enters cross-country territories, a group of fire-haired women on horseback approach the train with destruction in mind. We conclude the issue with space slingshots, derailments, and a surprise reunion.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
DRACULINA #3 is a satisfying entry in the series. Priest uses the forward momentum of the plot and the flashbacks to fill in gaps and connect dots from previous arcs to clarify who (what?) Katie really is. While the narrative flow is occasionally jarring from hard scene transitions, the story is interesting, and the art is phenomenal, particularly due to coloring.
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