DRACULINA #6, from Dynamite Comics on September 21st, 2022, ends the current arc with more reality-bend, demon-slaying, claw-ripping, heartbreaking moments to tickle your undead heart.
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: September 21, 2022
Is It Good?
DRACULINA #6 ends the arc (a new one is slated to start in 2023) with a showdown between Draculinas to be the last daughter of Lilith standing. Filled with fantastic art and Priest’s trademark penchant for over-complication, the conclusion introduces readers to a new status quo, so that’s a positive.
Priest’s style of storytelling is an acquired taste. You either have to be comfortable reading comics that are effectively a strung-together collection of non-sequiturs, or you’ll struggle to make sense of whatever Priest is trying to tell you at any given moment. Thankfully, this issue follows a relatively straight line and keeps the non-sequiturs to a minimum.
The plot revolves around vampire Katie at odds with human Draculina when Hesiod’s Vampireall/Draculina mashup shows up to make the “sibling” bickering more complicated. What’s at stake? Draculina’s profound need to kill her demon father as Katie seeks to keep the demon (Uncle Gio) alive since he’s turned over a new leaf… maybe. To kill the demon or not to kill the demon. That is the question.
Priest peppers in a fair amount of parental regret via Lilith, a child’s innocence via Katie, and plenty of sibling rivalry to tug at the relatable heartstrings. There’s a fair bit of fantasy action in this comic, but the heart of the conflict is resolved via the hearts of the characters, so the resolution is memorable because the characters are forced to change through the emotions they feel.
However, this is a Priest story, so non-sequiturs are inevitable. Vampirella/Draculina shows up for no reason and contributes nothing to the story except for a brief moment of action. The issue starts with a depressing soliloquy about the social decay of San Francisco that has nothing to do with the story. And Victory shows up at the last minute for no other reason than to say ‘hi.’ You could argue all that page space could have been put to better use, but we’ll never know for sure.
The art is exceptional in this issue. Sta. Maria creates highly-detailed, textured works of art in every panel, elevated further by Nunes’s exquisitely detailed coloring. Truly, Nunes is an impressive colorist as the shading, feathering, and contours speak volumes.
[Editors note: the original version of this review mistakenly described the last-minute appearance of Pantha when it was, in fact, Victory. The review has been updated accordingly.]
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]
Find out how Katie came face-to-face with Draculina in our DRACULINA #5 review.
We begin with Imogen receiving a call from NYC wherein she learns that her brother’s killer has been identified. This has nothing to do with the story.
Meanwhile, Katie, Draculina, and Hesiod’s Vampirella/Draculina mashup face off in other Katie’s room for a fight to claim the amulet that will kill Belial/Uncle Gio. The mashup is thrown out of a window, but she flies back in to snatch up other Katie to take back to Lilith for inspection.
Katie snatches the demon-killing coin from Draculina and flies off to give the amulet to Belial. Draculina follows closely behind with Hesiod’s Pegasus. All players converge on Belial’s location on top of an L.A. skyscraper for a final confrontation. We conclude the issue with the amulet’s power, Lilith’s regret, and released vow.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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DRACULINA #6 is as good an arc finale as you could hope for in this series. The resolution makes sense (sorta) and establishes a new status quo for Draculina and Katie. The path from start to finish may have more bunny trails than a Midwestern prairie, but the conclusion is sound, and the art is stellar.
Related Information
Who is Lilith and what did she do?
Lilith is a mythological figure in Jewish and Sumerian writings depicted as either the “first Eve” or a demoness. There is no consensus about her origins and what she represents, but her status as the first female, whether human or demon, often depicts Lilith as a woman of power and the subject of feminist discussion.
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