DRACULINA: BLOOD SIMPLE #4, from Dynamite Comics on 7/5/23, tracks all version of Draculina on multiple fronts. Katie has a run-in with Vodyanoi, grown Draculina argues with Vampirella in the Dark World, and Lilith’s plan for Victory becomes clear.
The Details
- Written by: Christopher Priest
- Art by: Michael Sta. Maria
- Colors by: Ivan Nunes
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Jay Anacleto (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: July 5th, 2023
Is It Good?
DRACULINA: BLOOD SIMPLE #4 improves on the previous issues in this run by actually taking a few steps forward on a plot that only now is beginning to take shape. The road to get there is convoluted, confusing, and messy, but at least the train is starting to chug along.
When last we left Drcualina and everyone else, Katie lit her cursed candle to get Draculina and Vampirella to stop fighting. Consequently, Draculina and Vampirella became trapped in the same void Drcaulina was trapped in years ago. Now, Katie is on the run from Vodyanoi while the cursed candle is suddenly on the fritz. Draculina and Vampirella work out their mommy issues. And Victory finally gets the answer to her question – why is she here?
Give credit where credit is due. At least Christopher Priest is following a linear path to storytelling in this comic. The threads are disconnected, clumsy, and noisy, but they all appear to be moving in the same direction, so that’s a plus for a Priest comic. You get Kantie’s current predicament and the trouble she’s in. You understand why Lilith sought Victory to help solve a particular problem. And the interminable bickering between Vampirella and Draculina over what they both endured growing up has the potential for real character growth. There are golden nuggets of storytelling in this issue.
Still, to get to the golden nuggets, you have to dig through a lot of noise and convoluted plot progression. You want to focus on personal revelations between Drcaulina and Vampirella, but they’re so busy jumping from one reality to the next that you can’t help but get distracted away from the meat of their exchange. Victory’s presence in this comic now makes sense, but it shouldn’t have taken four issues to figure out why. And everything about Katie’s conflict with Vodyanoi is (so far) unrelated to everything else that’s happening. Again, the nuggets are there if you sift through a lot of inefficient waste.
What’s not a waste is Michael Sta. Maria’s art. It’s gorgeous. Sta. Maria’s pencils/inks are as good as any artist today, and the art is elevated even more by Ivan Nunes’s spectacular art. Truly, we count Nunes as one of the best colorists around. The story may make you want to pull your hair out at times, but the art is a joy to behold.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out DRACULINA: BLOOD SIMPLE #3 review to find out how Vampirella and Draculina got trapped in a void of endless realities.
We begin with Lilith explaining the nature of Draculina and Vampirella’s prison to Victory. Draculina has returned to the infinite reality void she was trapped in so many years ago, but this time, she has company. Lilith has requested Victory’s help to get them out.
Elsewhere, Katie can’t get the cursed candle to do anything after she accidentally sent Draculina and Vampirella into the void. Vodyanoi arrives and tries to snatch Katie, believing Belial will reward him for her return.
In the void, Vampirella and Draculina jump from one reality to the next as they witness the events that shaped both their childhoods. Slowly, the “sisters” begin to see that their rivalry has more to do with poor upbringing and a lack of love. We conclude the issue with a new candle, the bloody ritual needed to activate it, and an unexpected family reunion.
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Final Thoughts
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DRACULINA: BLOOD SIMPLE #4 begins the overdue process of bringing the plot into focus as Draculina and Vampirella find common ground. The plot threads may be messy, convoluted, and disconnected, but they appear to be moving in the same direction, and the art is gorgeous.
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