VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #1, from Dynamite Comics on 8/9/23, continues Vampirella’s pregnancy journey with a difficult birth and the re-emergence of the baby daddy.
The Details
- Written by: Christopher Priest
- Art by: Christian Rosado
- Colors by: Christian Rosado
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Lucio Parrillo (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: August 9, 2023
Is It Good?
VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #1 is the latest chapter in Vampirella’s unexpected pregnancy by Christopher Priest, picking up from the previous plot threads in Vampirella, Vampirella: Year One, and more. It’s no surprise that Vampirella’s birth would be atypical, but Priest puts a new spin on afterbirth stories to give the scenario an adventurous twist.
In the interests of full disclosure, we’ve not been the biggest fans of Priest’s time on the assorted Vampirella titles, chiefly due to Priest’s schizophrenic narrative flow and his need to overcomplicate plots. That said, this issue is relatively straightforward if you excuse the amount of backstory exposition needed to get caught up to what’s happening, and Priest’s schizophrenic flow seems to have calmed down for now. On the whole, VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #1 is a much easier-to-read and follow comic compared to Priest’s previous mini-series.
Preiest’s plot centers on Victory being called to a swamp in the middle of the Dominican Republic (DR) by the current host of Dracula, supposedly to help Vampirella. Through Dracula’s current host, we learn Vampirella’s eventful pregnancy has reached its conclusion, and the new mother now needs rescuing.
What’s great about this comic? Dracula’s presence has a certain entertaining charm, Vampirella’s birth is as chaotic as you might expect, Vampirella’s birth is gorier than you might expect (which is a positive for horror fans), and Victory’s quest is intriguing. As a plus, this is our first exposure to Christian Rosado’s artwork, which is pleasantly good.
What’s not so great about comics? The Telenovela level of twists and turns the exposition delivers to get caught up may put new readers off. Again, Priest likes to overcomplicate… everything. The means of Dracula’s resurrection is laughably contrived to the point of silliness. And oddly, Victory and Vampirella are disconnected from the current events in Draculina: Blood Simple, also written by Priest. Does this story take place before the Draculina series? After? Does anyone know? Does anyone care?
How’s the art? Again, this is our first exposure to Christian Rosado’s artwork, and it’s a pleasant surprise. Rosado has a solid eye for panel compositions, and his scratchy line style lends itself to the horror genre nicely. Rosado’s figure work is excellent, and the horror elements are refreshingly bloody/gory.
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]
We begin with Victory emerging from a portal in the middle of a swamp in the DR. Darcula (in his current host) is standing nearby. Dracula explains Victory was summoned by Vampirella for help, and he’s simply here to assist on behalf of the new mother and their child.
Through Dracula’s explanation, we learn how Vampirella went into a difficult labor, driving her into a rage-filled frenzy. Légere Holland, Vampirella’s angelic caretaker, had no choice but to fly Vampirella to a nearby boat in the middle of a raging storm to get her to a hospital. Unfortunately for the crew, Vampirella’s rage could not be contained.
Later, Vampirella wakes up in a hospital with an empty womb. We conclude the issue with sad news, bad news, and Dad news.
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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VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #1 gives the phrase “labor pains” a whole new meaning of terror when Vampirella’s pending birth reaches a bloody, possibly mysterious, conclusion. Priest’s plot is an intriguing mystery, and Dracula’s resurrection, while silly, leads to entertaining character interactions.
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