VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #4, by Dynamite Comics on 12/13/23, takes Vampirella on her next leg of her revenge quest to put down the people who murdered her son. This time, under the sea.
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: December 13, 2023
Is VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #4 Good?
Christopher Priest takes Vampirella on a mind-bending mission of revenge aboard a deep-sea submarine in VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #4. Priest goes a long way to tell and show how vampires use the power of illusion to achieve their ends, but readers may find a supernatural nature lesson isn’t enough to compensate for the issue’s shortcomings.
When last we left Vampirella, she laid waste to a Southern retail store and its occupants in a small town inhabited by the cult responsible for her child’s death. Now, Vampirella infiltrates an Estonian submarine where some members of the Lumea Urmatoare work. Using the power of illusion, Vampirella disguises herself as one of the sailors and facilitates the destruction of the sub, only choosing to help save the life of one worthy ensign.
Dracula and Victory do appear in VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #4, but as with the previous three issues, Dracula largely serves as the narrator to Victory as the audience insert. Priest barely manufactures a subplot about Dracula leading Victory on Vampirella’s trail to help the grieving mother, but no progress is made on their mission other than heading to Stockholm.
What’s great about VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #4? Well, if you’re interested in what Dynamite’s brand of vampires can do (or not do), Priest is here to give you a lesson in vampire powers. Vampirella’s quest to kill another cult member is in play, but Priest gives more voice to Dracula’s explanation than anything else, so if you like vampire lore, that’s the highlight.
What’s not so great about VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #4? What should be the main plot, Vampirella’s infiltration of an Estonian submarine to kill sailors involved with the cult, is only told through jarringly disjointed snippets. You don’t know how she got on a deep-sea submarine, who the cult members are, who gets killed as collateral damage, or what a secondary subplot about a Commander who doesn’t want a male ensign to turn out to be a woman has to do with anything. Dracula’s explanation of vampire transformations is mildly interesting, but everything else is a mess.
How’s the art? Christian Rosado’s oil painting art style provides plenty of atmosphere through stark contrasts between color and shadow. Vampirella’s “stalking” moments are creepy (in a good way), and the referenced backgrounds look great.
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What’s VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #4 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #3 review to find out what happened on the first leg of Vampirella’s revenge tour.
We begin with an Estonian submarine commander shushing his crew to keep quiet lest they be detected by the US aircraft carriers sailing above them. In the sub’s crawlspaces, Vampirella kills one of the sailors, presumably due to his membership in the Lumea Urmatoare.
Elsewhere, Victory wakes up in a hotel in Stockholm while Dracula wistfully plays the cello on the hotel room’s balcony. Dracula explains he took them to Stockholm because Vampirella will eventually come to the city on her revenge quest. He uses the waiting time to explain to Victory how vampires can transform into non-humanoid forms.
We conclude the issue with illusions, loud screams, and escape hatches.
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Final Thoughts
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VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: RAGE #4 gives readers a nature lesson on vampire abilities while Vampirella hunts her prey under the sea. The lore lesson is interesting enough for vampire fans, but the main plot is disjointed, clunky, and doesn’t receive enough attention.
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