VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY #3 – Review

VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY #3, from Dynamite Comics on February 23rd, 2022, returns the “happy newlyweds” back to the U.S. where they learn Dracula’s return may not have been averted.

The Details

• Written By: Christopher Priest
• Art By: Donny Hadiwidjaja
• Colors By: Mohan
• Letters By: Willie Schubert
• Cover Art By: Lucio Parrillo
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: February 23, 2022

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Was It Good?

Well, well, well. Let’s chalk up VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY #3 as 3-out-of3 on the clear storytelling scoreboard. We’ve been hard on Christopher Priest over the lion’s share of his Vampirella run for his jumpy, non-linear (some might say “incoherent”) narrative style, but here, the worst you could say about the narrative flow is that the cuts from one scene to the next are a bit jarring. It’s not the smoothest reading experience in the world, but we’ll take it as a significant upgrade.

The story picks up after Matt and Vampirella get back to the States after their “honeymoon” where a heap of problems, worse than a stack of unpaid bills, is waiting for them. To be fair, there is still some of that trademark Priest jumpiness as the scenes flit like a cauldron of bats from one moment to next with nary a hint of graceful transition, but each scene has some nugget of purpose and the order is relatively sequential.

The main hook of this issue is the introduction of Matt Ecsed’s boyfriend, Eriq. Matt’s persuasion was unceremoniously dropped as a plot twist near the end of the last issue, but it’s fleshed here to add a surprising amount of emotional drama when Eriq finds out where Matt’s been and what he’s done. Sure, the drama leans a little on the soap opera side, but it adds conflict and complexity that makes the adventure feel more important.

Hadiwidjaja’s art is strong in this issue. There’s more emphasis on facial expressions to project the emotion of each character, and it heightens the punch of each scene. The lines aren’t the cleanest, but the general tone of each panel comes across loud and clear.

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]

If you’re curious to find out how Matt and Vampirella’s honeymoon concluded, check out our VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY #2 review.

We begin with Vampirella paying a late-night visit to the NYC detective investigating a murder where Matt has been implicated as a suspect. She gets the details on the investigation and thoroughly convinces the detective to point his suspicions elsewhere as long as Matt cooperates.

Later, Matt pays a visit to his mother. When he arrives, Matt’s boyfriend, Eriq, is waiting with some playful ribbing about marrying a “vampire”. The ribbing turns contentious as soon as Eriq learns what was involved in finishing the blood ritual. Eriq storms out and Matt follows, but before he can catch up, Matt receives another vision of Dracula’s spirit trying to entice him to give his body over.

Later again, Lilith (or somebody claiming to be Lilith) arrives at the Ecsed residence to celebrate her daughter’s nuptials and to get to know Matt’s mother. Vampirella is suspicious of Lilith’s return from the dead but she leaves her to spend time with Matt’s mother while she investigates the possible return of Dracula from other sources.

We conclude the issue with Vampirella’s suspicions proving to be correct, confirmation that Matt isn’t unique, and NYC police detectives learning that some legends are true.

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