In VAMPIRELLA: THE DARK POWERS #3, available from Dynamite Comics on February 17th, 2021, Vampirella begins her apprenticeship under The Flame and his sidekick on Earth 5192. Vampirella quickly encounters an age-old question that’s haunted modern comic heroes for years – Does the “no killing” rule cost more lives than it saves?
The Details
- Written By: Dan Abnett
- Art By: Paul Davidson, Jordi Perez, Lee Ferguson
- Colors By: Ellie Wright
- Letters By: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Cover Art By: Jae Lee
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: February 17, 2021
Was It Good?
Yes, in a way I was not at all expecting.
The art in this issue is passable. It’s a bit flat, and the artists are either intentionally giving Vampirella a distorted face or are making it a signature of her look in fighting mode. But the winning aspect of this issue isn’t the art, it’s Abnett’s shockingly thought-provoking depiction of the debate over superhero morality.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
We start in the middle of a typical super battle between the good guys and a rogues gallery of villains on Earth 5192, The Flame’s homeworld. (check out our Vampirella: The Dark Powers #2 review to see how she got here). Repeatedly during the battle, Vampirella is warned off using lethal force. Capture only.
Back at the Fire Spire, Vampirella spends some Q&A time with Fire Lass to understand the history of The Flame on this Earth. Fire Lass’s wholesome history lesson is peppered with little amusing insights into The Flame’s 70-year history, the death or retirement of assorted sidekicks, and the naming of major events in The Flame’s career that sound suspiciously like the titles of major comic book crossover events.
Picture a scenario where Batman gives you his life story but narrates it as if he were a DC editor or the owner of a comic book shop. Narrated with complete and unflinching sincerity.
Vampirella quickly concludes that The Flame has been stuck in the rinse-and-repeat cycle of capturing villains, jailing them for some period, and then starting the cycle all over again when they invariably escape. He’s been doing it for so long, he doesn’t know how to do anything else.
Meanwhile, Vampirella asses the main villain’s (Professor Suppressor) actions in the same light and concludes the villain is no better than a dog chasing a car. He hurts The Flame under the guise of world domination attempts because he wants to hurt him. If he actually conquered the world, he wouldn’t know what to do with it.
Suddenly, an alarm goes off indicating another potential attack from Professor Suppressor. Vampirella and Fire Lass are sent out on a recon mission, but they’re captured in a surprise ambush.
Shackled and presumed helpless, Vampirella comes face-to-face with Professor Suppressor and challenges his reasoning and rationale over his long career of villainy. Without saying it, Vampirella’s assessment that The Flame and the Professor are locked in a perpetual cycle of toxic co-dependence is proven true by the Professor.
Vampirella easily escapes and takes out the guards, but before she can kill the Professor, The Flame arrives to stops her. Back at the Fire Spire, Vampirella thoroughly challenges The Flame’s morality, pointing out that the harm and death caused over decades do not justify remaining in a toxic cycle with the Professor. The Flame, confronted with the harsh reality of his inaction in the name of morality, is seemingly broken by the weight of his choices.
We end with Vampirella issuing a challenge that comes straight out of the book of Wolverine: “I’m the best there is at what I do but what I do best isn’t very nice.”
Final Thoughts
VAMPIRELLA: THE DARK POWERS #3, available from Dynamite comics on February 17th, 2021, shines a harsh spotlight on the “no killing” debate for heroes without settling the question. The best debates in comics are the ones that let the reader make up their own mind, and this story sets the debate perfectly. The art is a bit flat, but not enough to detract from the excellent story.
Score: 8.5/10
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