VAMPIRELLA VS. RED SONJA #2, from Dynamite Comics on December 7th, 2022, takes a look at the supernatural threat devastating Black Terror’s world. Meanwhile, Dyna Might finds herself taking a big risk on her first day with The Project.
The Details
- Written by: Dan Abnett
- Art by: Alessandro Ranaldi
- Colors by: Ellie Wright
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Lucio Parrillo (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: December 7, 2022,
Is It Good?
Why!? Why is it so hard to find a gripping, exciting, action-packed superhero comic in a market overflowing with superhero comics on a monthly basis? And why is VAMPIRELLA VS. RED SONJA #2 better than all the rest combined?
VAMPIRELLA VS. RED SONJA #2 is the stuff superhero/action comics have been missing for far too many years now, and reading this issue is like giving a cool sip of water to a man lost in the desert. You get high-flying heroics, dramatic emotion, conflicts on a world-ending and personal scale, and tons of curiosity-inducing intrigue. Dynamite could do worse than to keep Dan Abnett writing Project comics indefinitely.
Oy! Enough with the profuse praise. Let’s get into why this comic works so well.
Abnett’s script works because the personalities shine through in a moment of crisis. Dyna is the unsure novice who leads with her gut when her superiors lead from experience. Red Sonja tramples over The Project’s certainty in its own wisdom by showing how demon-killing gets done. Vampirella’s guile and supernatural deviousness make her just as formidable a foe as an ally. And through it all, you get a palpable sense of urgency and desperation as the teams struggle to figure out who or what is destroying Black Terror’s Earth.
Every character interaction in their respective moments feels organic and brims with dramatic conflict because you understand what motivates each character, so you’re invested in the outcome of their challenges.
What’s more intriguing about Abnett’s script are the little references to stories past; references so well integrated into this story that you want to know what happened in those made-up references. What is the Eternity Armor? What’s in the Box of Voids? What does the Protean Submitter do, and why is it so dangerous? Dyna and Varna’s tour through the Vault of Silence barely last two pages, but the wealth of story potential Abnett conjures out of thin air during that tour is staggering.
Listen carefully, boys and girls. If Dynamite is smart, Dynamite will capitalize on The Project as Abnett has defined it here.
The minor down point in this issue is the art. It’s not terrible art. It’s not even bad or mediocre art. It’s good art. The panel compositions are excellent, Wright’s color palette selection is on-point, and the action scenes are packed with energy. That said, Ranaldi’s style loses definition and detail in the busier panels, and the Manga-influenced facial expression doesn’t always match the rest of the panel. Again, this is very good art, but there’s room for improvement.
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]
Check out our VAMPIRELLA VS. RED SONJA #1 review to find out how Vampirella wound up in a Project jail cell.
We begin with the senior members of The Project debating the next steps after Red Sonja and the recon team left for Black Terror’s Earth. Against all safeguards, Super-American orders Varna to prepare Metaphasic Artifacts from the Vault of Silence to cut off Black Terror’s Earth permanently, if needed. The group is shocked by the order, but desperate times are upon them.
Meanwhile, Mr. Dynamite, Black Terror, Red Sonja, and the rest of the team are busy fighting winged monsters devastating their world. Science-based weapons and powers have little effect, but Red Sonja shows them her sword was made for killing monsters, showing the group how to change tactics to give them some breathing room.
Later, Dyna pays an unsanctioned visit to Vampirella for a little chat. We conclude the issue with doubts, decisions, and dismemberment.
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 VS. RED SONJA #2 exponentially escalates the stakes, the drama, and the action in a series that taps into everything you love about superhero comics. The plotting, pacing, action, dialog, and drama are practically perfect, and the art looks great.
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