VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY #5, from Dynamite Comics on April 27th, 2022, unmasks Dracula’s plan for taking over the world by hiding in plain sight. When it’s revealed Dracula’s emergence is Matt’s fault, the drama knob is turned up to 11.
The Details
- Written By: Christopher Priest
- Art By: Donny Hadiwidjaja
- Colors By: Mohan
- Letters By: Willie Schubert
- Cover Art By: Lucio Parrillo (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: April 27, 2022
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Was It Good?
VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY #5 is the best entry in the arc by a long shot, and possibly the best Christopher Priest comic I’ve ever read. I don’t impress easily. Readers of this site who know the reviews I personally write know I don’t impress easily. I’m impressed with the vast improvement Priest has made in this run compared to his earlier work on Vampirella. It’s night and day (*ahem*).
The strength of this issue comes from Priest’s organic exposition of how Dracula came to be resurrected (see the next section for spoiler-ish details). Once Vampirella and Matt realize Dracula’s identity/alias, Dracula immediately confronts Matt in a scene that deftly mixes emotional conflict with horror and grief. Emotion will hook a reader every time, and Priest layers on the emotion with aplomb.
However, it’s not enough to simply have emotional beats. The story has to move forward, and move forward it does. Matt’s on the run from the authorities after Dracula framed him for murder. Vampirella tries to protect Matt and fails miserably. And, Matt now has a ton of motivation to hunt Dracula down.
“Yeah, yeah. That’s fine. But why the superpraise for Priest?”, you ponder. Well, my astute friend, this is quite possibly the cleanest, clearest, and most linear Priest comic in recent memory. You understand when and where you are at all times. The time/location hopping is kept to a bare minimum to keep the issue focused on the central plot. And, ambiguity about Dracula’s identity and how he was resurrected is clearly spelled out (without spoon-feeding). In other words, the trademark jumpiness we’ve come to expect from Priest comics is almost completely absent, allowing you to sit back and simply enjoy the ride.
With the good, however, comes some not-so-good. Hadiwidjaja’s art could be characterized as “scratchy’, and we’ve liked the sketchy line work because it sets a gritty tone for the story. Here, the “scratchy” lines tip too close to sloppy. It looks rushed in its display of slightly misshapen anatomy for the characters and lack of detail in the backgrounds. This is indie comic quality, and that’s not a compliment. This isn’t the worst art in the world, but the quality in this issue is a noticeable step back from the previous issues.
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 don’t recall the big surprise reveal about Dracula’s identity, first read our VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY #4 review.
We begin with a murder scene. The officials are convinced Matt Ecsed is the killer, and it’s clear some of the officials are enthralled by Dracula to egg the investigation forward against Matt. Elsewhere, Matt and Vampirella arrive at Eriq’s apartment now that they’ve learned Eriq, Matt’s lover, is Dracula’s resurrection host. We learn through a series of flashbacks that Dracula can resurrect in a host via a virus, a virus Matt unwittingly passed on to Eriq through the sharing of bodily fluids. (No worries, children. This issue is SFW if you don’t mind violence).
Matt and Ella befoul Dracula’s resting place in Eriq’s apartment and head off to Eriq’s FBI office to regroup. When they arrive, Matt surprises Ella by locking her in a safe room so he can confront Eriq alone. We conclude the issue with a heartbreaking confrontation, a deadly offer, and a parting of ways… for now.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY #5 is a stellar entry in the series with clear, linear storytelling, dramatic emotions, and the establishment of strong motivations going into the next issue. This is possibly the best Priest comic in recent memory. That said, the art is weaker in this issue than in the previous ones in this run, and it lessens the quality of the comic.
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