VAMPIVERSE #1 – Review

In VAMPIVERSE #1, available from Dynamite Comics on September 15th, 2021, the Fabric of the multiverse is in danger of unraveling when Bloodwing seeks to kill every Vampirella holding all realities together.

The Details

• Written By: Thomas Sniegoski, Jeannine Acheson
• Art By: Daniel Maine
• Colors By: Francesca Cittarelli
• Letters By: Taylor Esposito
• Cover Art By: Adam Hughes (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: September 15, 2021

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Was It Good?

It’s a promising start.

Dynamite builds on the success of Sonjaversal by taking the next, logical step of casting Vampirella into her own multiverse-spanning title. The first issue in the Sonjaversal line was, to be honest, lopsided in the way it thrust readers into a multi-Sonja conflict with no setup. The series eventually found its footing to become one of the better examples of a multiverse story in current comicdom.

Vampiverse’s first issue sets up its multiverse much cleaner and clearer, although it relies on some heavy-handed exposition to pull it off. I suppose you can’t have it both ways. More details about the plot are in the next section, so hop on down if you want to know more.

Sniegoski and Acheson craft an introduction that answers a lot of the “why?” question upfront to get you into the action with a sense of direction. You know who to root for and who to boo for almost immediately. Plus, there’s one character whose motivations are unclear and another character whose presence plants the seeds for a mystery yet to be revealed.

I like the setup. I like where the story is going. You could argue the plethora of exposition gives away a little too much, but the Artist’s identity and reason for being could make for a stunning reveal if it’s done right.

The art by Maine and the team is… okay. The character designs from alternate Vampirella’s could use a little more distinctiveness, but it gets the job done. On the character designs, Sonjaversal set a high bar, so we’ll see what interesting concepts come up in the next issue. Overall, the art is good. Not spectacular but not bad, either.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

We’re introduced to one Vampirella at the end of all things in her own world. Before the moment of final destruction comes, the Artist appears to her, explaining that each Vampirella throughout the multiverse is the knot the holds the Fabric of reality together. The Artist has chosen this Vampirella to travel the multiverse as a Messenger to explain to each Vampirella their importance and purpose as a message of hope.

Cut to our Vampirella residing in Eden after being killed by Nyx. She’s content to live out eternity in a small paradise after sacrificing so much. Suddenly, the Messenger arrives with her message of hope and a new warning — Bloodwing is following her across the multiverse to kill every Vampirella and undo the Fabric.

Our Vampirella (we’re going to have to figure out a way to tell them all apart) doesn’t believe the Messenger at first, but Bloodwing tears through reality closely behind the Messenger. Our Vampirella wants to stay and fight, but the Messenger gives her the book of all Vampirellas’ stories and pushes her through a rift into another universe.

We conclude the issue with a completely unsurprising revelation about Bloodwing, a book that talks, and a Messenger that stops talking… forever.

Final Thoughts

VAMPIVERSE #1 introduces readers to a multiverse-spanning adventure where something threatens to undo the Fabric of reality by killing every Vampirella in every universe. The writing, while exposition-heavy, puts readers on solid footing with clear purpose and direction. And the art, while lacking the imaginative, eclectic character designs that made Sonjaversal so successful, is adequate for the story.

Score: 8/10