In VAMPIVERSE #2, available from Dynamite Comics on October 13th, 2021, the fabric of the universe takes shape as we learn the surprising background behind the one Vampirella willing to kill her alternates to undo everything.
The Details
- Written By: Thomas Sniegoski, Jeannine Acheson
- Art By: Daniel Maine
- Colors By: Francesca Cittarelli
- Letters By: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Art By: Madibek Musabekov (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: October 13, 2021
Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.
It’s 100% FREE. Sign up NOW!
Was It Good?
Thomas Sniegoski is turning out to be the go-to guy for Vampirella arcs that tell a sweeping, complex story. Vampiverse is no exception.
In the last issue, we got a very quick introduction to the concept of a multiverse within Vampirella canon. While it didn’t have quite the same level of pop and pizazz as the Sonjaversal series, Vampiverse #1 laid out a cleaner, clearer premise as compared to Sonjaversal #1.
You might be wondering why the comparisons to a completely different title. Well, my fine reader, Sonjaversal and Vampiverse are Dynamite’s big foray into the multiverse with their two, flagship characters. Rather than mingle them together, Dynamite has chosen to tackle them separately, so comparisons are unavoidable. So far, each handles their respective take admirably (and far better than DC or Marvel), and the points where they differ could be chalked up to personal preference and taste.
In this issue, the high point is the backstory on the one Vampirella hunting Space Vampirella and all the other versions to destroy the Artist’s creation. No spoilers here (you’ll have to hop down to the next section for more) but it makes sense and it ties back to another Vampirella title from earlier this year (hint: Valentine’s Day). Also, credit to Sniegoski for slyly inserting a self-aware Easter Egg of his other title in this one.
There’s more universe-hopping, more Vampirellas, and a villain reveal that makes perfect sense and rewards faithful Vampirella readers.
Maine’s art in this issue is solid. The alt-Vampirella costumes are familiar enough to register as Vampirella but unique enough to make sense for whatever universe the group happens to occupy. The minor down point is character placement on the ground in each setting. The shadows are either missing or not visible enough to count, making the characters look like they were pasted onto the background instead of looking like they’re integrated into the scene.
In all, we get plenty of action, a cool reveal (with an appropriate amount of fan service), and a multiversal threat that holds your attention.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
To learn who or what is the Artist, check out our Vampiverse #1 review before reading on.
We open with a lengthy prologue describing the history of Vampirella from the universe where Dracula had taken over the world. In that universe, Vampirella adopted the persona of a rebel leader named Bloodwing to take down the Prince of Darkness (see our VAMPIRELLA: VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL 2021 Review to read all about it). Unfortunately, the Earth ravaged by Dracula’s rule was too far gone to recover, and the aging, bitter Vampirella/Bloodwing is left to wither all alone.
Along comes Space Vampirella to deliver the Artist’s message of hope. Unfortunately, Bloodwing is unmoved by the “your sacrifice was not in vain” speech, and she attacks Space Vampirella, restoring some strength and learning some secrets about the book and the Artist. Bloodwing is the series’ big bad and it’s an ironic twist you love to see.
Back to now. Vampirella and Book find themselves in an unfamiliar world when they get attacked by a giant, venomous centipede monster. They hold their own but are ultimately saved by Post-Apocalyptic Vampirella (we need a better way to name these variants) in a world where the population was decimated by a zombie plague.
Later, we learn Space Vampirella shoved Book and Vampirella into the zombie world because she hid specific pages from the book there (in a copy of Vengeance of Vampirella no less) to keep useful information away from Bloodwing. We conclude the issue with Book and Vampirella taking the most harrowing trip to a comic book store you could imagine, Post-Apocalyptic Vampirella flying her zombie-killing freak flag, and the universe-hopping team taking on a plus one.
Final Thoughts
VAMPIVERSE #2 reveals the big bad villain as a truly existential threat to everything Vampirella stands for. The story keeps the multiple versions of Vampirella straight to tell an action-packed story with minimal confusion or convolution, and the art is good enough to give plenty of visual wow factor with interesting alternatives of the main character. Once again, Dynamite is showing other publishers how to do multiverse stories the right way.
Score: *****/10
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com