In VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA #24, available from Dynamite Comics on November 24th, 2021, humans and supernatural beings settle into a tenuous peace when an old organization seeks to establish a new world order.
The Details
- Written By: Thomas Sniegoski
- Art By: Kewber Baal
- Colors By: Omi Remalante Jr.
- Letters By: Troy Peteri
- Cover Art By: Lucio Parrillo (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: November 24, 2021
Was It Good?
Okay, I like where this is going, but at the same time, something feels a little off in this issue that has to do with the titular character and the setup.
In the last issue, Sniegoski established that the Danse Macabre had rekindled the last embers of its existence into a formidable paramilitary organization for an unknown (at the time) reason. The story had jumped ahead a few years and the Danse Macabre sent a black ops team to capture Jeannine and kill or capture Vampirella. This issue lays out (mostly) the why of it all, and it’s a conflict that could be as destructive as Nyx and her demon army.
That’s a good thing. A big bad with big stakes posing an overwhelming threat to Vampirella and everyone in her life.
What seems a little off about the setup is how much energy effort, time, and coordination it would have taken to build out what the Danse Macabre is implementing WITHOUT Vampirella knowing about it. Recall, Vampirella is the powerful demon killer who destroyed Nyx and put an end to the Chaos Lords’ designs for Earth. There’s no question that Vampirella is the most dangerous being on the planet. A being who, if she chose, could have assumed a role as Queen of the world once she defeated Nyx. To go from that extreme high in terms of power and visibility to suddenly have a potential world power develop right under her nose without her knowledge seems like a stretch.
Yes, Vampirella has been living in the boonies for years with Jeannine. Yes, she could have adopted a solitary life of “retirement” away from the troubles of the world. But to not receive word of this major development from anyone or anything for years, especially when her friends are still living among the general population, feels like a regression to everything that’s happened with Vampirella’s development in this series. Would nobody come to tell her unsettling things are happening? Would she not be informed about an entire city being built under Danse Macabre’s control?
This could be perceived as picking nits, but this arc has done such an outstanding job of building out a complete world, this change somehow doesn’t sit right.
One thing you can’t pick on is Kewber Baal’s artwork in this issue. Baal goes all out with shadows for dramatic and emotional effect – from half-shadowed faces to long shadows in quiet rooms. The shadows layer on an element of despair and sadness to the story that makes it feel like the coming devastation is a sign that humanity hasn’t learned lessons from its past or appreciated the gift of freedom it’s been given. In a subtle way, the art is hinting this could be the sunset of the world, and that feeling infuses a feeling of tragedy into the story.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
To find out how Vampirella found out about Danse Macabre’s resurgence, first read our VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA #23 review.
We begin with Vampirella quietly working her way through the local towns to listen for information about where Danse Macabre can be found so she can rescue Jeannine. She finds the “authorities” are paying people to inform on creepers — supernatural beings — who act suspiciously so they can be arrested and relocated… somewhere. During a run-in with a drunken loudmouth in a bar, Vampirella defends herself against a gang of informants when a massive, robotic police officer from Sepulcher arrives to her arrest her.
Vampirella escapes with the help of a friendly demon. She’s informed that Sepulcher is recruiting humans as security and labor and supernaturals are detained away from prying eyes for some unknown purpose. Vampirella makes her way to a Sepulcher recruiting station and sneaks aboard a transport headed for Sepulcher, a massive, advanced, walled-off city built on top of former wastelands. However, she doesn’t make it inside before she’s stopped and captured by old, demonic friends of the Danse Macabre.
We conclude the issue with holographic Mr. Sebastian giving Jeannine a grand tour of Sepulcher’s secret facility, a reveal that shows this future world has a lot in common with The Matrix, and a last-panel cliffhanger that shows the Danse Macabre is planning a Biblical feat.
Final Thoughts
VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA #24 mixes mysticism and the supernatural with The Matrix for a story about an old organization rising from the ashes of Nyx’s dominance to establish a new world order. The setup is an uncharacteristic (for a Vampirella comic) lean towards science fiction to come up with an intriguing premise, albeit one that sorta comes out of left field considering the prior arc. The art deserves praise for its dramatic shadows that instill a sense of looming tragedy to make the issue feel like something dreadful is about to happen.
Score: 8.5/10
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