Vampirella #38 Review


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Can this really be the last time we’ll see our scarlet clad heroine? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

Final issue!!! Lock the doors and close the curtains, loyal readers. The time has come for The Last Vampirella Story. Who’s telling it? Who’s listening to it? And who saw it coming before anyone else? What will become of our beloved Vampirella, and her vast array of friends, foes, and family members? It’s the end of the world as we know it…for now.

Vampirella 38_CAt first glance this franchise always seemed like an obvious excuse to have a beautiful woman ware practically nothing as she heads straight on into battle. That may be exactly what it is but given the chance, with the right creative team at her back, there’s a lot of potential to be found. Especially when you consider that the core of this franchise is a monster that yearns to stop terrors that go bump in the night.

Brandon Jerwa finishes his time with Vampriella by letting the secrets from her newly reformed mother come to the forefront. Its a painful set of moments that lead our protagonist down a road that seems to scream heartbreak. We see a lot of players here as this arc delivers a feeling of finality that may be off setting to any who hate the idea of this volume not gracing their pull-list anymore. There are some drawbacks, as the author rushes through key elements with far too little text to sell what happens. But considering all the pieces this is a more than sturdy conclusion that fans might just walk away pleased with.

The illustrations by Heubert Khan Michael fit the text as the talent brings about quite a few complicated panels. Its hard to describe them without spoiling the story, so let me just say that he has to draw quite a few creatures that are both good and bad, while giving us a visual component that can carry the emotional weight it has to. It’s a complicated balancing act, but thankfully this is one artist that’s up to the task. To sum up: the pictures are more than functional they’re relevant to the source material.

Vampirella #38 may mean the end of the current iteration of the franchise, but as it stands, this is a well done finish that stumbled slightly on its way toward finality. Recommended.

4/5

fourstar

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