Vampirella Strikes #5 Review


The penultimate issue to this mini-series is here, but does it deliver a proper cliffhanger to bolster the stakes for the finale?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

Receiving aid from the most unexpected of places, Vampirella and Janus are back on the trail of the missing angel general as the mystery of what sent the divine military leader into hiding is revealed. Who are the mysterious children that Evanuel has sworn to protect, and what do they have to do with the eventual extinction of the angelic species? And, what terrible fate has befallen the customers of the Club Switzerland? All will be revealed in the thrilling, penultimate issue of the On the Side of Angels story line.

If anything can or should be said about this release it’s this: revelations abound.  There may not be anything too shocking but there are certainly some extra wrinkles that have been thrown in for good measure to augment the importance of next month’s outcome.  And for the most part the creative team delivers each one solidly.

Tom Sneigoski pens the script and the scribe seems to know exactly what he’s going for as he allows our heroine to exude toughness and humor in the face of some dire situations.  From beginning to end the author spins a riveting yarn that will entertain fans while building up their expectations for the forthcoming conclusion.  There are times where the text itself feels overburdened by unnecessary dialogue, specifically during the action sequences, and the end result is a pace that feels rather sluggish.

The art by Johnny Desjardins is absolutely exquisite.  There are some panels that will easily make readers want to pause and marvel at the intricate details at work in front of them but at the same time the kinetic motion therein comes off a bit stiff.  So for the most part the visual side of things seems way too much like a grouping of statues beyond that though the pencil work is still brilliant.

Vampirella Strikes #5 is another solid outing that does enough to earn a recommendation.

3.5/5

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