She’s the Goddess of Witches… she’s the Queen of Vampires… she’s got flowing red hair (sometimes) and a killer attitude to match a killer body… she’s got flowing black hair and a killer attitude to match a killer body. Both have a cult status and both appear to be on the “want” list of powerful demon who wants to make a baby with them. This is the story of Dawn… this is the story of Vampirella… and this is the killer crossover fresh from the mind of Joseph Michael Linsner who is working double duty as both writer and artist. Mr. Linsner is the creator of Dawn and she is definitely the star of this first issue. Vampirella gets time as we witness her abduction and see some interaction moments between the two. But when push comes to shove, Dawn is running this show and Vampirella is left being the catty sidekick. Which I guess would be expected coming from the creator. In spite of this, Linsner has created a cocky, cunning, kind of funny, and kind of serious tale that does have some potential to be decent as things play out.
At the beginning, we see a glimpse into the future that will be dictating everything within this story. From there, we flash back to see Vampirella’s abduction and her ultimate meeting with Dawn and the demon who has his sights on one of them to mother his child. All they have to do is fight it out, winner take all. Not sure if the prize is too good though.
Of course, neither lady wants anything to do with this demon (and his elegant codpiece). So on the fly, an alternative challenge is rendered by Dawn to help the two break free from the demon (and his elegant codpiece’s) clutches. Will our ladies escape? Or is this just some mischievous trick of the demon that he considers foreplay before the real fun begins?. As the story plays out, we get answers to that question.
Writing wise, this story does have a peppy feel and B movie flow to it. It has some small seriousness to it, but mostly just wise cracking and late night movie fun. You just know that somehow, clothes will be shed (and probably codpieces) in the heat of battle as this one moves forward. Still, I sensed a slight bias by Linsner and his creation, which is all ok. It is Dawn: Vampirella after all and not Vampirella: Dawn, so some bias might be expected. And I think the overall feel to it flows through with Dawn’s angle more than Vampirella’s. Demons, devils, mystics, and magic are more up Dawn (and Lisner’s) area of expertise. So he is writing what he knows and doing well enough. I actually laughed some as I was reading through this.
With the art…Well let it be said that Joseph Michael Linsner knows how to draw beautiful women (and demons with codpieces). All of the active female characters drawn here are quite lovely and physically strong. The demons are likewise drawn quite powerful (and with codpieces). But I can’t find too much wrong on the art side. Sure, this is a campy B movie type of comic. But there are some B movie queens out there, of which Dawn and Vampirella fit the bill perfectly.
Now this comic is not for everybody. It is definitely more campy fun as opposed to hard hitting action/drama. But if campy fun is your thing, then I think that you will love this one. It provides an excellent mixture of laughs and seriousness that will keep you reading.
As for me…Hell yeah…I liked it. But of course, I like the B movie thing and this reminds me of something that I would have watched at an old school drive in. It has that drive in classic feel to it. It is fun and frisky, and I am curious now to see the outcome. Let’s see what you ladies have. And for you Joseph Michael Linsner, let’s see what you have too. Bring it on, codpieces and all.
Score: 4/5
Writer/Artist: Joseph Michael Linsner Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 9/10/14 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital