For any fans of the vampy vixen lady of the one piece, I am happy to tell you that She's Back! Not only back, she is better than ever in what promises to be the start of a very good run. Everything is in perfect alignment here. And though this character may be well over forty plus years old, writer Nancy A. Collins breathes new life into our dark haired destroyer, making her a relevant contender in the comics world again rather than just an old relic of the past. This first issue begins the "Our Lady of Shadows" story arc and finds Ms. Rella doing some investigative work for The Vatican regarding a kidnapped little girl. It would seem that the late Cult of Chaos High Priest Ethan Stroud has managed to return somehow into the father of the girl and it looks like he intends to use the child in some sort of blood ritual with the hopes of unlocking an acient evil into the world. Vampirella finds the girl, but is in for a rather rude surprise as she finds out things are not as they seem and she herself might just be the "sacrifice" that the Cult and Stroud have in mind.
Nancy A. Collins has always been one of my favorite writers in the comics world. The exquisiteness in which she did Swamp Thing with are still some of the title's best work, if not THE best (Yes, Mr. Moore, I said it). I liken her writing to a person who does those impressive domino displays. She starts the first, and one by one the dominoes fall to reveal amazing things. In Vampirella, Collins delves into her natural element in working with the supernatural and creatures of the night. She flows, domino by domino, leading us to what looks like it will be one seriously impressive finish five issues down the road. I know after reading this one I am all in.
As for the impressive artwork of Patrick Berkenkotter... what can I say? The man has skills. He draws Vampirella as confident and powerful, yet something he does with her eyes makes her also a very vulnerable character as well. It fits in well with what is going on with Collins' story and makes for a nice harmony, added in three points by the deep inks of Dennis Crisostomo. The three together make for a very solid first issue.
If you have never been a fan of Vampirella, then now is a perfect time to jump on board. Dynamite has gone all in with the title. And with Collins at the helm, this lady will be bringing it to all adversaries that are coming her way.
Score: 5/5
Writer: Nancy A. Collins Artist:Patrick Berkenkotter Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 6/4/14 Format: Ongoing, Print/Digital