Right in time for All Hallow’s Eve, Christopher Priest and Vampirella tangle with ghosts in an issue that’s perfect for new readers to jump right into and is inspired by the classic Warren era.
Snuggled between Priest’s first epic cycle “Seduction of The Innocent,” that spanned from issues #0-14, and his upcoming Year Two epic, this issue stands on its own in classic style. In this tale, the space-vampire “superhero” Vampirella has her secret identity of Ella Normandy outed on social media. A wide selection of deeply dysfunctional fans surface, as others further judge and debate her presence. Two of these fans claim to be ghosts and seek out Vampi’s help to avenge their murders.
Madibek Musabekov joins Priest for this tale and flexes their artistic muscles with unique black and white interiors – splashed with red! This horror tale replicates the aesthetic and tone of the original magazine anthologies. Dynamite recommends pairing the issue with one’s preferred Halloween candy for a great time – but don’t get all the sugar and chocolate on the pages!
“Having just come off a fairly complex journey in our first arc, I thought, well, now that the innocent has been seduced, let’s pause a minute to catch our breath before launching into the next escalation of our Vampirella saga,” said writer Christopher Priest. “Halloween is the best time for ghost stories, and I’ve personally not read one where Vampi teams up with any, so why not? New reader-friendly, ‘Hypnagogia’ draws us into a ghostly detective plot as Vampi contemplates what’s coming next for her now that she’s become America’s most famous vampire!”
On the cover front, Vampi enjoys some ghastly, grisly, campy and cute portrayals for this hallmark issue. As always, Lucio Parrillo’s expert painting skills bring a certain edge, as Vampirella faces danger calmly and in control. Peach Momoko, one of the biggest superstars in comics today, taps into the heroine’s softer side as she relaxes with a winged buddy. Butcher Billy pulls a curveball with an homage to the original French poster of the cult film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Regular interior artist Ergün Gündüz evokes the interior art style he isn’t handling, with a black, white and red scene of peril. Rather than a traditional cosplay cover, fans will marvel at the alluring body painting of Intraventus.
