Vampirella #7

Writers: Paul Cornell & Jeremy Whitley
Artist: Andy Belanger
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Published by: Dynamite

Vampirella has been one of those characters that has had a few different imaginings over the years and in this issue, Cornell and Whitley seek to contextualize all of them into one… or so it seems.

At the end of the last issue, we found our heroine coming face to face to face (?) with a few different versions of herself in a dream world that we were never really made aware of its origin. However, the dream world does give us an excuse to revisit a few of the different versions of Vampirella that have been introduced over her lifespan. A few of the hits are Sci-Fi Vampirella, Classic Vampirella, as well as a more recent addition, Lil’ Vampi. All of them have a message for this new iteration: they are all her, but from another dimension.

It seems that our current Vampirella imbibed the essence of all these different versions of herself from across the multiverse while she was asleep for the one thousand years. And because of this, they are now a part of her and this new world (with no means of escape). However, not all of the Vampirella’s present are willing to accept this new life, and so a battle ensues.

This current Vampirella run has been nothing short of fun from all aspects. Cornell’s Vampirella comes off as cocksure, very self-aware, and always spoiling for a fight it seems. The dialogue has been a driving force as well with plenty of witticisms strewn throughout the issue. That, coupled with the footers that are added to each page to signify Vampirella’s inner monologue, help to broaden our understanding of this version of Vampirella.

On art, Belanger does an amazing job at conveying who these characters are. Having to draw multiple versions of Vampirella could have been a chore for other artists, but Belanger works to make sure each and every one of the them resembles their former counterparts in the comics from the past. It’s also the little features that he doesn’t miss, like the popped collar on Classic Vampirella that distinguishes her from other takes that have a similar outfit.