Comics Review: "DRACULINA #3"

DRACULINA, VOLUME 1 #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Christopher Priest
ART: Michael Sta. Maria
COLORS: Ivan Nunes
LETTERS: Willie Schubert
EDITOR: Matt Idelson
COVER: Collette Turner with Arif Prianto
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Rose Besch; Guillem March; Rafael Kayanan; Rachta Lin; Marat Mychaels with Omi Remalante Jr.; Ergun Gunduz; Michael Sta. Maria with Ivan Nunes; Layne; Bruce Colero; Jamie Tyndall with Ezequiel Dominguez; Collette Turner; Collette Turner with Arif Prianto; Panda and Wonderllama Photography (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2022)

Rated Teen+

“The Tower”: “90 Hours in San Francisco” Book Two “Immortal Beloved: A Family Reunion”

Draculina is a Vamperilla comic book character.  She first appeared in Vampirella #2 (cover date: November 1969) and was likely created by Vampirella's creator, Forest J. Ackerman.  Draculina was depicted as Vampirella's younger or twin sister.

Draculina gets her own comic book series, Draculina Volume 1, a spin off of the comic book series, Sacred Six.  It is written by Sacred Six writer, Christopher Priest; drawn by Michael Sta. Maria; colored by Ivan Nunes; and lettered by Willie Schubert.  The series focuses on Draculina, a woman who finds that she is of two natures, and one wants revenge on everyone who ever did her wrong, including that pesky other identity, a girl named “Katie.”

Draculina Volume 1 #3 (“Immortal Beloved: A Family Reunion”) opens in San Francisco.  There, Katie and her companions, Detective Imogen and Stan (the demon who lives in a rat), continue their journey.  Imogen is hunting Draculina, who likely killed her brother.  Katie is on the run from the supposedly retired Demon Lord Belial, who is now the mob boss, Giordano Basci.

Meanwhile, Draculina continues assembling pieces of the Daemon Periapt, an ancient talisman capable of killing Belial, her father.  Meanwhile, another family member is own his way...

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Draculina Volume 1 #3, which is the third time I've read any story involving this character.

Writer Christopher Priest has fashioned a great read in Draculina, but readers will have to put forth some effort for the enjoyment.  The story is nonlinear, dancing around time like a stumbling drunk, and new characters arrive like baby rabbits.  But it does make for interesting reading, and Priest always leaves me wanting more.

The art by Michael Sta. Maria is what keeps the storytelling straight.  Somehow, Sta. Maria's graphical storytelling is what brings everything together in an eye-candy comics narrative.  The smooth coloring by Ivan Nunez makes the art glittery for my eyes, and the entire graphics and visual package is a cool thing to behold.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Vampirella characters and of writer Christopher Priest will want to try Draculina Volume 1.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch,” which features an interview with writer Tom Sniegoski.]

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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