Review - Vampirella 2017 #1 (@DynamiteComics)

"But...there's something...underneath it all.

Vampirella is a pretty fascinating character who's gone up against all manner of big bad in her history. There's still plenty of room though for her to explore new sides of herself and the world in general. Dynamite Comics is offering a new take in Vampirella 2017 #1. The issue is written by Paul Cornell, illustrated by Jimmy Broxton and lettered by Travis Lanham.

After a sleep of over a thousand years, Vampirella finds herself back among the land of the living, but in a world far different than the one she remembers, where hope is laced with fear and blood has a far different taste. And speaking of taste, finding an appropriate outfit for the era leads our fanged fatale to a chance encounter that will garner her not one but two potential allies.

The world Cornell lays out in Vampirella 2017 #1 is actually quite terrifying in its hedonistic presentation. Cornell's script is written in such a way that offers a somewhat detached sense of reality for the reader and it's extremely effective in setting the tone. Vampirella is a character with plenty of history behind her and Cornell manages to work a lot of that history into the book very cleanly. Still, Vampirella 2017 #1 is just as much a reboot for the character as it is an exploration of her and Cornell doesn't let new scenery change Vampirella too much. In fact, it's safe to say that this Vampirella is a lot more vicious and brutal than more recent iterations of the character have been.

Visually Vampirella 2017 #1 is very abstract. Broxton's approach capitalizes on clean lines that are accented by even cleaner panel layouts, eschewing anything too chaotic. Despite the issue's setting of the future Broxton emphasizes a retro feel in terms of costumes and design--a nice throwback to Vampirella's history. The style is also a nod to newspaper strips of the past in that Broxton finishes the artwork with that same matte style. Broxton's colors are pretty effective at capturing the general calm that pervades the world Vampirella stumbles upon.

Vampirella 2017 #1 is as much a new start as it is a throwback to Vampirella's campy beginnings. Vampirella is a more than capable character who can hold her own and won't let anything stand in her way if it attempts to. Cornell's script is haunting in a way that's befitting of the character and paces the issue well. Broxton's illustrations feel nostalgic and appropriate for the tone of the issue. Vampirella 2017 #1 is a great new take on a classic character that gets things going in the right direction.

Vampirella 2017 #1 is available now.