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Published by: Dynamite Entertainment
Released on: September 30, 2015
Writer: Nancy A. Collins
Artist: Aneke
Cover artist: Jay Anacleto
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She clobbered the most ancient and powerful vampires the Earth has to offer; she defeated a group of immortal beings and thwarted their plans to turn the world into a rabid society that kills itself; she's made it with a hairy French werewolf; she re-united with a family she didn't know she had… she's been through a lot in her latest run, but what will Vampirella do next?
After relinquishing her Nosferatu empire to her half-brother Lago she's now homeless, and after her former employer The Vatican tried to have her killed she's jobless; the red lady seems to be at a crossroads. But before a very special Vampirella episode can ensue, The Kabal enlists their newest member to help them with the latest threat: the Prometheus Society. Filled with infamous evil scientists from classic stories (Moreau, Caligari, Frankenstein, etc.), the Society is not too happy about their buddy Dr. Faustus being held by the Kabal and want him released. If not? They'll kill the one of the Kabal members they snatched up and are holding for a ransom of sorts.
Vampirella and her wolf boy-toy Christian will need some help, and that help comes in the form of one of Dr. Frankenstein's monsters, a creature named Lazaurus. With an appearance that might look familiar to fans of The Stooges and The Cramps, Lazarus is an agent of The Kabal gone AWOL and he quickly proves his worth as an asset to the team. They take the fight directly to the Prometheus Society's home base and you can imagine where it goes from there…that's right, a fight.
So often comic book annuals are one-shot stories that have little to do with the current story line in the ongoing series and so often they turn out to be less than stellar entries that are easily forgotten. But that of course isn't always the case, and it certainly isn't the case with Dynamite's 2015 annual for Vampirella. Regular series scribe Nancy A. Collins has treated the annual like it was the next issue in the series, and should be read after issue #13. It wraps up her series nicely and she ends things with what could be a fun bunch of adventures involving The Kabal, but alas it will not come to pass. This is her final installment in her excellent run on Vampi and as has been said before in previous write-ups during the series' run it is some of the best Vampirella storytelling in years. Collins' has built on the character like no other has and one can only hope the next person to write her tales will do even half the justice Ms. Collins has done for the scarlet one.
Missing from the annual, and noticeably so, is regular series artist Patrick Berkenkotter, whose work was very satisfying to the eye and is missed in this swan song issue, but artist Aneke handles it fine. At times some faces look out of sorts but mostly the artwork comes across as competent, just not impressive. But the cover is another story. Cover artist for the Vampirella Feary Tales mini-series Jay Anacleto delivers an attention grabbing and erotic piece, and one that observant readers may take a particular interest in; it's the wings. This guy can draw Vampi like it was done decades ago. It's a real treat to have his work on this fine end to a series.
Whether or not the next writer holds a candle to the work the outgoing writer has left, and whether that person continues on the path Collins has started remains to be seen. This reader thinks they would do well to keep it going in the direction she aimed it, but if not at least we have 14 fantastic issues of Vampirella that are well worth re-reading more than once. And this final installment is an enjoyable issue that will leave you wanting more of the same, but time will tell on that. Fingers crossed; Vampirella deserves greatness.
