Dark Horse/Dynamite Entertainment 2015
Written by Corinna Bechko
Illustrated by Javier Garcia-Miranda
Coloured by InLight Studios
So after issue one so beautifully explained how this all came about, seems there’s an ancient Vampire Society hidden away in the depths of Mars and Vampirella was called as a consultant to help understand the ruins. Only it was home as well to the Xenomorphs as well and eggs left behind hatched attaching themselves to everyone but Lars. Losing communication with the team outside is where we left off.
We see Lars witness the birth of the creatures as they emerge from their hosts including one from Vampirella. This begs for more since if one used her as a host what other qualities of hers will it have adapted? We’ve seen in various incarnations that different types of species can alter the xenomorphs adult form but what of a vampire? It’s up to Lars to help Vampirella heal up after such an experience and honestly the dialogue of the conversation they have is incredibly well done by Corinna.
Vampirella may be ancient and a vampire but she’s also a good guy, a heroine and her first instinct is to secure the base so that whatever these things are cannot overrun it and destroy everyone there. Including Lars incoming wife.
Meanwhile upstairs in the communications area the rest think that naturally this is Vampirella’s doing since she’s a vampire and all and none of the weirdness started till she got there. Forgetting of course she was asked to be there but silly humans need to pull the trigger and blame someone right away instead of believing what they see and hear from their colleague in this case Lars.
So what can Vampirella and Lars do to keep the place safe while the rest of the base think stupidly that they have the answer because they are uninformed and quite frankly too scared and stupid to think other than they do? That Vampirella thinks as logically as she does is part of the appeal of her character. Yes she wears the skimpiest outfit ever to be more alluring to men as it belies both her intelligence and threat status but it’s really her mind that makes dangerous.
Ah human error, stupidity and overconfidence are clearly at play as the team sent to retrieve Lars and Vampirella do what they shouldn’t do and open the door allowing the now grown Xenomorphs to attack and have free reign of the joint. To see what really transpires though you’ll have to read the story which by the way i’m enjoying every single minute of regardless of the infuriating mindset of some people. The way the story flows is fantastic there’s a nice ebb and flow effect going on and the characterization is not only stellar but intense.
Javier and InLight Studios are rocking out the interiors. So much great attention to detail and the Xenomorphs themselves yeah they are incredibly creepy/scary and just OMG moments that fans want to have. From the first infant to the first adult they nail the visages of these creatures and with Vampirella in a suit the focus comes off her outfit and makes her really shine as this strong willed and intelligent woman. So kudos for bringing this to life and keeping it true to both universes.
This is an amazing story so far and each issue ups the fear factor while remaining intelligent and showcasing one comics strongest female characters. This makes me hopeful that they will continue to do these company crossovers pairing worlds you’d never expect to meet!