Issue #1 (October 1996)

Regular Cover - Frank Frazetta $5.95
Virgin Cover - Frank Frazetta (10,000 copies) $6.95
Silver Stamp Cover - Frank Frazetta (5,000 copies) $6.95

Vampirella of Drakulon
Mark Texiera, art; Forrest J. Ackerman, story.
(redrawn from Warren Vampirella #1)

In her home town of Gosi-Bram, Vampirella is taking a shower - in blood. Drakulon's supply of H2O (haemoglobin/oxygen) is running out and the population is dying of thirst.

Vampirella hears that an alien spaceship has landed on the outskirts of Gosi-Bram and flies in to investigate. The spaceship is from Earth and the "aliens" panic as they see an incoming bat and shoot at Vampirella. Enraged, Vampirella attacks them and drinks their blood, and then feasts on the rest of the crew who are in suspended animation on board.

The Blood Red Game
Michael Bair and Kevin Nowlan, art; Grant Morrison, story.

Vampirella is trapped by the Blood Red Queen of Hearts, who needs just one more heart, but it has to be freely given. After a week of starvation Vampirella succumbs to the will of the Blood Red Queen, but tricks her into releasing her.

The Movement of Blood
Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, art; Warren Ellis, story.

Vampirella asks Lilith about the history of Vampires. Lilith gives Vampirella a herb that enables her to experience the lives and deaths of vampires in every civilisation, every continent since the first vampire walked the Earth.

Two So Different
Ray Lago, art; James Robinson, story.
(cut down version of "...and be a Bride of Chaos" from Warren Vampirella #16).

Vampirella and Pendragon are trapped by Dracula who wishes to use her as his bride for the mad god Chaos. Dracula explains that he is also from Drakulon ...

As a celebration of 25 years of Vampirella this works quite well. There are two classic Warren stories presented with new artwork by two of the best contemporary Vampirella artists - Mark Texeira and Ray Lago.

The Texiera "Origin of Vampirella" is very faithful to the original story from Warren Vampirella #1. The Lago story presents a very condensed version of "...and be a Bride of Chaos", condensed to about half the pages of the original, but it still covers the key aspect of this story - the Drakulonian origins of Count Dracula.

The Blood Red Queen of Hearts is an old adversary given a modern twist, and the Movement of Blood story covers vampires throughout history linking them to many supernatural beings from many civilisations.

All in all, this comic book provides an interesting overview of Vampirella, vampires and their position in the "Vampirella-verse".

TRIVIA:
[1] Vampirella's home town is named as Gosi-Bram (ideal for that tie breaker question in a comic's trivia quiz).
[2] On Drakulon Vampirella can will herself to be invisible. This ability/power is never used again in the history of Vampirella.