Dynamite Entertainment
As Harris Publishing ground to a halt with the Vampirella title negotiations were underway with other publishers. Dynamite Entertainment emerged as the new owners of Vampirella and the promise of a new and improved comic book.
Dynamite already had a collection of titles from days gone by which were being revamped (pun intended) and made relevant to modern day readers. Vampirella was to join the home of Xena, Dan Dare, the Bionic Man/Woman, Doc savage, The Shadow, and the Green Hornet to name but a few.
As the fans waited in anticipation rumours of a major change to the Vampirella universe were confirmed - Vampirella was to lose her trademark red and gold costume!
As more information emerged it seemed that Eric Trautmann (the new writer) had replaced the Vampirella of yore with a new, 21st century vampire dressed in jeans and leather jacket. An assortment of firearms completed the new look.
Preview art and the first issue confirmed the worst fears of the fans, yet the covers still featured Vampirella in her old costume. It wasn't until the second issue of the new monthly series that the story shows (a) Vampirella in her old costume, and several issues later that the old costume becomes more commonplace.
As the story arcs develop Vampirella gains a new sidekick, Sophia. Old friends and enemies appear including Dracula and Pantha. It soon becomes clear that this is still the Vampirella of old but with a slightly harder, more modern edge.
Alongside the new monthly Vampirella series there are a some separate series such as the Scarlet Legion and the Red Room. One-offs such as Fluffy and NuBlood provide an interesting counterpoint to the standard Vampirella stories but arguably the most surprising thing that Dynamite have done is their reprints.
I suppose it was inevitable that Dynamite would reprint some of the classic Warren stories. After all, Harris had flogged the Warren reprints to death with some success. What is different about the reprints is that they have been presented in top quality, hard-backed books. Not only is every book a pleasure to hold on your hands (let alone to read) but they have reprinted everything from the Warren magazines; the Vampirella stories, the other stories, letters pages and even the adverts!
The new team of writers and artists have managed a difficult transition and (hopefully) managed to keep the old time fans as well as attract a new and younger readership. How successful Dynamite's Vampirella will be in the long term is a matter of conjecture - the Vampirella monthly series is allegedly ending in 2014.
I hope that Dynamite will keep Vampirella on the comic book shops' shelves for many years to come and that the current hiatus (2014) is only temporary.
The Dynamite Vampirella publications are listed on the left.
Click on the appropriate button to view that title.