Issue # (April 2000)

Regular Cover - Daerick Gross $2.95
Gold Foil Cover - Daerick Gross (300 copies) $29.95
Blue Foil Cover - Daerick Gross (100 copies) $59.95
Premium Edition - Mike Deodato, Alp Altiner (3,000 copies) $2.95
Signed Premium Edition - Mike Deodato, Alp Altiner (3,000 copies) $?
Alternative Premium Edition - Mike Deodato, Alp Altiner (3,000 copies) $?

Artists - Christian Zanier, Curtis Arnold / Writer - Marc Andreyko

Purgatori vs. Vampirella
Set a few years in the future, humanity has been decimated by a vampire war led by Empress Jade and General Chastity (ex-vampire hunter turned bad). Vampirella aids the humans and fights Chastity for possession of an ancient rock covered in hieroglyphs. Vampirella is the only survivor and escapes with the rock, unaware that she has been duped by Chastity and Jade who planted a tracker on her in the melee.

Using the stone for guidance, Vampirella resurrects the long dead Purgatori. Purgatori is a powerful, demonic vampire with a taste for the ladies and a disdain for humans, but, most of all, an overwhelming hatred for Jade.

In a prolonged battle Vampirella and Purgatori kill Jade and Chastity using teamwork, then set off to deal with the rest of her minions.

For someone who has no knowledge of Purgatori prior to reading this comic, I have to say she is presented well. The ultimate anti-heroine with no remorse or scruples, Purgatori exists purely to satisfy her own desires, and that has a certain scary appeal.

Other things with a certain scary appeal is black leather/pvc bondage clothing, which seems to be de rigueur in this comic. Most of the vampires are clad in BDSM gear of various sorts, and even Vampirella swaps her red and gold for a black leather for a page or two!

Despite the image on the cover, Purgatori seems to prefer to be completely naked ...

The story is quite short, but is stretched over the length of the comic book by the stunning artwork, with full page panels and "splashes". But considering the subject matter, this is not a problem if you enjoy the female form in all it's glory.

It is a shame that this was just a one off. I would have liked a bit more of the Vampirella/Purgatori mix, though I get the feeling that Purgatori would end up the dominant partner (in more ways than one ...).

Not one for the kiddies!