Vampirella and Red Sonja: Together Again for the First Time

When I began reading VAMPIRELLA / RED SONJA #1, I was immediately sucked in by the artwork of Drew Moss. Set in 1969, Vampirella's style was appropriate to the era. There was a beguiling beauty to this retro-look that merited revisiting, and the highlights of Rebeca Nalty's colors really make the panels pop for this issue.

But this was no mere eye-candy comic. Jordie Bellaire has set up an adventure/mystery that brings Vampirella -- still a newcomer to Earth at that time -- to Russia, to investigate a decade-old mass killing that may or may not have been the work of a Yeti. Since the story is set nearly fifty years ago, Vampirella has to do the investigating without the benefit of the Internet, which is not only a refreshing read but must also be a challenge to write. Writing it this well is a testament to Bellaire's writing chops, and I look forward to more from him.

In fact, it wasn't until the very end of this book that I was reminded this was a crossover with Red Sonja. The story was so magnetic, and the focus so tight on Vampirella and her internal dialogue that when we finally do encounter Red Sonja, on the final page, I was almost taken aback that she would show up in a Vampirella comic!

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War and the Russian space program, "These Dark Synchronicities" is the kind of Vampirella story I've been wanting to read for a long time now. I will definitely be back for more of this.