Dynamite Entertainment, legendary writer Christopher Priest, and Turkish virtuoso artist Ergün Gündüz are soon to unleash the next phase of the their pivotal run on Vampirella.
"The Long Night" story arc begins this March in Vampirella #1, also sporting a "legacy numbering" of #676 as part of the continuing road to the milestone #700. Priest is also nearing 80 total issues contributed to the mythos just a couple issues into this latest arc, including his flagship titles as well as key spinoffs like Sacred Six and Draculina. He's reunited again with Gündüz, who he started this latest masterpiece of his with back in 2019, joining the ranks of his brilliant works on titles like Black Panther, Deathstroke, Justice League, Quantum & Woody, Conan the Barbarian, and others. Ahead of the story starting soon, Priest and Dynamite are sharing some teases and artwork!
Following the turbulent events of preceding story arcs like Vampirella/Dracula: Unholy, Year One, and Rage, the Daughter of Drakulon now finds herself a parent. Finally reunited with her son, she's tragically beset by a severe case of postpartum depression. Priest and Gündüz will be depicting a misunderstood, but relatively common part of the human experience that has rarely been portrayed in genre comic book stories.
Tied to her tumultuous emotions and uncertainty in life, Vampirella's path may set her on a destiny as an authoritarian ruler of a cyberpunk future. In issue #2 and beyond, readers will get peeks at this apocalyptic vision of Earth. Vampirella's history goes back to 1969, both behind the scenes and in-story due to her nearly ageless Drakulonian biology. Priest's story started in 2019 for her 50th anniversary. What could the far off — but not too far — future of 2069 look like when she'll be celebrating her 100th? Fans are invited to join the party for this nontraditional anniversary celebration.
Last but certainly not least, in the present a mysterious figure will enter Vampi's life. Going by Cicero, he claims to be her son from the future. Which will be all the more complicated when son meets son, as the present and future directly cross paths. Is his story true, and can he be trusted?
Priest and Gündüz are continuing to bring this story together, with more exciting moments and characters to be revealed!
VAMPIRELLA #1 (676) is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ January 2025 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in March 2025. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the book with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more!
Visit www.dynamite.com for more news and information.
Published in magazine format and largely featuring black and white interiors, the publication was able to sidestep the then dominant Comics Code Authority. This allowed the ever-evolving stable of brilliant writers and artists to push the boundaries of mature, sophisticated content underneath its jaw-dropping painted covers.
Warren's other titles were much like Vampirella, anthology titles with "horror host" characters. But the genius twist of this new title being hosted by a beautiful vampiress, courtesy of early character contributors Jim Warren, Forrest J. Ackerman, Frank Frazetta, Trina Robbins, and Tom Sutton, made it stand out and steadily evolve to feature the continuing serial adventures of one of the medium's biggest stars to this day!
The Warren era of Vampirella ran a whopping 112 issues from 1969 through 1983. Across multiple eras, editors like Archie Goodwin, Louise Simonson, and Bill DuBay brought in top established creators, rising stars, and astonishing talents from all around the world. The magazine was prominent for featuring crops of stylistic standouts from regions like Spain and the Phillipines.
Creators involved in the first Archives volume reprinting Vampirella #1-7 include the aforementioned Ackerman, Sutton, in addition to Neal Adams, Doug Moench, Reed Crandall, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Gardner Fox, Ernie Colon, Billy Graham, and more all shining in a mix of horror, science fiction, and fantasy fables. While painted covers from Frazetta, Jones, Vaughn Bodé, Bill Hughes, and Ken Kelly stun the senses.
The titular heroine and her mythos starts in this very first volume. The first issue starts with an instantly iconic painting by Frazetta, followed by Ackerman and Sutton's influential short origin story that has been remade and referenced countless times. The second issue is a one-two punch with the introduction of Vampi's blonde sister Draculina, as well as the witch Evily who is at times known as her cousin.
This first volume brings a lot of unforgettable stories and creators, and the following books in the projected 15 volume line will only continue to astound. Fans can look forward to the Vampirella starring stories ramping up in the second book, as Archie Goodwin takes on editing the title and writing the character with the introductions of Conrad and Adam Van Helsing, Mordecai Pendragon, the Cult of Chaos, Crimson Chronicles — and the entry of the character's definitive Warren era artist Jose Gonzalez.
With volumes all through the run featuring multi-part Vampirella story arcs, major additions to her cast and lore, and an endless list of standout anthology stories from diverse and beloved creators, each volume is a can't-miss addition to anyone's shelf who doesn't have the hardcover editions.
VAMPIRELLA ARCHIVES PAPERBACK VOL 1 is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ February 2025 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in April 2025. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the book with their local comic book retailers.
The new story, "The Long Night" will introduce fans to parallel perspectives of the Daughter of Drakulon in the present dealing with a severe case of postpartum depression, even while finally reunited with her previously stolen infant son — and on the other hand a vision into a possible cataclysmic, cyberpunk future brought on by a bitter Vampi's nuclear holocaust!
Attentive fans may recall mentions of "The Long Night" in previous issues of Priest's run as a prophetic nightmare mentioned by Vampirella herself and other characters. It is akin to a "vampire Ragnarök" end of days, said to be brought on by a child of Lilith. When the demon Belial uttered it upon the birth of Draculina, the assumption was that it would be the fate of Vampi's raven-haired, oft-evil sister — and not in fact herself. Priest's other working title for this storyline was "Season of the Witch," referencing the titular antiheroine's spiral into darkness and transformation into the Witch of Ashthorne.
It all kicks into action in March's Vampirella #1 — while keeping a dual "legacy numbering" along the march to #700, marking this issue also as #676 — as a mysterious man going by the name of Cicero appears in Vampirella's life, claiming to be her son from the future. As a timeless vampiress, the Daughter of Drakulon's life extends well past her 50-plus years of publication going back to 1969, yet she still appears young and vibrant. The same logic carries on to her son, with the twist that he's come back from a time of her 100th anniversary!
"I think the best kinds of challenges you can toss at a protagonist are the ones they cannot punch through. There’s way too much boring violence being used to resolve conflict in today’s comics," said Christopher Priest. "Good writing involves conflict but conflict isn’t always about violence. You put your character in a headlock, in a no-win scenario, ideally in a mess of their own making, and then follow them as they resolve that conflict through their strength of character. Vampirella’s present situation, her being suddenly confounded by the unimaginable impact of motherhood, is the direct cause and effect of the future story and the reason her son, an adult many decades in the future, has returned to warn her."
Fans are invited to hop into this new series and celebrate this peek into Vampirella's deep psyche as well as a dark future. The critically acclaimed team of Priest and Gündüz are back once more, joined with head-turning covers from the likes of Lucio Parrillo, Greg Land, Elias Chatzoudis, Jay Anacleto, and cosplayer Rachel Hollon. Rising superstar Mark Spears, beloved for his Monsters series, also contributes covers.
VAMPIRELLA #1 is solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ January 2025 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in March 2025. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the book with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more!
Visit www.dynamite.com for more news and information.
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