Friday, August 8, 2008

Vampirella 101


Our latest issue of Vampirella is issue 101. The cover for this issue is by Noly Panaligan. It was originally intended for issue 100, but ended up being bumped to this issue (whose original cover was also bumped to another issue). Jose Gonzalez contributes yet another portrait of Vampirella for the table of contents page.

Vampirella's story for this issue is "Attack of the Star Beast" by Gonzalo Mayo (art) and Rich Margopoulos (story). An octopus like alien arrives on Earth and plans to breed so it can cause more havok. After a cult is attacked by the creature they start gathering a number of sacrifices for it, which all end up being naked college students. Vampi arrives on the scene and is luckily able to kill the creature by crashing a car into it. A rather poor story which is helped out by very good art by Mayo. Aside from perhaps Esteban Maroto, Mayo could draw naked women as good as anyone at Warren, and this story is filled with perfectly proportioned, large breasted naked women, if you like that kind of thing. The monster design is also quite intriguing.

Next is Pantha's story, "A Night Full of Zombies Part Four" by Jose Ortiz (art) and Rich Margopoulos (story). Pantha is able to remember her childhood with the help of Dr. Rictus. Adam meanwhile is taken captive by the evil mobster Monroe, who gives him to his voodoo expert Baron Samedi. Pantha heads there to save him and is also captured, and thrown to a bunch of crocodiles.

Cassandra St. Knight's story is third, "Hell on Earth" by Auraleon (art) and Rich Margopoulos (story). Cassandra is recruited by her old master to assist in battling demons which have infiltrated the Earth. Cassandra battles them and manages to come out on top as usual.

Fourth is the next entry in The Fox storyline, "Dynasty of Evil" by Luis Bermejo (art) and Nicola Cuti (story). This story takes place in 1910, years after the original storyline. A descendent of the heroine in the original story has the same shapeshifting abilities. She travels along with another woman, Sha-Ming, who is kept by the villanous Sheng Kuei. A boat crewmember watches the two of them as they head to a pond where bandits soon capture them.

The issue wraps up with "Victims" by Scott Hampton (story & art), in his professional debut. This is a very short story at only 3 pages long. Murders have been taking place by a 'Midnight Slasher'. A man returns to his home where he threatens a woman, making us think that he's the slasher. Only it ends up that she's the slasher, and kills him.

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