Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Vampirella 23


Sanjulian's cover of the Cobra Queen starts off this issue of Vampirella.

First is Vampirella in "The Blood Queen of Bayou Parish!" by Jose Gonzalez (art) and Steve Englehart (story). Vampirella and company head to New Orleans where it is rumored that a cult led by Father Jonas (from the prior issue) is. When they head there, Pendragon meets Sally, a woman who looks just like his ex wife Rosie. In actuality, Sally is a woman brought back from the dead after she killed herself and is able to look like any woman. She also happens to be working under Father Jonas, who wasn't defeated after all. Vampirella and company are able to defeat them once and for all.

Next is "Cobra Queen" by Esteban Maroto (art) and Don Glut (story). A trio of men head through the woods in search of a Cobra Queen that rules over a society of amazonesses. Along the way they keep seeing a large cobra. One of the men is soon killed by one. They finally reach the society, and meet the Cobra Queen who transforms into a giant cobra. One of the men however reveals that he too is a giant cobra, and transforms into one. The Cobra Queen and King then feast on the last remaining man. This story would get a sequel in issue 37.

Third is "Call it Companionship" by Ramon Torrents (art) and Steve Skeates (story). A young woman buys a cat and soon starts acting like it, eating rats and angering her boyfriend, whom she ends up killing when he threatens to kill the cat.

Fourth is "The Accursed!" by Jose Bea (art) and Kevin Pagan (story). A man wanders through a graveyard, fighting off various creatures like a werewolf, vampire bats and rats. He is here to dig up and destroy the corpse of an evil man that has been buried in the graveyard. He digs up the man and destroys it, then collapses before his father's grave.

Fifth is "The Witch's Promise" by Auraleon (art) and Gerry Boudreau (story). A woman is accused as a witch and is hanged. Years later a soldier meets her daughter in the woods and they sleep together. He abandons her the next day but is captured and killed by a tree controlled by her when he passes by in a carriage later on.

Last is "Won't Eddie Ever Learn?" by Felix Mas (art) and Jim Stenstrum (story). A young thief heads to a farm, seeking to steal the truck there. The farm is owned by an old man and his blind daughter, who invite the thief to dinner. That night he robs the old man, killing him by striking him in the head. He falls to his death into the pig trough however, and ends up getting eaten by the pigs on the farm.

No comments: