Vampirella 74

A photo of Barbara Leigh is used for the cover of this issue of Vampirella, dated December 1978. Yet another all reprint issue, outside of the cover.

Up first is "Hell From On High" by Jose Gonzalez (art) and Steve Englehart (story), from Vampirella 22. Englehart was a pretty good writer who took on Vampirella for a very short period of time in 1973, doing only three stories, two of which are reprinted in this issue. The story features Vampi & co seeking out the true killer of Conrad Van Helsing's brother since by this point its been proven that Vampi wasn't responsible. They head to the snowy mountains where they meet a priest and the suspected killer, but it ends up that the killer was actually under the priest's control, and Vampi is able to defeat him. Pretty good story, a rarity for Vampirella!

Next is another Vampirella story, "The Blood Queen of Bayou Parish!" by Jose Gonzalez (art) and Steve Englehart (story), from Vampirella 23. Vampirella and company head to New Orleans where it is rumored that a cult led by Father Jonas (from the prior story) 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.

Third is "Wolf Hunt", from Vampirella 14, with art by Esteban Maroto, which was his Warren debut in its original appearance, and story by Joe Wehrle. An old man finds a woman who transforms into a wolf in the moonlight and captures her in his castle. She is eventually able to escape and take revenge. As always, Maroto's art is quite good here. Alas, with merely three stories in this issue, this is the end of this issue.