As the summer heats up in August, Dynamite Entertainment is bringing the heat too with a thrilling third entry in the newly established paperback line of the much-sought Vampirella Archives.
Vampirella Archives Volume Three collects issues #15-21 of the Vampirella, the Daughter of Drakulon’s first ever ongoing magazine anthology series released at the time by Warren Publishing. This third volume covers the entire stretch of issues released in the year 1972.
The second volume featured beloved creator and editor Archie Goodwin taking the reins and rapidly revitalizing the lore of the titular vampiress, establishing a tradition for nearly every issue of the mag to feature a chapter in her ongoing adventures. Fans will get a taste of the era’s most iconic Vampi illustrator Jose Gonzalez in that book, and now in this third book every single solo story of the Drakulonian dame features his stunning work.
In addition to Goodwin and Gonzalez, Volume Three also features the run on the character by T. Casey Brennan, across issues #17-21. His final chapter is co-written by the legendary Steve Englehart, whose brief run continues in the forthcoming fourth book, acclaimed for his tenures on titles like Avengers, Defenders, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Batman in Detective Comics, and many more.
Front and central for Vampi’s tales in this entry are her encounters with the deadly Dracula. Featured in the future by top creators like Kurt Busiek, James Robinson, and Christopher Priest, this is where the two first crossed paths! For Vampirella fans, the editorial feature from #19 is indispensable for diving into the behind the scenes of how the character was created.
Another big draw for this edition is its inclusion of almost all the chapters of Spanish genius Esteban Maroto’s Tomb of the Gods feature. His artwork is absolutely jaw-dropping, and he would continue to be a key contributor to the magazine, and eventually drawing some of Vampi’s own stories, like the pivotal first appearance of the Blood Red Queen of Hearts in #49.
Other luminaries with writing and artwork featured within these issues include Doug Moench (Moon Knight, Batman),Jose Bea, Don McGregor (Black Panther), Richard Corben (Den), Pat Boyette (The Phantom, Peacemaker), Luis Garcia, Jan Strnad (Sword of the Atom), Steve Skeates (Aquaman, Hawk and Dove), Greg Potter (Wonder Woman), and more. All wrapped under included covers by Sanjulian, Enrich Torres, and Luis Dominguez.
These paperback printings of the comprehensive archival reprints of Vampirella’s first decade-plus-spanning title are set to release every two months, working towards the 15 volume final set. They are printed at magazine dimensions to match the original format. Stories are primarily in black and white.
