NYCC 2023: Christopher Priest Ties It All Together With ‘Vampirella’ #666
by Erik Amaya
February will feature a particularly infernal number for Vampirella.
Dynamite announced Wednesday the launch of Vampirella #666 — a landmark issue that will jump-start the next phase in Christopher Priest‘s ongoing story of everyone’s favorite Drakulon Daughter. The new storyline, “Beyond,” sees reality reset, but crucial details have been changed. As the company put it, “Wrongs are righted, loved ones are back — including the memory of Vampirella’s murdered child.” Additionally, she’s happily married and her mother is supportive! But in the exchange, all memory of Draculina has been lost and Vampi must choose between restoring the world she once knew at the expense of a reality that is, for her at least, paradise on Earth.
Joining Priest for this reality-bending tale is artist Ergün Gündüz and letter Willie Schubert.
“Ergün and I are having a blast with this, a Groundhog’s Day murder mystery that flips the script of our debut story and shakes up the premise of our Vampirella saga: a single girl trying to make it in the big city who just happens to be a vampire from outer space. Vampirella’s story arc has always embodied a universal theme of belonging, the pursuit of community — friends, family, love — which have all been denied or stolen from her. In this new vision, Vampi literally has everything, every happiness, she has sought since her arrival on Earth, but inevitably must be willing to lose it all in order to save her soul,” Priest said in a statement.
“If you’ve never read our book before, #666 is the perfect jumping-on point,” he continued. “If you’ve been with us all along, #666’s many Easter eggs will be an added layer of humor, mystery and poignancy as we explore even farther into the endless possibilities of this classic character. Ergün and I thank everyone who has supported our super-unorthodox, humorous, poignant, and often tragic take on this character and franchise, and invite everyone to come along with us to the next chapters of Vampi’s journey.”
The issue will also reprint a silent six-page story by Priest and Alan Davis from 1999’s Vampirella The New Monthly #19. It will also be supported by covers from Gündüz, Joseph Michael Linsner, Carla Cohen, and Felipe Massafer. More covers will be revealed as February draws closer.
