Dynamite’s ‘Vampirella’ #1 Print Run Exceeds 84,000 Copies

by Erik Amaya

Vampi does it again.

Dynamite announced Thursday that its upcoming Vampirella #1 — due out next week — has exceeded 84,000 copies in print. The issue, from writer Christopher Priest and artist Ergün Gündüz, is both an opportunity for new readers to learn more about the title character and the continuation of Priest’s epic tale, which began with the 2019 Free Comic Book Day issue. In the new story, “The Long Night”, the Daughter of Drakulon deals with “a severe case of postpartum depression, even while finally reunited with her previously stolen infant son.” But readers will also see parallel versions of what that depression could manifest — including a cyberpunk dystopia brought on when an embittered Vampi unleashes nuclear devastation. Of course, “The Long Night” has been mentioned in previous Vampirella stories as a twilight of the age. Will she finally embrace the prophetic vision of a “vampire Ragnarök” in which she creates the ultimate end?

And, also, what of Cicero, the mysterious stranger claiming to be Vampi’s child all grown up?

“I think the best kinds of challenges you can toss at a protagonist are the ones they cannot punch through. There’s way too much boring violence being used to resolve conflict in today’s comics,” Priest said previously. “Good writing involves conflict but conflict isn’t always about violence. You put your character in a headlock, in a no-win scenario, ideally in a mess of their own making, and then follow them as they resolve that conflict through their strength of character. Vampirella’s present situation, her being suddenly confounded by the unimaginable impact of motherhood, is the direct cause and effect of the future story and the reason her son, an adult many decades in the future, has returned to warn her.”

As the company noted, the print run was achieved via “all orders from fans and retailers through Diamond Comics Distributor, specialty retailers, and creator exclusive variant covers.” While it serves as a #1 issue, it also carries the legacy number of issue #676 from the original Warren Publishing days as Dynamite anticipates celebrating the 700th issue in due time.