“Vampirella: Summer Special 2026” – Very Special Indeed

Hot off the heels of her fantastic “Rogue” mini-series at Marvel, Erica Schultz joins the “Vampirella” family in this fantastic Summer Special! In this mini-story, Vampi takes a little vacation to Pompeii, where she inexplicably gets sent through time. What’s her purpose there? Will she find her way back to the present? Let’s find out together in this week’s very special issue of “Vampirella”!

Writer: Erica Schultz
Artist: Adriana Melo
Colorist: Ceci De La Cruz

The Writing

So, first things first, when I first turned the page and saw this was written by Erica Schultz, I got very excited! I was a big fan of her run on “Rogue” (be sure to check out Megan & Shawn’s review linked above), so I was hoping she’d work wonders here. Boy oh boy, did she ever! This, to me, is a testament to her abilities as a writer. The fact that she can write two completely different characters and have them be just as compelling as one another is simply amazing.

Within the actual story itself, it’s easy to see that a lot of Priest’s influence has started being incorporated into other stories. Much like how Priest uses his run to shine light on topical issues and themes, this story sees Vampi stuck in the past as she works to right an injustice and cause a slave-led rebellion. In the hands of Schultz, Vampirella continues to be a hero for the wronged in this gut-wrenching story.

The Art

Much like Schultz, Melo and De La Cruz both also worked their magic here. What I particularly loved was Melo’s design for Vampirella. This has got to be my favorite design for the character, almost solely because of her wings. Something she did is something I feel hasn’t been done in a while, and that’s giving a ripple effect to the membrane of the wings. In close-up shots with her wings out, it looked insanely badass.

However, it wasn’t just the character designs that got me. The settings looked amazing, and some of the shots were jaw-dropping. The latter was particularly helped by the color work of De La Cruz. I don’t know how they did it, but they managed to give every panel life simply with the use of color. There were a good amount of intense reds, creating both destruction and beauty when blended with yellows, blues, and greens of various shades. This was truly inspiring artwork from both Melo and De La Cruz.

Final Thoughts

Erica Schultz and crew actively created a jaw-dropping work of a Summer special. From the near-perfect artwork to the gut-wrenching story, I can’t recommend this issue enough! This is the perfect taste before we get into Schultz’s “Vampirella x WitchBlade” later this year!

Overall Grade: 10/10

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Comments

Are you a fan of Erica Schultz? Do you plan on picking up this special issue? Let’s discuss in the comments below!