Christopher Priest Celebrates Vampirella’s 50th Anniversary with a New Series

The Daughter of Drakulon is hitting the big 5-0 this year and what better way to celebrate with her than to have critically acclaimed writer Christopher Priest (Black Panther, Deathstroke, Justice League) take the lead in a new ongoing series by Dynamite. The milestone will also feature art and colors by Ergün Gündüz and letters by Willie Schubert (Deathstroke, Batman, Justice League).
Issue #1 will be released on the same day and date as the iconic first magazine from July of 1969. It also coincides with the first day of San Diego Comic Con’s 50^th Convention. Priest will debut his run on Free Comic Book Day on May 4^th with a Vampirella #0.

With 40 years of industry experience, the scribe’s career has been marked by an array of milestones and achievements. As the first African American editor in mainstream comics, his influence on the Spider-Man titles helped launch the careers of legends Peter David and Kyle Baker. His list of credits ranges from Deadpool and Captain American to Green Lantern and Conan the Barbarian. His run on Black Panther was also a huge influence on the Academy Award winning MCU film.

“This version of Vampirella is set in the real world, as real as I’m allowed to make it,” said Priest. “What if an alien from another planet were stranded here? What if that alien looked like one of the Kardashians and wore barely any clothing at all? And had fangs, drank blood, and sprouted bat wings? We’d assume she was a vampire. But she’s not a creature of occult origins. She’s a Martian who’s now stuck here with us idiots who stereotype her as this THING because she looks and functions a certain way. That would seem to be an allegory for how we treat each other; for racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and religious persecution.”
“Priest’s powerful storytelling pierced through my heart like a stake,” said Gündüz. “The story is so thrilling and delightful that I’ve set my hand free, it’s drawing by itself. Neither I nor readers can have enough of this Vampirella.”

Priest continued, “I’m having a blast writing this thing and artist Ergün Gündüz is an absolute gift to me. His intuition, sensitivity, and stellar sequential art chops are simply amazing; a refreshing break from the superhero house style. His amazing color rendering takes the work to an even higher level, making me look and sound smarter than I actually am.”
The series will feature an impressive list of cover artists such as Frank Cho (Hulk, Avengers, Red Sonja), Alex Ross (Marvels, Kingdom Come), Joe Jusko (Marvel Masterpieces, Conan), and Guillem March (Harley Quinn, Gotham City Sirens). Adam Hughes (Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Justice League) will recreate his own cover in an homage to 1992’s Vampirella #1 and there will also be a limited edition Sanjulian variant. And of course, the first issue will have a cosplay cover featuring Erica Fett.


Fans can preorder their copy of Vampirella #1 this May for its July release. For those who prefer digital, check out Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more.