Writer: Jay Faerber
Artist: Matthew Clark(p), Ron Randall(i)
Publisher: Harris
Jay Faerber's story in Vampirella is an old-hat werewolf story. This is not to say that it like Warwilf would find a home on the Satellite of Love before the ridicule of Mike and the bots, but nothing new in Mr. Faerber's story is said nor retold in an interesting way.
The problem with this story is that it becomes too obvious who isn't the werewolf. We're several steps ahead of the author by the time the story introduces its "non-suspects." Furthermore, an experienced nonhuman huntress like Vampirella would have been able to sense the difference between mortal and monster. I'll chalk that up to Faerber's unfamiliarity with the character.
Mr. Faerber does show a potential for working with this hero. He for instance includes a well-written scene that nicely shows how Vamp's supernatural powers can make her half-naked self invisible and give her the credentials that allows her access to the crime scene.
Matthew Clark provides some stunningly beautiful artwork. While skin seems to be the call for the day, what I noticed most are his exquisite and distinctive female faces. The camper in prologue for instance has a come-hither look that's genuinely sexy as well as cute. Vampirella's countenance is dignified and classy which fits her immortal characterization. This attention to personality also affects the body language. Vamp walks around as if she owned the woods, and this is how she should be depicted since she simply has been around forever. Her haughty arrogance contrasts sharply how she behaves as a champion for humanity.
Vampirella is for mature audiences. So the skin and the horrific gore are perfectly acceptable, unless I suppose if you live in Texas, and actually more restrained and tasteful than say the Marvel Max books. However Mr. Clark does put in a few exploitive shots that mar an otherwise professional presentation. There's a juvenile butt-shot for instance when Vampirella thumbs a ride. It's really unnecessary to show her butt since the pov does not belong to the biker. Then there's the strange way her breasts seem to plump when shown from the side an effect which also seems to shift her nipples with respect to each breast. Nipples simply do not move like penny-brown spiders. On the whole though, Clark makes Vampirella quite proportionate especially when we first see her and opts for smaller, natural breasts that are definitely more appealing.
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