The most iconic vampire in all of comic books, Vampirella, is celebrating her 50th anniversary this year, with plenty of team-up miniseries and a new ongoing series by Christopher Priest and Ergün Gündüz. Created by Forrest J Ackerman, Trina Robbins, Frank Frazetta, and Tom Sutton in 1969's Vampirella #1, the character has since had subsequent comic book adventures by a whole host of superstar comic book creators over the years.
Now, CBR is taking a look back at some of the best Vampirella stories from across the character's history for anyone looking for the perfect starting point or for anyone looking for Vampirella's greatest stories.
RELATED: Vampirella Writer Christopher Priest Promises "Satirical Science Fiction"
Vampirella: The Essential Warren Years
GET IT NOW: COMIXOLOGY
Vampirella made her debut through Warren Publishing as a sort of Crypt Keeper-esque horror host predating television's Elvira, Mistress of the Dark by over a decade. Vampi would guide readers through black and white short horror stories in the pages of Vampirella Magazine, which featured a roster of rotating writers and artists, while her backstory was gradually developed in her own stories.
Vampirella: The Essential Warren Years collects the anthology magazine's first five years, from its initial, campy tone to its eventual shift to a more serious, horror comic series over time, with its own memorable supporting cast.
Vampirella Masters Series, Vol. 5
GET IT NOW: COMIXOLOGY
One of the more influential writers responsible for bringing Vampirella into the modern era is the prolific Kurt Busiek. After Harris Publications bought the rights to the character, Busiek and artist Louis LaChance worked on the classic 1991 miniseries Vampirella: Morning in America which saw Vampi fight the Cult of Chaos.
Vampirella Masters Series, Vol. 5 collects the 1991 miniseries along with the 1992 special Vampirella Summer Nights and the 1993 miniseries Vampirella: Dracula War, remastered in color after their initial black and white publication.
Vampirella Masters Series, Vol. 1
GET IT NOW: COMIXOLOGY
In the '90s, Grant Morrison and a young Mark Millar worked together on comics for Marvel and DC before relaunching Vampirella in 1997. Along with artists Amanda Conner, and Jimmy Palmiotti, the creative team reintroduced Vampi as a more hard-edged character, obsessed with eradicating the Earth of vampires while facing other global threats.
Hailed as one of the best runs in the entire history of the character, Vampirella Masters Series, Vol. 1 collects the superstar creative team's relaunch, Vampirella's 25th anniversary special and interviews with the creative team about their work on the long-running horror franchise.
Vampirella Masters Series, Vol. 3
GET IT NOW: COMIXOLOGY
Years later, Mark Millar returned in 2001 to pen a new volume of Vampirella stories along with fan-favorite artist Mike Mayhew. Particularly lauded for Mayhew's photo-realistic art style, the creative team's story had Vampi travel to a small, remote town aptly nicknamed "Nowheresville" after learning about a string of murders committed by vampires.
Vampirella Masters Series, Vol. 3 collects Millar and Mayhew's story, along with the story "Fear of Mirrors" by Mayhew and writer John Smith and a pin-up art gallery by a whole host of superstar artists including David Finch and Bruce Timm.
Vampirella Masters Series, Vol. 6
GET IT NOW: COMIXOLOGY
Of all the Vampirella miniseries to be published over the years, one of the most popular has been 2006's Vampirella: Blood Lust. Written by James Robinson and painted by Joe Jusko, the story featured a team-up between Vampi and Adam Van Helsing as the two ventured in Hell to learn more about Vampi's own origins in a story that revised the iconic character's backstory for a new generation.
Vampirella Masters Series, Vol. 6 collects the miniseries along with an epilogue initially not published with the miniseries itself that features more spell-binding artwork by Jusko. Also included in the collection is a Vampirella short story "Vampirella vs. Dracula," written by Robinson and illustrated by Rick Mays and David Mack.
Vampirella Dynamite Years Omnibus, Vol. 3
GET IT NOW: COMIXOLOGY
After acquiring the Vampirella rights in 2010 from Harris Publications, Dynamite Entertainment relaunched the character and renvisioned her for a new generation. In 2014, award-winning horror novelist Nancy A. Collins, a longtime fan of the character, began an acclaimed run on the character.
Vampirella Dynamite Years Omnibus, Vol. 3 collects the first chunk of Collins' run on the character in an especially massive compilation. Vampi joins the Kabal, a secret organization of supernatural myths and monsters, while saving the day from all sorts of apocalyptic threats around the world.
We hope you like the items we recommend! Comic Book Resources has affiliate partnerships, so we receive a share of the revenue from your purchase. This won’t affect the price you pay and helps us offer the best product recommendations.
KEEP READING: The Boys: The Best Comics to Read After Watching the Amazon Show