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Vampirella 2010 #3
Vampirella Volume 3: Throne of Skulls
WELCOME TO THE END OF DAYS! A mysterious hijacking - by an undetectable force which leaves only death in its wake - lures Vampirella to Russia, and deeper into a deadly conspiracy where nothing is what it seems. At the request of Vampirella's allies - the Vatican's paranormal covert strike force, Cestus Dei - the blood-drinking scourge of the supernatural travels to Russia, on the hunt for a terrifying killer with a gift for murder. But there's more at play than a simple search-and-destroy mission. Complicating matters is the return of the King of the Vampires, Dracula - more powerful than ever before, and determined to consecrate an unholy pact with ancient, unknowable forces that even the lords of Chaos and Order wisely fear. War is on the horizon, and only one who has worn the Crown of Worms can sit upon a Throne of Skulls. Old foes are reborn, alliances are broken, and nothing in Vampirella's world will ever be the same! Collecting issues #12-20 of the popular ongoing Vampirella series, with a complete cover gallery.
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 2013
11 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Eric Trautmann
260 books16 followersEric Trautmann is a comic book writer, editor, and graphic designer.
For several years, Eric was a writer and editor for West End Games' acclaimed Star Wars roleplaying game line. After leaving dice-and-paper gaming behind, Eric then moved into videogames, an early recruit into Microsoft Game Studios' nascent entertainment licensing apparatus.
While at Microsoft, Eric wrote and edited in-game dialogue, story bibles, marketing materials, and original fictional content for the web.
Among the titles that Eric helped develop were the smash-hit HALO: Combat Evolved (including editing chores on the first three HALO novels for Ballantine / Del Rey, as well as writing The Art of HALO, also for Del Rey); Crimson Skies (creating a strongly immersive in-universe website for the pulpy, two-fisted adventure setting; editing weekly serialized online pulp novellas; and editing and contributing to Del Rey's mass-market paperback fiction anthology based on the setting); MechWarrior 4; and Perfect Dark Zero, acting as a story consultant to the property and helping to develop a fiction publishing program in support of the game.
In addition, Eric has consulted on videogame properties for EPIC (drafting a story bible for the Gears of War franchise), story development for Radical Entertainment, and delivering talks on the craft of writing in games to various publishers (notably, Blizzard Entertainment).
After leaving Microsoft, Eric wrote a six-issue miniseries for Perfect Dark (titled Perfect Dark: Janus' Tears), published by Prima Games, as well as editing and lettering an original graphic novel prequel to the hyperviolent videogame Army of Two, titled Army of Two: Dirty Money (written by John Ney Rieber and illustrated by Brandon McKinney).
While developing Perfect Dark Zero's novel program, he edited Perfect Dark: Initial Vector and Perfect Dark: Second Front, scribed by Greg Rucka (and published by TOR). The collaboration proved fruitful, and Eric was later invited to write a fill-in issue of Greg's DC Comics superhero/espionage title, Checkmate (which led to a half-year stint as co-writer on the title, ending his run with issue #25).
Checkmate led to several other DC Comics projects (as both writer or co-writer), including Final Crisis: Resist, JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith, The Shield, Mighty Crusaders, Adventure Comics and others.
Eric currently writes the continuing adventures of classic sword-and-sorcery heroine, Red Sonja, for Dynamite Entertainment.
In November 2010, Eric's debut issue of a revitalized Vampirella (also published by Dynamite Entertainment) was released to widespread critical praise and excellent sales (Vampirella #1 was the best selling non-premier publisher title for Diamond Comics Distribution in the month of its release).
In addition to writing comics, Eric is a graphic designer and marketing consultant, through his Fedora Monkey Studio, which offers (among other services) logo and branding design, intellectual property development, and viral marketing (such as the infamous "Montoya Journal" to promote the DC Comics' series The Question: The Five Books of Blood).
Eric splits his time between Raymond, Wa (where he resides) and Lacey, WA (where his wife runs the best comic shop ever).
For several years, Eric was a writer and editor for West End Games' acclaimed Star Wars roleplaying game line. After leaving dice-and-paper gaming behind, Eric then moved into videogames, an early recruit into Microsoft Game Studios' nascent entertainment licensing apparatus.
While at Microsoft, Eric wrote and edited in-game dialogue, story bibles, marketing materials, and original fictional content for the web.
Among the titles that Eric helped develop were the smash-hit HALO: Combat Evolved (including editing chores on the first three HALO novels for Ballantine / Del Rey, as well as writing The Art of HALO, also for Del Rey); Crimson Skies (creating a strongly immersive in-universe website for the pulpy, two-fisted adventure setting; editing weekly serialized online pulp novellas; and editing and contributing to Del Rey's mass-market paperback fiction anthology based on the setting); MechWarrior 4; and Perfect Dark Zero, acting as a story consultant to the property and helping to develop a fiction publishing program in support of the game.
In addition, Eric has consulted on videogame properties for EPIC (drafting a story bible for the Gears of War franchise), story development for Radical Entertainment, and delivering talks on the craft of writing in games to various publishers (notably, Blizzard Entertainment).
After leaving Microsoft, Eric wrote a six-issue miniseries for Perfect Dark (titled Perfect Dark: Janus' Tears), published by Prima Games, as well as editing and lettering an original graphic novel prequel to the hyperviolent videogame Army of Two, titled Army of Two: Dirty Money (written by John Ney Rieber and illustrated by Brandon McKinney).
While developing Perfect Dark Zero's novel program, he edited Perfect Dark: Initial Vector and Perfect Dark: Second Front, scribed by Greg Rucka (and published by TOR). The collaboration proved fruitful, and Eric was later invited to write a fill-in issue of Greg's DC Comics superhero/espionage title, Checkmate (which led to a half-year stint as co-writer on the title, ending his run with issue #25).
Checkmate led to several other DC Comics projects (as both writer or co-writer), including Final Crisis: Resist, JSA Vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith, The Shield, Mighty Crusaders, Adventure Comics and others.
Eric currently writes the continuing adventures of classic sword-and-sorcery heroine, Red Sonja, for Dynamite Entertainment.
In November 2010, Eric's debut issue of a revitalized Vampirella (also published by Dynamite Entertainment) was released to widespread critical praise and excellent sales (Vampirella #1 was the best selling non-premier publisher title for Diamond Comics Distribution in the month of its release).
In addition to writing comics, Eric is a graphic designer and marketing consultant, through his Fedora Monkey Studio, which offers (among other services) logo and branding design, intellectual property development, and viral marketing (such as the infamous "Montoya Journal" to promote the DC Comics' series The Question: The Five Books of Blood).
Eric splits his time between Raymond, Wa (where he resides) and Lacey, WA (where his wife runs the best comic shop ever).
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 6, 2018
We're kicking off 2018 with the Queen of Boob-tape!
This is surprisingly good. No one is a complete idiot, the action is pretty solid, the plot mostly makes sense. There are demons and monsters and Dracula shows up; what's not to like? Though our heroine starts off with some nice normal clothes, which are plotted away in a moment of marketing, and then just forgets to replace them when she can. So that's a thing. Perhaps she is just tired of buying new clothes and said screw it?
Couple of things to know. One is that this doesn't complete the story arc, so you're in for the next volume if you read this one. Two is that if you actually spend money on things instead of borrowing from wherever you might borrow from, the Omnibus has the first three volumes in it, for just a little more than this single volume costs.
This is surprisingly good. No one is a complete idiot, the action is pretty solid, the plot mostly makes sense. There are demons and monsters and Dracula shows up; what's not to like? Though our heroine starts off with some nice normal clothes, which are plotted away in a moment of marketing, and then just forgets to replace them when she can. So that's a thing. Perhaps she is just tired of buying new clothes and said screw it?
Couple of things to know. One is that this doesn't complete the story arc, so you're in for the next volume if you read this one. Two is that if you actually spend money on things instead of borrowing from wherever you might borrow from, the Omnibus has the first three volumes in it, for just a little more than this single volume costs.
March 25, 2016
Really not bad.
And the Alex Ross & co cover gallery is a 100% 5 stars!
And the Alex Ross & co cover gallery is a 100% 5 stars!
January 29, 2021
Todo mundo sabe que gibi da Vampirella é uma caixinha de bombons com um Alpino para cada 584 Caribes, então a chance de ser uma porcaria é muito grande, mas esse aqui é especial.
Putaquepariu.
Em linhas bem gerais, é uma daquelas histórias de trapaças e traições - o "hustle" americano - e o problema desse tipo de história é que para funcionar tem de ser muito bem feito, ou vai ser uma porcaria. Aqui, estamos, tremendamente, afundados no segundo caso.
Não tem salvação, além de confusa, a história não evolui, porque em todo final de edição aparece algum personagem, novo ou velho, em quem a Vampirella vai ter de baixar o pau na próxima edição.
Parecia tão tri quando ela e a amiguinha foram para Moscou e apareceram lobisomens. Mas depois foram pra Turquia e apareceram esqueletos, depois continuaram na Turquia e apareceram traidores religiosos, e depois a Lilith, o Drácula, a Lady Fu, as japinhas malucas do volume anterior, os bichinhos tentaculosos, e por aí vai.
No meio do caminho duas coisas somem, a amiguinha - possuída por algum demônio apócrifo ou coisa assim - e as calças da Vampi - porque já passamos do momento jogada de marketing e podemos voltar para o que nunca mudou.
Terrível, terrível.
Putaquepariu.
Em linhas bem gerais, é uma daquelas histórias de trapaças e traições - o "hustle" americano - e o problema desse tipo de história é que para funcionar tem de ser muito bem feito, ou vai ser uma porcaria. Aqui, estamos, tremendamente, afundados no segundo caso.
Não tem salvação, além de confusa, a história não evolui, porque em todo final de edição aparece algum personagem, novo ou velho, em quem a Vampirella vai ter de baixar o pau na próxima edição.
Parecia tão tri quando ela e a amiguinha foram para Moscou e apareceram lobisomens. Mas depois foram pra Turquia e apareceram esqueletos, depois continuaram na Turquia e apareceram traidores religiosos, e depois a Lilith, o Drácula, a Lady Fu, as japinhas malucas do volume anterior, os bichinhos tentaculosos, e por aí vai.
No meio do caminho duas coisas somem, a amiguinha - possuída por algum demônio apócrifo ou coisa assim - e as calças da Vampi - porque já passamos do momento jogada de marketing e podemos voltar para o que nunca mudou.
Terrível, terrível.
June 8, 2022
Preparing for a big ending
Deception galore, unexpected turns, foes that are friends and friends who are fiends... All is being set up for a conclusion that apparently will change the way Vampirella sees herself and the others. I love the art and the covers at the end of this TPB are amazing!
Deception galore, unexpected turns, foes that are friends and friends who are fiends... All is being set up for a conclusion that apparently will change the way Vampirella sees herself and the others. I love the art and the covers at the end of this TPB are amazing!
December 30, 2023
4.25
It felt like a bridging volume, culminating everything from the last two volume and setting up for the next arc with Dracula, but I loved it. I love these comics, I love Vee and Sophie, hell I even love Drac, and the return of old villains brought chills.
Bad ass, looking forward to the next one.
It felt like a bridging volume, culminating everything from the last two volume and setting up for the next arc with Dracula, but I loved it. I love these comics, I love Vee and Sophie, hell I even love Drac, and the return of old villains brought chills.
Bad ass, looking forward to the next one.
May 11, 2025
It’s a bad sign when you’re reading a book and then you decide to skim it. It felt like the author got the notice that he had to wrap his story up and we’re gonna cram these revelations into one volume granted it’s longer than your usual volume, but I wish this was a bit more spaced out and the plot also losing the artist from volume two, and going to a downgrade didn’t help.
March 25, 2021
Really good action fun with almost solid art all the way through.
But not perfect fun. In the first part of this collection Vampirella's companion goes missing. And she was so good character, the second part of this collection is not so much fun.
But still, good going.
But not perfect fun. In the first part of this collection Vampirella's companion goes missing. And she was so good character, the second part of this collection is not so much fun.
But still, good going.
November 13, 2021
It starts to pick-up, but ultimately the storyline is not too different from the Millar/Morrison plot and the Nancy Collins version; and their executions are better.
They have a Vatican-team, but then you learn they aren't as innocent as they seemed.
They have a Vatican-team, but then you learn they aren't as innocent as they seemed.
June 16, 2024
This volume sees Vampirella confronting new dangers that test her physically and morally, enriching her character's complexity and appeal.
The narrative continues to be a strong suit, with well-paced storytelling that skillfully intertwines suspense and emotional depth. The exploration of Vampirella's legacy is nuanced, revealing layers of her persona that are often overlooked, making her more relatable and multifaceted.
The artwork in this volume stands out, with its rich, atmospheric visuals that perfectly capture the dark and mysterious tone of the series. The illustrations are both haunting and beautiful, enhancing the storytelling with their detailed and expressive style.
Character interactions are a highlight, providing deeper insights into Vampirella's relationships and how they evolve amidst the chaos. These dynamics add a personal touch to the saga, making the stakes higher and the narrative more engaging.
A compelling continuation that will satisfy fans of the series and attract newcomers with its intricate plot and stunning visuals. It solidifies Vampirella's status as a multifaceted heroine in a story that is both thrilling and thought-provoking.
The narrative continues to be a strong suit, with well-paced storytelling that skillfully intertwines suspense and emotional depth. The exploration of Vampirella's legacy is nuanced, revealing layers of her persona that are often overlooked, making her more relatable and multifaceted.
The artwork in this volume stands out, with its rich, atmospheric visuals that perfectly capture the dark and mysterious tone of the series. The illustrations are both haunting and beautiful, enhancing the storytelling with their detailed and expressive style.
Character interactions are a highlight, providing deeper insights into Vampirella's relationships and how they evolve amidst the chaos. These dynamics add a personal touch to the saga, making the stakes higher and the narrative more engaging.
A compelling continuation that will satisfy fans of the series and attract newcomers with its intricate plot and stunning visuals. It solidifies Vampirella's status as a multifaceted heroine in a story that is both thrilling and thought-provoking.
August 9, 2016
Volumes 12-20 Vampirella faces off against Dracula. Sophia gets separated.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews