Review: VAMPIRELLA VOL 1: CROWN OF WORMS by Eric Trautmann

Publisher Dynamite Entertainment
Format trade
Published 2011
Series Vampirella (2011) (#1-7)
My Copy I bought it

Length 144 pages

I've had limited exposure to Vampirella aside from the odd single issue comic here and there, as a result, I wasn't sure what to expect from the 2011 series iteration by Dynamite. Volume 1 of the series, Crown of Worm, comprises the first 7 issues and is chock full of fight scenes and reads more like an action based story rather than the pulp-horror story the character lends herself to. 

The story picks up Vampirella as a hero well entrenched in her quest for vengeance following the presumed death of her partner Van Helsing as she hunts down her fellow vampires and proceeds to steadily eradicate them. 

There are some interesting and well written characters introduced in this volume as well as Dracula himself but the one who I most enjoyed reading (Vampirella aside) was Sofia, a human in the wrong place at the right time who is quickly established as a faithful sidekick. Issue 7 provides the reader with a greater inside into her character and is a highlight of the story arc. 

The artwork is great and fits the tone of the book very well. The characters are sharp and the backgrounds are detailed. The coloring captures the night-time feel and Vampirella's costume really pops and is an eye catcher, as intended.  

My rating: 3.5/5. I think this iteration of Vampirella is still trying to decide what kind of series it wants to be. There are some horror, action, paranormal, superhero and sci-fi elements all floating around without any taking hold of the story at this stage. I picked this up as part of the recent Humble Bundle offer and wasn't disappointed. 

Pick Up A Pulp [26]: DEADLY WEAPON by Wade Miller

On face value, Deadly Weapon reads as a typical hardboiled detective novel with a take-charge protagonist who is both a magnet for violence and an attraction for women.

Private detective Walter James is on the hunt for a murderer, seeking revenge for the brutal slaying of his partner. While following a lead he finds himself embroiled in another murder, this time, a ticket-taker at a theater who is knifed without a witness in a packed house. In a confidential sequence of events the two murders become linked with Walter James right in the thick of the action.

The murder mystery at the forefront of the post war era pulp surrounds the ticket-taker and his later discovered involvement in drug trafficking as the investigation steadily ties threads together to form a patch-work of crime far more complex than what was advertised. 

The dialogue is a little dated but you know what you're getting into with pulp era detective books so its excusable and should be enjoyed for what it is. There's also the over-the-top love interest Kevin who falls for Walter James in record time, declaring herself his after a day or two of meeting our slim leading man, but the character plays the part of the breathless damsel in distress to perfection, credit to Wade Miller.

The biggest selling point for Deadly Weapon is the twist which smacks the reader in the face and, to me at least, was completely out of left field - I didn't see it coming and the book is far better read for it.

My rating: 3.5/5 stars, another pulp worth picking up. 

Review: BECOMING BONNIE by Jenni L. Walsh

Publisher Macmillan Audio
Length 12hrs
Format audiobook
Published 2017
Series Bonnie #1
My Copy I bought it

My Review
Becoming Bonnie is not the crime novel you might think, rather, author Jenni L Walsh cleverly blends fact and fiction to depict the rise of this deadly duo in the early 1920’s with both characters finding their feet in the world of crime as well as each other. 

Starting with being seduced by the risky allure of a speak easy through childhood friend Blanch, Bonnie steadily sheds her cocoon of apprehension to embrace the illegal den while expanding her circle of friends to include Buck and later, Clyde – two characters in the book who are both fearsome and likable at the same time. 

Overtime, Bonnie becomes exposed to bullets, brawls, and bloodshed and later ends up in the arms of Clyde. There’s no robbing of banks or shot outs with cops here, Becoming Bonnie is all about Bonnie growing into a household name outlaw with Clyde largely a bit player. I loved it and can’t wait for the follow-up. 

A note on the audiobook: Becoming Bonnie is narrated by Susan Bennett who gives voice to Bonnie and adds to her tainted innocence in a near perfect performance. For the extra dose of atmosphere I recommend the audio edition. 

My rating: 5/5 stars.