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Children of the Night: Buffy, Vampirella, & Bloody Mary

Do you really have to ask why vampires have always (and will forever be) the object of many fans' affections? Check out this month's chalice of doom that shows how the fanged fiends fight tooth and nail in the October's PREVIEWS catalog. We think you'll bare your neck and beg for their kiss of death once you see that they're having all the fun this fall, and aren't apologizing for leaving you to rot should you not join them in a puncture wound party during this year's Halloween festivities.

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Article Image 5639We'll start, first, with a twist. She's not a vampire. She's the thing that gives vampires nightmares. She's the blonde that has them furiously flapping their wings in mad dash across the room that will make you think you've seen a bat out of Hell. You know her as Buffy. The undead know her as a vampire slayer, and she's back to spill more blood in Dark Horse Comics' Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 10 Volume 4: Old Demons TP (OCT150067).

Now, of course, you're thinking "Wait. You're telling us this article is about vampires! You lied to us, sir!" Well, not really. Buffy would be quick to jab a stake in the heart of any man or woman should they be vampires. And who wouldn't argue that Buffy is just as gorgeous as any other vampiress? Well, we can debate this, sure, but what we'll leave for later. For now you need to know that in the Old Demons TP, Buffy and the Scooby gang get closer to Archaeus, and the extent of his plans and their connection to the new rules of magic are revealed in this collection of issues #16-#20.

Now that we're done teasing you (ahhh! Curse you, PREVIEWSworld! Your headlines are false! You must pay dearly!) let's turn our attention to a long-legged lass who is undoubtedly the embodiment of a legendary vampiress that can go toe-to-toe with anyone carrying a wooden stake and garlic.

Article Image 36b4You know who we're talking about, and her latest foray into new threads plays out in the Legenderry Vampirella TP (OCT151348) from Dynamite Entertainment.

Vampirella has thrown down with the best of them (Dracula, for instance) and she's seen her share of alternate incarnations (manga-style Vampi as an example). But in the the pages of Bill Willingham's steampunk adventure, the world-renowned Vampirella steps up the game on action and intrigue, and finds herself neck-deep in conspiracies and corruption.

An alliance of miscreants have plagued civilized society, and worse, do nothing to stand in the way of Blackmass, an extradimensional demon with a hunger for human souls.

It's up to our horror heroine to stop people from becoming unwilling midnight snacks for those with a careless regard for life and limb.

Fans of Vampirella would do well to take note that in the October PREVIEWS catalog, there is also the Women of Dynamite Vampirella Statue Black and White Edition (MAY158071), of which only 199 copies of these statues will be made available to the world.

Article Image b07dYes. That's not a lot of statues to go around for fans spread across multiple continents.

Given that the statue is sculpted based on the work of J. Scott Campbell, there should be even more of rush to place a pre-order. Don't say we didn't warn you.

This statue harkens back to the old Warren magazines, when the lady appeared in black-and-white adventures, yet that red costume on the cover is what made the 70s classic smack you upside the head when you walked past the newsstand.

That same double-take is what you'll experience when you drink in this hand-painted cold-cast porcelain statue that has just a touch of deep red on her costume along with her trademark gold bracelets.

You might want to note, however, that there's competition for Vampirella this October, as ARH Comix has unveiled that their new comic book Queen of Vampires (OCT151114) will span a total of seven issues for the mini-series.

Article Image 37edThe story is too tempting to not be of interest to any vampire lover. A ravishing beauty named Arkhalla has had a life of luxury, as her good looks and charm have helped her remain a powerful and cruel queen that dominates a realm of vampires and humans. She has absolutely nothing to worry about, and everything in her favor. Who would not want that life? Yet, her anatomy will ultimately betray her. The chokehold she has on the lifeforms beneath her is about to relax because Arkhalla is about to fall victim to the one force that cannot be cowered by cruelty: love. And love is forbidden to Arkhalla because it will threaten her very existence. Should the vermin beneath her feet see that she can feel, that will give them hope to turn against their mistress of misery. They may entertain the idea of revolt. What do you want to bet that there are many miserable minds that would not risk everything if it meant capturing Arkhalla when she is caught up in passion, and use that moment of weakness to destroy her?

Yes, love can ultimately be the undoing of any vampire. Just ask Edward and Bella from the Twilight saga. Love caused a lot of complications for them, didn't it?

Article Image 2a85Such quandries also cause chaos for Mary and Maria, as forbidden love can be a real pain in the neck if you're just ready to end it all, and close your eyes for the final dirt nap. A silent lucidity has been denied to Mary, who wants nothing more but to die in the Bloody Mary Volume 1 GN (OCT151795) from Viz Media. The release into oblivion is denied, however, because the one person that should be able to snuff out life and deliver blackness...doesn't have the experience needed to kill a vampire.

Desperate to die, the vampire Mary agrees to become Maria's bodyguard until Maria can find a way to kill him. The chemistry that will develop from this alliance is sure to breed nothing but misery and heartache, and a yearning for an answer that no one will seemingly be able to give them. They will be denied a home, hope, and the heat of love requited. It may just make you cry tears of blood.

We'll see, won't we?

With that, we leave you to your coffins. We bid you goodnight. And we pray that you'll be able to head to your local comics shop tomorrow to order these vampire vittles before the sunlight slips below the skyline.

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