The Drakulonians rule Riverdale, but Red Sonja and Vampirella and Betty and Veronica will soon see to that! Can our intrepid and incredibly diverse heroines lift the foul taint of the Vampiri from Riverdale High? Find out in your Major Spoilers review of Red Sonja and Vampirella Meet Betty and Veronica #6 from Dynamite Entertainment.

RED SONJA AND VAMPIRELLA MEET BETTY AND VERONICA #6

Writer: Amy Chu
Artists: Maria Sanapo, Ivan Silva with David Anto
Colorist: Valentina Pinto
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Editor: Matt Idelson
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23rd, 2019

Previously in RED SONJA AND VAMPIRELLA MEET BETTY AND VERONICA: A series of murders lead our intrepid crimson haired swordswoman Red Sonja and her new gal pal with a taste for blood Vampirella to sleep Riverdale, where nothing ever (wink) ever happens. Soon, they have teamed up with sometime rivals, always friends Betty and Veronica, to track the trail of the bloodsuckers tormenting our favorite town…

OOOOOOOKAY?

Red Sonja and Vampirella Meet Betty and Veronica #6 (at this rate, I’m going to hit my word limit real quick) is an…interesting read. At once a wrap up of the previous issues, and setting up future issues, it manages to solve the movies, while inserting some great action sequences. The setup is ludicrous, but in a fun way – these sort of cross continuity/character crossovers where the different protagonists are completely at odds with each other in terms of who they are and what they represent often provide fertile material to work with. And so it is with this issue.

When Vampirella broke through to Earth, she left open a portal that allowed some of her own kind, the Vampiri, to cross over and begin to feast on humans. This led them to Riverdale, and a cult quickly springs up. Deaths soon follow, and it is up to Riverdale High’s very own Betty and Veronica to solve the mystery. Along the way, Red Sonja shows up and it’s one in, all in as the investigation hots up as the death count mounts.

Happily, Vampirella and Red Sonja aren’t depicted in their usual costumes. Yes, they are iconic because of it, but it makes me feel a little uncomfortable that in 2019, publishers are still going with their appearance. That said, the trio of artists who worked on RED SONJA AND VAMPIRELLA MEET BETTY AND VERONICA #6 have all done sterling work in bringing the case to life – everyone looks distinctive, which is a bonus where the case is quite large. The shift between artists is a little rough, and the panel where a vampire gets a broken bottle in the eye is rougher still, at odds with the lightly comedic tone to the issue overall.

The ultimate mashup you didn’t know you needed, and are now glad you have in your hot, blood-drenched hands!

Amy Chu does her best with this issue’s disparate elements. She has to resolve the mystery and give the explanation as to the cause without bogging the issue down in exposition. The background information is conveyed with enough surrounding action that the pace never flags. I’m not 100% sure that Betty and Veronica are really true to their characters, but given the situation they’re put in (vampires, deaths, blood drinking cults) they do come across as strong female leads, which is all to the good.

There are some well written scenes during RED SONJA AND VAMPIRELLA MEET BETTY AND VERONICA #6 – Red Sonja refusing to be part of a group hug at the end is delightful and true to her character. Dilton looking resolute and announcing his vampire killing services is also a laugh aloud moment then serves to lighten the mood after several pages of grim action. Overall, Chu’s writing is strong, with the pace never flagging, and demonstrating a firm grasp of good storytelling.

BOTTOM LINE: CHICKS RULE!

RED SONJA AND VAMPIRELLA MEET BETTY AND VERONICA #6 isn’t going to be for everyone. For those who have stuck with the series thus far, it is a very good finale, wrapping up most of the narrative threads and ensuring that those Riverdale students who fell in with Vampirella’s people get their comeuppance. As with any serialised story, there is the promise of more to come, which, given the strengths of the writing and art, is something very much to look forward to.

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