Vampirella vs Hemorrhage
Ash Can #1 (March 1977)
Regular Cover - Michael Bair $?
The Red Death (Part One) [Artist - Michael Bair / Writers - Tom Sneigowski, Ian Edginton]
The complete sixteen page story of the April 1997 Vampirella vs. Hemorrhage title in reduced size and black and white.
Traditional Ash Can format, with the complete story reproduced, which makes a pleasant change from just a few sample pages.
Issue #1 (April 1997)
Regular Cover - Mark Texeira $3.50
Alternative Cover - Michael Bair $9.95
The Red Death (Part One) [Artist - Michael Bair / Writers - Tom Sneigowski, Ian Edginton]
Area Two, the government's secret necromantic research station at Dark Oak, Virginia is invaded by vampires who slaughter the guards and steal a canister of the Red Death. Meanwhile Vampirella is having dark and bloody dreams of Hemorrhage's early life, and Hemorrhage himself is talking to his prison therapist - explaining about the mental bond that was forged when Vampirella drank his blood.
The Danse Macabre, Hemorrhage's captors, instigate a holographic programme in which Hemorrhage slays a gangster clan in an attempt to assess his possible value to the Danse. Sedated, Hemorrhage is returned to his cell, only to be rescued by Vampirella acting under a post hypnotic suggestion he had implanted previously.
In the Vampirella time line this story takes place just before the Death and Destruction story arc.
The story is quite fast paced, though it is primarily an introduction to what is to come. Michael Bair provides some stunning artwork, especially in the pages explaining the link between Hemorrhage and Vampirella.
Issue #2 (May 1977)
Regular Cover - Michael Bair $3.50
The Red Death (Part Two) [Artist - Michael Bair / Writers - Tom Sneigowski, Ian Edginton]
Vampirella wakes to find herself chained up by the Danse Macabre. Freeing herself she learns of her part in Hemorrhage's escape, and is also told of another threat even more deadly than Hemorrhage.
Hemorrhage, now recovered from the inhibitor drugs of the Danse Macabre, is attacked by the vampires who stole the Red Death from Area Two. Dispatching them easily he is approached by their leader who makes him a job offer. Lord Nocturne, one of the first vampires is tired and wishes to die, but he wants to take the world with him using the Red Death (a sentient, deadly plague) as his tool. But he needs someone to deal with any attempts to stop him, hence Hemorrhage.
Vampirella, meanwhile is tracking down the vampire clans who may be involved and ends up face to face with Lord Mazarin and his elite killer squad.
The pace is picking up, and there is lots of blood and guts, but it still feels like the introduction to the main event.
Great artwork, and some classic poses. Though I have to say that the double page spread of Vampirella chained up by the Danse didn't quite work - Vampirella was just a little too "front heavy", and the page(s) doesn't quite gel.
Issue #3 (June 1997)
Regular Cover - Michael Bair $3.50
The Red Death (Part Three) [Artist - Michael Bair / Writers - Tom Sneigowski, Ian Edginton]
Hemorrhage easily kills Lord Mazarin and his assassins, and takes Vampirella prisoner. Back at chez Lord Nocturne, Hemorrhage learns the truth of Nocturne's plans and kills him and his flunkies, but is strangely attracted to the canister of Red Death.
Vampirella awakes to find Hemorrhage has been subsumed by the now free Red Death, which had trapped Hemorrhage through subtle mind control. The Red Death turns out to be an entity from another universe but cannot exist in Earth's "toxic" atmosphere without a suitable host - Hemorrhage.
Utilising Hemorrhage's Oedipal complex, Vampirella causes him to resist the Red Death and separate their two forms. Vampirella destroys the Red Death, now weakened by our atmosphere and subdues the exhausted Hemorrhage, who is returned to the Danse Macabre facilities.
If the first two issues were a prelude to this issue, then this book certainly fulfilled it's promise. Almost pure, non-stop action from the word "Go", the story and art sweep you away with hardly a moment to catch a breath. Well worth the wait!
Purely a personal viewpoint, but... Michael Bair; much as I enjoyed your art in this series there seemed to be a plethora of Vampirella crutch shots. Almost every time someone bumped into her she seemed to fall over backwards with her legs wide apart. All very nice, I'm sure, but perhaps a little too much of a good thing?