Vampironica

Vampironica is an American comic book miniseries published by Archie Horror, an imprint of Archie Comics, beginning in 2018. The story, which takes place outside of the main Archie Comics continuity, focuses on Veronica Lodge as she navigates life after becoming a vampiress. It is written by Greg and Meg Smallwood, with the former also serving as an artist.

Vampironica
Cover of Vampironica #1 (March 2018).
Art by Greg Smallwood.
Publication information
PublisherArchie Horror
ScheduleIrregular
FormatOngoing series
Genre
Publication dateMarch 2018 – present
No. of issues5
Main character(s)Veronica Lodge
Creative team
Created byMeg Smallwood
Greg Smallwood
Written byGreg Smallwood
Meg Smallwood
Artist(s)Greg Smallwood
Greg Scott
Letterer(s)Jack Morelli
Colorist(s)Matt Herms
Editor(s)Victor Gorelick
Alex Segura
Jamie L. Rotante
Stephen Oswald
Vincent Lovallo

In 2019, the series crossed over with fellow Archie Horror staple, Jughead: The Hunger, in the limited-run comic book series, Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica.

Publication history

In March 2015, Archie Comics announced that a new title was in the works for the imprint featuring a significant female character from Archie's past.[1] Written by Megan Smallwood, with art by co-writer Greg Smallwood and lettering by Jack Morelli, Vampironica was announced in December 2017.[2] The series debuted on March 14, 2018.[3]

The title originates from Betty and Veronica #261 (August 2012) by Dan Parent, which debuted the first version of the Vampirella-inspired Vampironica.[4][5] The name is also mentioned in the first issue of fellow Archie Horror series Afterlife with Archie. In the flagship series, Betty Cooper refers to Veronica Lodge as "Vampironica" in regards to the latter's Vampirella costume.[6]

In October 2018, a crossover miniseries with fellow Archie Horror staple Jughead: The Hunger was announced. The limited series, titled Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica, was written by Frank Tieri and illustrated by Pat & Tim Kennedy.[7] Discussing the story and means of the crossover, Tieri said, "There are no vampires in Jughead: The Hunger. Vampironica, on the other hand, has no werewolves. Now, why is that? What happened in their respective worlds to cause an entire race to be wiped out? Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica answers that question as well as what happens when these elements are reintroduced once again."[8] The first issue was released on April 24, 2019.[9]

Story arcs
Volume 1: First Blood (Issues 1–5)

Riverdale’s resident rich girl Veronica Lodge is turned into a vampiress by another blood sucker hundreds of years her senior. Forced to contend with this new, radical transformation, Veronica must deal with the prospect of feeding on her own small-town cohorts.[10][2][11]

Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica

Following her triumph against Ivan and his master, Veronica has to learn to her dismay that she, as well as her parents, were vampires all along. But as she confronts her parents, she and other vampires are whisked away into a parallel world which is dominated by werewolves and where vampires are extinct since the days of the French and Indian War. Veronica joins her friends in that world to combat the rogue vampires.[12]

Vampironica: New Blood

In September 2019 the publication of a new Vampironica mini-series, entitled New Blood, was announced for December the same year.[13] A direct follow-up on the events of Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica, the story follows Veronica's investigation of her newly-revealed ancestor Sir Francis Lodge, the tyrannical vampire who founded her American family line, while at the same time dealing with a new vampiric infestation in her native Riverdale.

Characters

Main characters
  • Veronica Lodge, a cheerleader at Riverdale Senior High who becomes a strigoi[lower-alpha 1] vampiress after being bitten by Ivan. She protects the people of Riverdale from other vampires as she attempts to break the curse on her and the other victims by destroying the master vampire.[14][15] In Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica, however, it is revealed that her parents have been vampires all the time, and that she also inherited this dark trait.[16]
  • Dilton Doiley, Veronica's highly intelligent schoolmate who, after discovering Veronica's condition, becomes her first confidant and ally in her fight against her vampiric nemesis.[15]
  • Archie Andrews, a football player and Veronica's longtime crush who also dates Betty. Upon an untimely visit to the Lodges, where he learns of Veronica's situation, he joins her in combatting the vampiric menace looming over Riverdale.[14][17]
  • Betty Cooper, Veronica's best friend, fellow cheerleader, and competitor for Archie's affections. She eventually joins the fight against the brood of vampires.[14][18]

Other characters
  • Hiram and Hermione Lodge, Veronica's wealthy parents who apparently become Ivan's first victims and minions as moroi vampires.[14][17] Later, however, it is later shown that they were vampires all along, and that their conflict with Ivan was part of factional infighting.[16]
  • Ivan, a centuries-old strigoi vampire who turns Veronica, her parents, and Reggie into vampires in First Blood. He is affiliated with the medieval Order of the Dragon. It is later revealed that he is not the master vampire when no one becomes human again after he is killed by being plunged into a pool of holy water.[14][18]
  • Dracula, Ivan's patron (not named until after the first series[16]) who is the hidden mastermind behind the vampiric takeover of Riverdale in First Blood and has the power to project hallucinations into an attacker's mind. Eventually, Veronica succeeds in overcoming his illusions and staking him, ending the menace and restoring all afflicted to normal.[19]
  • Sir Francis Lodge, a former English privateer, and Veronica and Hiram's ancestor who was the first vampire in the New World and the founding father of Riverdale.[20] His existence was first discovered by Veronica in the reality of Jughead: The Hunger,[21] where he was killed while waging war with werewolves for dominance in the Americas. In the Vampironica reality, however, he has survived into modern times.[20]
  • Reggie Mantle, a football player and Veronica's back-up date when Archie has a date with Betty. He was turned into a moroi vampire by Ivan.[14][15]
  • Jughead Jones, Archie's best friend and a friend of Veronica and Betty.[15][17]
  • Cheryl Blossom, Veronica's wealthy frenemy from Pembrooke Estates. She is Jason's twin sister and co-host of the pool party.[14]
  • Jason Blossom, Cheryl's twin brother and co-host of the pool party who has a romantic interest in Betty.[17]
  • Moose Mason, Midge Klump, and Nancy Woods, Veronica's schoolmates who are all turned into moroi vampires in First Blood.[18]
  • Ethel Muggs, Veronica's peer who is present at the pool party attack in First Blood.[18]

Reception

The series has received positive reviews. Justin Partridge of Newsarama said of the debut that it "fully commits to its own wild concept, while still keeping the Archie cast’s core characteristics intact."[22] The series holds an average critic rating of 8.1/10 on the review aggregator Comic Book Roundup, based on 43 reviews.[23]

Collected editions

Trade paperbacks
VolumeTitleISBNRelease DateCollected MaterialIssues PublishedRef
1 Vampironica: First Blood 9781682558331 March 13, 2019 Vampironica #1–5 March 2018 – December 2018 [24]
2 Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica 978-1645769736 March 5, 2020 Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica #1-5 April 2019 - October 2019
3 Vampironica: New Blood 978-1645769521 October 15, 2020 Vampironica New Blood #1-5 December 2019 - June 2020

Notes
  1. The terms "strigoi" and "moroi" are applied in a different manner in the series than described in Romanian folklore. "Moroi" is used here to name undead vampires, who rise from the grave after having been killed and drained by another vampire, while "strigoi" refers to humans who are infected by vampirism while still alive, and who can exercise mastery over moroi vampires. (Vampironica #2, May 2018)

References
  1. Arrant, Chris (March 19, 2015). "ARCHIE COMICS Announces New Horror Imprint". Newsarama. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  2. Staley, Brandon (December 8, 2017). "Veronica is a Blood Sucker in Archie's New Vampironica Series". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  3. C., Ron (March 12, 2018). "Vampironica is here! Preview the new Archie Comics releases for 3/14/18!". Archie Comics. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  4. Betty and Veronica #261, August 2012.
  5. Sims, Chris (August 21, 2012). "Betty And Veronica Go Full-On Batty In 'Vamp It Up'". ComicsAlliance.
  6. Afterlife with Archie #1, October 2013.
  7. McMillan, Graeme (October 4, 2018). "Archie Unveils 2 Horror Miniseries Based on Classic Characters". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  8. Long, Christian (January 16, 2019). "EXCLUSIVE: ARCHIE COMICS PREVIEWS 4 CREEPY COVERS FOR JUGHEAD: THE HUNGER VS VAMPIRONICA". SyfyWire. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  9. "Get A First-Look Preview At Archie Horror's Jughead: The Hunger Vs. Vampironica #1". Flickering Myth. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  10. Vampironica #1-3, March-September 2018.
  11. Marnell, Blair (August 17, 2018). "VAMPIRONICA #3 Sends Veronica Home to Face Her Nightmare (Exclusive Preview)". Nerdist.
  12. Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica #1-2
  13. C., Ron (September 17, 2019). "Veronica returns for a second bite in VAMPIRONICA: NEW BLOOD". Archie Comics.
  14. Vampironica #1, March 2018.
  15. Vampironica #2, May 2018.
  16. Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica #1, April 2019.
  17. Vampironica #3, September 2018.
  18. Vampironica #4, October 2018.
  19. Vampironica #5, December 2018.
  20. Vampironica: New Blood #3
  21. Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica #4-5
  22. Partridge, Justin (March 14, 2018). "Best Shots Review: VAMPIRONICA #1 'a Gore-geous Debut' (8/10)". Newsarama. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  23. "VAMPIRONICA". Comic Book Roundup. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  24. "ARCHIE COMICS March 2019 Solicitations". Newsarama. December 18, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
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