Vampblade 1

"I'm being sodomized by a goddamn alien dong!"

- Katie Carva

"Vampblade" is the untitled first issue issue to the first Vampblade ongoing comic book series published by Action Lab Comics under their Danger Zone imprint. The story was written by Jason Martin with artwork and inks by Winston Young. It was colored by Jason Martin with lettering by Adam Wollet. The story was edited by Kevin Freeman with Colleen Boyd as associate editor. This issue shipped with a January, 2016 cover date and carries a cover price of $3.99 per copy (US).

Synopsis
Katie Carva is a comic book geek girl and cosplayer who works at the Comic Planet store in Detroit, Michigan. While putting some new issues up on the shelf, she turns to find five mobsters have entered the place demanding to see George "Moustache" Michael. As one man locks the front door, another spots the comic shop manager and shoots him multiple times. Katie and two other customers duck for cover and she overhears the head of the gangsters saying that the comic store was a front for the mob and that Michaels had apparently stashed away some money that he owed them.

Desperate to find anything to defend herself, Katie grabbed a pair of replica Vampblades off the wall, which were based on weapons featured in the 1990s Vamplade comic book that she grew up on. Upon picking them up however, she discovers that they are in fact mystical, causing her to vomit up black goo, which then stretches across her body, transforming her into the image of her hero from the comics - Vampblade.

In addition to the black leather, and nipple chains attached to her costume, Katie now hears a voice inside of her head demanding to "Feed". Using both the three-foot blades and the chain, she cuts off the gun-hand of one of the goons, then impales the head mobster. She is surprised to see how skilled at fighting she has become. She then uses her sharpened heel to slice open the throat of another criminal.

She finishes off the rest of the goons, but now faces another problem. The remaining customers in the store appear to be possessed by disembodied alien parasites that emerge as spectral forms from their mouths. Katie recognizes these creatures as the space vampires from the old comics.

One of the alien entities emerges from the mouth of a possessed customer and tries to enter her mouth in order to take control of her. She slices it in two with a vampblade. Another entity tries to possess her and enters her mouth. She fights back, kicking the possessed customer in the crotch with her pointed boot.

Some of the alien goo got inside of her however, so Katie makes a desperate gamble. She impales herself with the Vampblade hoping that it would exorcise the entity from her system in much the same way it did to the others. Fortunately, the plan works.

Moments later, members of the Detroit Police Department storm the comic book store. Vampblade's costume recedes into her, leaving her naked. After giving her a hurried description of what happened to the police, she then passes out. One of the officers shouts that they are going to need an ambulance.

Appearances

 * Vampblade, Katie Carva


 * None


 * Five unnamed mobsters


 * George "Moustache" Michaels
 * Two unidentified comic store customers


 * Detroit Police Department


 * Humans
 * Altered humans
 * Space vampires
 * Glarkians


 * Michigan
 * Detroit
 * Comic Planet


 * Baseball bat
 * Knives
 * Pistol


 * Police cruiser


 * Costume manipulation
 * Female frontal nudity
 * Female topless nudity
 * Genitalia mutilation
 * Gunshot victims
 * Impalement
 * Profanity
 * Shot in the head
 * Sliced in two
 * Slit throats
 * Smoking
 * Transformation

Notes & Trivia

 * Vampblade was created by Jason Martin and Dan Mendoza. She first appeared in a cameo panel in her civilian identity in Zombie Tramp, Volume 3 #8 in February, 2015. She made her first full appearance in Vampblade attire in a cliffhanger panel at the end of Zombie Tramp, Volume 3 #9 in March, 2015.


 * This series is rated M for Mature. Stories contain adult content including strong language, nudity, sexual situations, and scenes of graphic violence.


 * This issue shipped to retailers on February 3rd, 2016.


 * UPC barcode number 702382691196 00111.


 * This issue was released during the five-year anniversary of Action Lab Comics.


 * The tagline to this issue is "Mild-mannered comic shop manager by day, psycho cosplaying slayer by night??!!"


 * This issue was released with nine alternate covers. The standard cover was illustrated by Winston Young, which was reproduced as the "Goo" variant, which had a 1 in 5 distribution ratio. The differences between the two is that the Glarkians are replaced with orange colored smears. Another cover was an Homage cover illustrated by Jerry Gaylord that had a limited print run of 2,000 copies. Another variant is the "Booty" cover by Dan Mendoza, which also had a limited print run of 2,000 copies. Another variant was by TMChu and was limited to 2,000 copies. A '90s cheesecake variant was illustrated by Andrew Mangum and was limited to 2,500 copies. This cover contains female topless nudity. This variant was also released as a black and white sketch cover with a 1 in 50 distribution ratio. Another variant was by Simon Bisley,. which was limited to 2,500. This variant also shipped with a risqu cover featuring Vampblade's breasts. The regular Winston Young cover also had a black and white sketch variant with orange highlights that was a Comics Pro exclusive and limited to only 250 copies.


 * The events of this issue take place before Zombie Tramp, Volume 3 #8-9, and the Zombie Tramp vs. Vamblade limited series.


 * Although not revealed at this time, the alien entities or "space vampires" are called Glarkians.


 * All of the comic book covers featured at Comic Planet are actual comic book issues. The ones that were published by companies other than Action Lab Comics have alternate titles like Ghost Rider instead of Ghost Rider.


 * This is the first and only appearance of George "Moustache" Michaels. Dies in this issue.