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Elvira #2
Released by: Dynamite Entertainment
Released on: September 12th, 2018.
Written by: David Avallone
Illustrated by: Dave Acosta
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When we last left off with Elvira in the first issue of this new Dynamite Entertainment run, she'd finished up with Mary Shelley and had made her way to a graveyard (the Wrightson cemetery - a nice touch) where she pops out and meets none other than Edgar Allan Poe. Here we get a quick and humorous recap of the first issue, some more variant cover jokes and voila, we're caught up and so is Mr. Poe, though he's confused by the 'pale vision of transcendent, voluptuous beauty' in front of him. She and he head off for a drink, unaware that the 'creep with the pornstache' who was after Elvira in the first issue has travelled through time with her and just emerged out of the coffin.
As our heroine and her new pal imbibe, her foe gets ever closer - eventually crashing down the door of the tavern where they've been hanging out. He figures since Elvira is the 'constant' here that she's responsible for all of this and he threatens to pluck off her head. This inspires the barkeep to pull a pistol and fire away. The fiend goes down, but not for long - soon enough he's back up and baring his fangs at which point we confirm we already suspected… he's none other than Vlad Tepes. If she doesn't reveal to him her secret for travelling through time, he's going to kill everyone in the bar.
Thankfully, Poe has a plan… sort of. It's a plan, yeah, just not a particularly good one.
If you dug the first issue, you'll dig this second one just as much because it works on the same level - bad puns, lots of innuendo, pop culture references and hey, even a political jab. It's funny stuff. It isn't highbrow but it is clever and it's very much in keeping with the schtick that made Elvira so beloved in the first place. Sometimes corny humor is just what the doctor ordered and David Avallone serves it up in heaping spoonfuls with this second chapter. The book is also paced quickly and, as you'd probably have guessed, it ends with the expected cliffhanger that leaves you wondering what will happen next issue and what Elvira's part in all of this will be.
Dave Acosta's artwork was good in the first issue and it's good in this second one. He does a really good job capturing Cassandra Peterson's likeness - Elvira looks like Elvira, not just in terms of her figure but in terms of her facial features and expressions as well. It's obviously important when dealing with a licensed property that the comic book version look right, and Acosta nails it. He's also got a good eye for layouts, as there are some very cool angles used here for dramatic effect as well as some great panel compositions. Andrew Colvat's coloring brings it all to life - and on top of that we get another gorgeous cover from none other than Joseph Michael Linsner.
A great read all in all - plenty fun and plenty funny.