ComicVine: Many writers have taken on Vampirella- Grant Morrison, Kurt Busiek, James Robinson to name a few- what are you looking to do with the character? How will your run be different?
Eric S. Trautman: My hope is simply to tell an exciting, smart story, one that (knock wood) measures up to the stories you've listed. In terms of how it'll be "different," I'm trying to push Vampirella into darker, harder-edged, more realistic territory (at least, as realistic as vampires running around can be).
CV: After becoming familiar with Vampirella and her long history, what do you feel is the most intriguing and compelling aspect of her character? What about her stands out to you as a writer?
EST: By her very nature, she's apart from the people she wants to protect. I'm positing that most folks instinctively shy away from her, which makes her incredibly isolated. That sense of isolation, the lone heroine standing against a deadly, evil threat, is appealing to me, and, I think, makes Vampirella resonate with fans.
== TEASER ==
EST: Yes. It's been a lot of fun, too; Dynamite has left me pretty free to tell the story I want to tell, which is a luxury a lot of new series -- especially those based on established characters -- are rarely afforded. It's very exciting.
CV: Based on the press release by Dynamite, Vampirella will face her greatest adversary in the relaunch- Vlad Dracula. Why him and what makes their rivalry so intriguing? What can fans of the character expect from this new series?
EST: Why Dracula? How could I not pit her against Dracula?
Dracula is the template for all modern vampire mythology, the wellspring of it all. He's clever, charismatic, and utterly ruthless--a pure bastard. He's the perfect antagonist for Vampirella.
I want to play up his abilities as a tactician; Dracula was a masterful general, which makes him a dangerous foe.
CV: You obviously have tons of experience writing comics- from issues of Final Crisis: Resist and Action Comics, to your work on The Shield at DC. However, (if I am not mistaken) this will be your first time writing a comic with a lead female character. Is that a different writing experience for you, and if so, how?
EST: Actually, that's not correct.
My very first published comic was PERFECT DARK: JANUS' TEARS, a six-issue miniseries that tied into the Perfect Dark videogame franchise, and had an ultra-lethal female protagonist, Joanna Dark; and then there's Sasha Bordeaux; and Josephine Tautin (the contemporary Mademoiselle Marie); and Power Girl; and Red Sonja, and Flamebird, and Lois Lane...
I'm pretty comfortable writing female characters.
CV: What was it like working on the comic with artist Wagner Reis?
EST: Quite pleasant. Wagner has a terrific feel for the character, and his sense of mood is spot-on. I particularly love how hyperdetailed his backgrounds are; he's really capturing what I'm shooting for in the scripts.
CV: When can fans expect to check out the comic?
EST: Vampirella #1 hits store shelves in November.
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