Post by richardwrite on Oct 14, 2017 18:25:25 GMT -5
I don't do lengthy or convoluted writing....so these review posts will be concise.
As a kid, I ignored Tomb of Dracula for two reasons: I was much more interested in superheroes and I just couldn't fathom following a character who is the very definition of evil. Glad I finally got around to it, because the creative team made the wise choice of making Drac the antagonist in his own book.....with the heroes being a team dedicated to tracking him down. As of the first few issues, Frank Drake and Rachel Van Helsing are very likable and "cheer-worthy" (Frank is Dracula's descendant and Rachel is Dr. Van Helsing's).
ISSUES 1-2. In this opening act of the series, Frank Drake, once a wealthy man, has nearly lost everything when he finds out he has inherited the castle of his ancestor: DRACULA. He travels with his girlfriend and "friend" Clifton to visit the castle. In expected horror fashion, Cliffy turns out to be a shady, greedy type and, off on his own, falls through a floor and right into the room where Drac's coffin lies. Thinking something valuable is probably inside (because isn't there always something valuable in a dead man's coffin?), he opens it. Why he thought it would be a good idea to then pull out the wooden stake from Dracula's corpse is beyond me, but he does and Cliffy becomes Drac's first victim of the 20th century.....not bitten just that he becomes an eventual tool for Drac. Soon after, Drac sees Jean meandering and sinks his teeth into her.Frank learns the truth about Jean and that Drac is alive, and having become thoroughly familiar with Bram Stoker's book....steals "Dracula's hideous coffin" (No joke, that's actually how Frank describes it.... I mean, who talks like that?). At first, Frank seems to think Cliffy is still on his side with the whole coffin-snatching.
Afterward, Frank and Cliff make it to a hotel room where Frank is greeted by a now-very-pale Jean whose eyeballs have been replaced by skulls (again, not joking). While Drac is out prowling around in some spiffy duds and a hot to cover his pointy ears, Jean tries to win Cliff to her side, Frank struggles with what to do about Jean....kill her? Love her? Drac flies through the door and Jean orders Cliff to kill Frank. Cliff is as useless as ever, so Drac attacks Frank, throws him around a few times, Jean attacks Cliffy, and Fran finds the remains of a table leg, fashioned as a perfect stake which he rams through Jean's heart. Finally, seeing the sun coming up, Drac makes for the window and the sun rays finish off Jean. And somehow, the melted remains of what had been Jean spit out, "I don't hurt anymore." The end of the first 2 issue arc.
My thoughts? I was pretty captivated by the characters and plot but thought the dialogue was pretty hoaky in parts. I've since learned the plotter was not the writer of the dialogue, so maybe that's why. But it's good fun and I'm looking forward to continuing the series. The art is appropriately dark and moody....with Dracula being a bit goofier than I'd like.
More coming soon.
As a kid, I ignored Tomb of Dracula for two reasons: I was much more interested in superheroes and I just couldn't fathom following a character who is the very definition of evil. Glad I finally got around to it, because the creative team made the wise choice of making Drac the antagonist in his own book.....with the heroes being a team dedicated to tracking him down. As of the first few issues, Frank Drake and Rachel Van Helsing are very likable and "cheer-worthy" (Frank is Dracula's descendant and Rachel is Dr. Van Helsing's).
ISSUES 1-2. In this opening act of the series, Frank Drake, once a wealthy man, has nearly lost everything when he finds out he has inherited the castle of his ancestor: DRACULA. He travels with his girlfriend and "friend" Clifton to visit the castle. In expected horror fashion, Cliffy turns out to be a shady, greedy type and, off on his own, falls through a floor and right into the room where Drac's coffin lies. Thinking something valuable is probably inside (because isn't there always something valuable in a dead man's coffin?), he opens it. Why he thought it would be a good idea to then pull out the wooden stake from Dracula's corpse is beyond me, but he does and Cliffy becomes Drac's first victim of the 20th century.....not bitten just that he becomes an eventual tool for Drac. Soon after, Drac sees Jean meandering and sinks his teeth into her.Frank learns the truth about Jean and that Drac is alive, and having become thoroughly familiar with Bram Stoker's book....steals "Dracula's hideous coffin" (No joke, that's actually how Frank describes it.... I mean, who talks like that?). At first, Frank seems to think Cliffy is still on his side with the whole coffin-snatching.
Afterward, Frank and Cliff make it to a hotel room where Frank is greeted by a now-very-pale Jean whose eyeballs have been replaced by skulls (again, not joking). While Drac is out prowling around in some spiffy duds and a hot to cover his pointy ears, Jean tries to win Cliff to her side, Frank struggles with what to do about Jean....kill her? Love her? Drac flies through the door and Jean orders Cliff to kill Frank. Cliff is as useless as ever, so Drac attacks Frank, throws him around a few times, Jean attacks Cliffy, and Fran finds the remains of a table leg, fashioned as a perfect stake which he rams through Jean's heart. Finally, seeing the sun coming up, Drac makes for the window and the sun rays finish off Jean. And somehow, the melted remains of what had been Jean spit out, "I don't hurt anymore." The end of the first 2 issue arc.
My thoughts? I was pretty captivated by the characters and plot but thought the dialogue was pretty hoaky in parts. I've since learned the plotter was not the writer of the dialogue, so maybe that's why. But it's good fun and I'm looking forward to continuing the series. The art is appropriately dark and moody....with Dracula being a bit goofier than I'd like.
More coming soon.
