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‘Universal Monsters: Dracula’ HC (review)

Written by James Tynion IV 
Art by Martin Simmonds
Published by Skybound/Image Comics

 
I know what most people are thinking: Just what we need, another take on Dracula!

Except that this is a bit different than the usual adaptations of the source material. It is more like the creative team took their cues from Bram Stoker’s original story and reinvented it for a more modern age. The same characters are there for sure, but everything has been invented and pushed into a new direction. That direction is very interesting for sure. The thing that sells it even more is that the creative team is really exemplary.

A new spin on Dracula by writer James Tynion IV and artist Martin Simmonds? How could one refuse?

You can tell by the first few pages that this is anything but a usual comic book story.

For one thing, the pages are lavish and gorgeous to look at. The creative team too also create one hell of a world here, one that harkens back to the old style Hollywood horror films but remains fresh enough for modern and new readers. It is pretty awesome to behold and quite the feat indeed.

This book has a lot more in common with the Univeral Pictures film from 1931 directed by Tod Browning than the novel.

In this, Renfield is the one to visit Transylvania and not Jonathan Harker. We get to see Renfield fill in the role and all of the things that come his way. Renfield is the one who visits with Dracula and we get to see the sort of cat and mouse game that occurs because of it. In fact, a lot of story over the four chapters is about that. It is basically a story of Renfield’s torment and the various things that Dracula tortures him with.

All of this is very psychological to say the least.

Tynion makes Renfield a fully developed character, much more so than even the original novel.

We get to see what Renfield is feeling and we learn a lot about him. What is really great is that we learn a lot about him through the actions of his character. He really gets to shine and he actually gets some terrific character development as the series progresses. He is like the foundation of the entire piece, so to speak, and the creative team go to great lengths to take good care of him.
Once we have a firm grasp of who Renfield is, the other major characters start coming in. It is very interesting to see them from this new perspective. We get to meet Jonathan Harker and Mina Harker and even her friend Lucy. Introducing them this way shows new aspects of the characters that we have not seen previously. It also makes the story expand a bit and this too is done with care and intelligence.
Of course, Dracula soon makes himself known. We get to see some familiar beats at this point, but the creative team turns these moments into something very intriguing. This Dracula is a bit different and he is much more horrifying because of all of the newly introduced elements. Everything here is additive too and it doesn’t take away from any versions previous. Instead, it enhances your exposure to the material and that is quite a feat indeed.
The ending is incredibly strong. There are no story beats wasted. Indeed, it makes you wish that there was more to it. But the creative team never outstays its welcome, not even for a second. The characters are all left in a place that we have seen before for sure, but never quite like this. It is very interesting and makes this version of Dracula stand out from the pack.
I’ll be honest, when I first heard of this rendition, I had my doubts. I wasn’t immediately bowled over. However, James Tynion IV writes another strong script here. It is smart, inventive, and actually takes some big swings. The artwork by Martin Simmonds is definitely his best work, and the best part of the entire project. It’s awesome and incredible.

Overall, this is a well book that definitely stands out amongst the best of the past year.

RATING: A

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