A vampire king in corporate America (2)

[arbre_rieur]

This week saw the release of issue 2 of Dracula: The Company of Monsters, Boom! Studios' new ongoing about corporate bloodsuckers versus literal ones. Story by Kurt Busiek and Daryl Gregory, art by Scott Godlewski.



After much difficulty, our protagonist Evan has managed to resurrect the Impaler Prince, a.k.a. Dracula. Next step: Get the secrets of the Scholomance out of him.

Comments

[stig]

The art seems to bright and basic (compared to, say, the cover) for a horror-themed comic, and that final page could have done without the speech bubbles. I myself would have kept the top panel, and gone very close on Dracula's eyes in the final panel. One eyebrow up, the other down. Pinpricks of blood in the centre of his pupils.

[jlroberson]

You say what I can only think. I mean, I'm spoiled--to me Colan is the standard in comics for this guy. But I'm so tired of this lazy open outliney look where the colors don't so much interact with the art as simply use it to contain them. And all of it is too damn bright for this subject.

I recall Bissette & Totleben's dense, at times Finlay-like style was Totleben's reaction to what he called a "coloring-book style," with a lack of mood and personality, that he felt dominated in comics at the time, and so with this. It's lazy. Spot your blacks like a man, I say! Take authoritah over your art and don't leave everything to the colorist and their paint bucket.

[fyborg23]

Does anyone think that the date boxes ("Wednesday, 11 AM") are a little bit too 1990s?

*shudders*

[sherkahn]

Vlad speaks English?

[arbre_rieur]

Since he didn't die until the events of Bram Stoker's novel, yes.

Er, not counting his original death that preceded becoming a vampire. You know what I mean.

[northstarfan]

Busiek, you say?

Vlad there getting all huffy over the degenerate state of the world strikes me as more humorous than horrifying. Reminds me a little of the Joker telling Great White that he's the worst man he's ever met. Still, I want a look at this, at least.

[lonewolf23k]

Vlad would probably be wondering why the West hasn't wiped out the Middle-East by now. Vlad Tepes had no love for Muslims.

[cainofdreaming]

Though he grew up with them, and was championed for his throne by the sultan. On a couple of occasions. But true, he didn't give those things much thought when the political situation pitted them against each other. Not that he had much love for Austria-Hungary either, even if there was the occasional alliance/vassalage situation. He did get captured and imprisoned by them when they thought they had a better keeper for the Wallachian 'buffer zone' between the rest of the Europe and Ottomans.

Eh, what I'm trying to say that I don't totally buy the whole image Vlad has been given as the fiery sword of God, fighting infidels at the border. To me he just comes off as more of an political opportunist, who didn't care too much if his allies were Christians or Muslims as long as it got him what he wanted.

[yaseen101]

Which would be the total control of his homeland of Wallachia if I got my vampire history straight.

I always saw Vlad as a ruthless thinker and strategist with the ability to use fear to sundue his enemies and keep his subjects in-line.

[yaseen101]

Hmm, not a fan of the art, I liked it in the earlier scans posted but here it does nothing for me.

As for Dracula's look, personally I would have gone for having him be completely pale white. Long hair which almost covers his forehead giving the hint of a connected every brow and almost covers his eyes, I would have given him a full beard which is unkempt as befits someone who can't see himself in the mirror. Going back to the eyes, I would just highlight the glowing pupils to give a more inhuman look to the Count.

[darkblade]

Art is rather meh.

As for the basic premise and Dracula's personality. Fuck yes! This is what we need more of. Things like this, Hellsing and Dresden Files. Less brooding anti-heroes or Heaven forbid severely outdated romantic arctypes and more complete monsters.

[yaseen101]

Agreed! :D

(away another Hellsing fan, woohoo!)

Bring that Dark Stuff Gooey...no not the 'Rise and Fall Arsenal/Stroke!Titans' bucket, the other dark and gooey stuff and put it where it belongs!

[darkblade]

I was more refering to the treatment of vampires in recent years.

[yaseen101]

Which would be, that they are not being treated as being sparkling romantic, hence my 'dark, gooey' comment, which meant 'bring back the darkness and horror that made the vampires great in the first place and by darkness I do not mean ones mixed with bad writing ala Rise and Fall of Arsenal'.

Get it?

[darkblade]

Ah that makes much more sense.

[yaseen101]

:)

[midnightvoyager]

There IS some inherent sensuality and romanticism in the Dracula story, but everything these days seems to whoosh right past the point and zero in on that.

*grump* KIDS THESE DAYS.

[darkblade]

I always got more of a rapist vibe than any kind of romantic sensuality from Dracula.

[midnightvoyager]

Well, it's VICTORIAN "romantic sensuality."

So, er, yes. Victorian "romance"... kinda... was creepy sometimes.

[darkblade]

Touche.

[midnightvoyager]

...Ironically, Twilight firmly held on to that while ENTIRELY missing the point that it was kinda creepy.

Oh well.

[darkblade]

And then it references better novels that didn't miss that point and used it for creepiness as counterparts to the romance.