Skybound continues its licensing hot streak by reuniting one of the best creative teams in comics to retell the most famous vampire story that doesn’t involve twinkling. Universal Monsters: Dracula #1 is written by James Tynion IV, drawn by Martin Simmonds and lettered by Rus Wooton.
You probably know the story of Dracula — the broad strokes at least. Jonathan Harker, his fiancee Mina Murray, Dr. John Seward (who is either Mina’s father or her suitor depending on the version of the story) and Professor Abraham Van Helsing track and combat a powerful vampire who has arrived in London.
If you haven’t read Bram Stoker’s Dracula or a direct adaptation, you probably know the story by cultural osmosis. I mean, the tale of Vlad Tepes is the most famous vampire story in fiction, even with my Twilight jokes. I’m actually in that boat, which I realized as I read this issue. I’ve never read the original, and if I’ve read or seen any adaptation, they were grossly simplified versions for kids (Looking at you, Wishbone and Boy’s Life).
So to get a new adaptation of this famous story, based specifically on the classic Universal Monsters version, makes me even more excited to dig in. Even better, it comes from Tynion and Simmonds, one of the best horror creative teams of the past decade.
Picking up part way through the story, Doctor Seward is treating a man named Renfield, a weasel of a man accused of murdering 14 sailors aboard the Demeter, leaving only himself alive. While Seward, Harker, Murray and Lucy Westen try to make sense of Renfield’s madness and the gossip surrounding the Demeter, a violent beast is stalking the streets of London. No one knows the danger that awaits them, as the nightmare known as Dracula stalks the beautiful women of London.
The story picks up at an interesting point in the Dracula tale. Tynion specifically says this isn’t a creator-owned comic, it’s based on the Universal version. Because of that, there are some plot liberties that are taken that improve the telling here — having Jonathan and Mina both in London immediately upon the plot really getting rolling and having Seward as Mina’s father instead of a suitor both tighten up the story quite a bit. My only disappointment in the point where the story picks up is that it starts after the events aboard the Demeter, which would have been incredible under this creative team.
Maybe in a sequel?
As good as Tynion’s script is, the draw here is Simmonds. When I pitched reviewing the issue to my editor, I said this issue is like Gene Colan and Bill Sienkiewicz had an art baby, and as bizarre as that is, I stand by it. This book is gorgeous. Renfield is so pale that his skin is practically reflective, a blur of white until he becomes enraged and his mouth becomes a gaping, black, toothy maw.
Dracula is completely wordless throughout the issue, but every time he shows up, he dominates the page. Simmonds’ depictions of the Count draw the reader’s eye to him so much that he doesn’t NEED to speak. And each page he’s featured in is completely different and captivating; each one could be a poster on its own. Simmonds elevates a good adaptation into a fantastic work of art and probably the best debut issue of the year.
We all know the story, and we love it. But the execution on the page here has ensured that I’ll be back for each and every issue to come.
Tony Thornley is a geek dad, blogger, Spider-Man and Superman aficionado, X-Men guru, autism daddy, amateur novelist, and all around awesome guy. He’s also very humble.
