My Rating
“Cult Of The Vampire”
Lakota arrived at Spektor Manor early in the morning as the sun was just peaking over the tree line. This was her first day as the doctor’s new secretary and she didn’t want to be late. She had heard strange stories from the girls in the secretarial pool but being a descendant of both the Sioux and Apache nations, she had learned to take legends and ghost stories with a grain of salt.
One hour later Lakota would find herself busy taking notes in her new employer’s basement laboratory. The subject of Doctor Spektor’s newest chemistry experiment was focused on finding a cure for vampirism. There had been a few recent news articles about vampire attacks in and around the Carpathian Mountains. The doctor’s research had proven a commonality in all vampire lore, and in his research, he believes he has found a serum to stop the spread. Lakota Rainflower just smiles and takes notes. The only thought in her mind is if this man is crazy. Over the next week she would find out as they traveled to Romania.
Can Doctor Spektor’s prove to his new secretary, Lakota Rainflower, that vampires really exist? Why are the mysterious hooded men digging up graves in the historic Carpathian cemeteries? Who roams the halls of the ancient castle of Baron Tibor? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Notes
Take one part Hammer Films, add Kolchak the Night Stalker, and you get the Occult Files of Doctor Spektor. If you’re not old enough to remember these two fine horror franchises, then think Friday the 13th: the Series or X-Files. If those are a mystery to you, then I’m sorry my friend, your childhood was terrible. I suggest getting up to speed on one of these four culture icons before continuing.
With that said, Doctor Spektor is a student of the occult, and using his library of thousands of occult books and objects, he solved cases with his assistant Lakota Rainflower. In issue one we are introduced to both characters at Doctor Spektor’s mansion in upstate New York. There they fly off to uncover a series of recent vampire attacks in Romania. Baron Tibor is your basic run of the mill Dracula knockoff. I would figure Gold Key would want to use Dracula himself since they reference the Dracula novel in the comic.
I can see that this series has influenced future characters such as Marv Wolfman’s Baron Winters. To be honest, Doctor Spektor is a complete knockoff of the Peter Cushing characters from the Hammer Films. If you are a fan of 1960’s and 1970’s horror movies this series is for you. I feel younger readers or those used to big budget cgi horror flicks will not get the same joy out of this Bronze Age classic. I’m giving issue one of Doctor Spektor a solid three out of five stars.
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