My Rating
“Who Stalks the Vampire?”
Thames River, London – England
Frank Drake stands upon the guardrail of London Bridge. The darkness of night mixes with the thick fog rolling in from the Thames, blanketing the city in a cold gray shroud. Far below, black water flows beneath the historic bridge as a grim melancholy settles over Frank’s troubled mind.
Jeanie Ovington is dead.
The woman he loved had her life stolen by the devil known as Vlad Dracula, Count of Transylvania—a monster who cheated death by feeding upon the blood of the living.
Worse yet, Dracula transformed Jeanie into one of the undead, corrupting her body and soul forevermore. During a desperate struggle inside Castle Dracula, a makeshift wooden stake was driven through her heart. The vampire died, but so did the woman Frank loved.
Now Frank Drake has nothing left.
Lost in grief and shock, he prepares to throw himself into the Thames. As Frank begins to lean forward, the sound of a woman shouting from the street breaks his concentration. His footing slips. Before he can tumble over the railing, a massive pair of arms locks around him in a steel-tight grip. A giant of a man pulls Frank away from the edge and back onto the roadway.
The grieving lover turns to face his rescuers. The woman introduces herself as Rachel Van Helsing, granddaughter of the legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing. Her silent companion is Taj Nital, a towering man from India and the one responsible for saving Frank’s life.
After a brief introduction, the three climb into a black Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and disappear into the fog-covered streets of London.
Frank Drake may have wanted his nightmare to end, but his battle against Dracula has only just begun.
Meanwhile, the Count has reached England—and Dracula is not happy. His ancestral coffin remains missing, and the vampire knows exactly who is responsible. Clifton Graves helped resurrect the monster. Now the former servant may discover that Dracula has little patience for those who fail him.
Yet another player has entered the game.
The mysterious socialite Ilsa Strangway has taken a peculiar interest in the Count. Wealthy, beautiful, and apparently unafraid of the supernatural, she seeks an alliance with the vampire for reasons of her own. Dracula may have finally found someone willing to invite the monster into London’s upper crust.
What does Rachel Van Helsing have planned for the descendant of Count Dracula? Will Clifton Graves escape the clutches of the vampire he helped resurrect? Why does the mysterious Ilsa Strangway seek an alliance with the monster who kills to live?
Collect the series to find out!
Vampire Lore
- A vampire may not enter a home he has never entered before unless invited inside by a member of the household.
Reviewer Notes
Dracula has reached London, and he is pissed. Papa needs his special coffin, stat!
Wow, it’s been almost a year since I read Tomb of Dracula #2, but jumping back into this series was like riding a bike. Within a few pages, Archie Goodwin had me right back in the middle of Frank Drake’s miserable life and Dracula’s blood-soaked rampage.
Review
I can see why Tomb of Dracula became one of Marvel’s defining horror comics. Archie Goodwin and Gene Colan made an excellent creative team. Goodwin gives the story that wonderfully dramatic Gothic tone, while Colan makes Dracula look as though he belongs to the shadows themselves. The foggy streets, dark rooms, and sinister expressions are perfect for a book about the world’s most famous vampire. With Stan Lee steering Marvel during this era, Tomb of Dracula represents some of the best horror the company was putting on the spinner racks.
I did get a chuckle after looking at the release dates for Tomb of Dracula and Werewolf by Night. Jim Shooter wasn’t kidding when he talked about Marvel having problems getting books out on time. Readers occasionally had quite a wait between issues. Imagine reaching a cliffhanger in 1972 and then discovering your next encounter with Dracula was still months away!
That’s just a side note, though. It doesn’t take anything away from the quality of the artwork or storytelling.
Issue #3 also feels like the series is beginning to open up into something much larger. Rachel Van Helsing and Taj bring dedicated vampire hunters into the story, Ilsa Strangway adds another mystery, and Dracula is finally loose in London. The pieces are falling into place for the kind of ongoing Gothic horror saga this title would eventually become famous for.
I’m giving Tomb of Dracula #3 four out of five stars. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the next issue.
Get this series if you dare! Just be prepared to pay a pretty penny for the original books. If your wallet isn’t as immortal as Dracula, I suggest hunting down one of the omnibus collections instead.