Death of Dracula - Thoughts (Spoiler-Free)

I was unfamiliar with the creative team for Death of Dracula, Marvel's latest big ol’ 48-page one-shot, so I just dove right in and trusted my luck.

I’ve gotta say, it worked out pretty well.

In searching for ways to summarize Victor Gischler’s writing, the best comment I could come up with was this: Death of Dracula is very well paced. All of the players that are to be developed and expanded throughout the narrative are introduced in the first three pages. Right away, the reader knows that there’s some large vampire convocation, knows who’s at this convocation, and knows which characters to be following - Gischler sets up his story pieces quickly and neatly. Now that might seem pretty basic to some; perhaps, but the ability to provide simple, straight-forward narration is a skill that not all comic writers have so I appreciate it when I see it.

My favourite bit of plot is Dracula’s moment in the sun. Hmm, doesn't sound like a very apt metaphor for a vampire, does it? Dracula is introduced with a catty, yet menacing rebuttal to an underling, listens to another underling flap his gums for a page, and then gets stabbed in the chest with a stake. BAM! Three pages between character intro and character outro.

Metaphor makes a lot more sense now, don’t it?

Artist Giuseppe Camuncoli is another argument in favour of picking this issue up. His style is rough around the edges, which serves the characterization of the different vampire sects well. Must have been all that gritty Hellblazer work on his CV. His pencils give rise to different creatures in order to emphasize different tropes: some vampires are grotesque, others are sensual; some are exotic and mysterious, others are demure and peaceful. Camuncoli leaves little doubt in the reader’s mind as to the variety of Marvel’s vampire community nor to the danger it presents.

The title of the one-shot is Death of Dracula, and this creative team ain't fartin’ about. Big D is out early because what is important is putting Marvel’s undead house in order. This is a “Bigger Picture” issue, pure and simple: a new day is dawning for Marvel’s vampires (as it were...), and Gischler and Camuncoli are here to ensure we have a greater perspective on the events to follow.

Anyone interested in the Curse of the Mutants arc should definitely pick this up.