Dracula #3

02 Mar 1993-22 Mar 1993. £1.25.
36 pages. Full color contents.
Dark Horse Comics International

Edited by Dick Hansom.

Cover by Mike Mignola.
r: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #03 (Dec 1992).

Contents:

.2 Dracula introduction text (uncredited). / Contents / Indicia

.3 Bram Stoker's Dracula part three, w: Roy Thomas. p: Mike Mignola, i: John Nyberg, lettering by John Costanza, colouring by Mark Chiarello.

r: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Topps) #03 (Dec 1992).

31 Inside Coppola's Dracula Of Magic and Monsters, part three, text feature by Gary Gerani.

33 Bloodlines text feature compiled by Dave Hughes.

35 The Galaxy's Greatest Heroes Return in... Classic Star Wars in-house advertisement

36 Total Impact. Total Mayhem. Total Carnage. in-house advertisement.

The printing of the strip isn't as assured as before, with several pages appearing slightly faded in comparison with the first two issues, though as it is a remarkably well-paced and designed adaptation there is little which can seriously hamper enjoyment of proceedings. It is remarkable how well action scenes from the film are replicated, and the handwritten diary entries add a certain gravity to scenes. Mina's diary entries, however, are in type, diminishing some of its credibility.

Gary Gerani covers the classic techniques which Coppola utilized in bringing the film to creation, though frustratingly does not address the pioneers of classic silent film techniques - with so little room to cover everything, there are increasingly blatant omissions in the text. We are given three (small) images from the storyboard, which are uncredited, without only serves to remind us of all the areas uncovered in this micro-history of the film.

In a mightily impressive gesture of cooperation, Dave Hughes covers other horror comics in his Bloodlines feature, starting with Innovation's The Vampire Lestat. It isn't often that comic publishers reach out and highlight other publishers material, although 2000 A.D. have occasionally done so. Marvel's Morbius the Living Vampire, Eclipse's revival of the classic pulp character The Spider: Reign of the Vampire King, along with I Am Legend, and Fantaco's Vampyr! get mentioned, though it is far from a history of horror comics.

Naturally, and depressingly, there is no mention of the great Dracula adaptations to have featured in British comics over the years.

Ellen Datlow's A Whisper of Blood anthology is highlighted in a small column of its' own, albeit without a cover image. While it hasn't bothered me thus far, the amount of blank space surrounding these features is beginning to be noticeable - had better use been made of the few pages given over to the text features there could have been more visual accompaniments to strengthen the words.

Solid and classy horror entertainment.

#02

Dracula

#04