The Complete Dracula (2009) #5

Cd5

With Worley returning to the art, The Complete Dracula stands as three-fifths of the best telling or retelling of Stoker’s Dracula… far better than the novel itself, even with the occasional adaptation quibbles. The book immediately returns to the multimedia presentation, the artwork again becoming a mix of painted landscapes and domestics and half-static, half-moving painted live action. It’s a lovely thing to look.

Thanks to the source novel, the story has problems. Stoker couldn’t write characters with distinct voice, he plotted poorly (Dracula’s been wanting to “invade” England for hundreds of years and runs off because of some saps?), so those problems remain. But Moore and Reppion, who might appreciate the novel a little too much to truly make it work, get past them overall.

It’s a lovely close to a troubled series. It’s unfortunate Dynamite thought a fill-in artist was the way to go.

The Complete Dracula (2009) #4

Cd4

In the notes for this issue, Moore and Reppion discuss the novel’s sexism. I think the less guarded description would be Stoker’s misogyny. It’s somewhat curbed here, in the adaptation, as the writers are aware of its presence, whereas Stoker would not have been.

Lots happens in the issue and I could only wonder how it would have read with a better artist. Verma continues to disappoint. Aaron Campbell’s no longer contributing and the comic has lost its visual flare. There’s no more mixed media. There’s no more visual creativity. It’s gone, now, from being a pleasant surprise to the kind of crap Radical puts out. It’s embarrassing, actually. I feel bad for the writers, since–if I were to have bought the hard cover sight unseen–I would have tried to return it once the art changed.

It’s beyond too bad, since the adaptation itself is quite well-written.

The Complete Dracula (2009) #3

Cd3

Unfortunately, Worley’s gone this issue (he’s credited with layouts). Verma is … Verma’s painted comic art looks like all the lame painted comic art I’ve seen before, the stuff to make me dread a painted comic. His figures are fine, his faces are awful. The texture and depth of the book is now gone. It’s so distractingly, it’s hard to think about the writing, as this change in artist takes the book from being a measured success to a moderate failure.

Oddly, Verma’s illustrating abilities are strong (his pencils are in the issue’s notes).

I can’t remember the novel, if there really is so much time spent on the death of Lucy, but when Moore and Reppion take the whole issue, it’s hard not to think something’s going to be missed. But Mina is Dracula’s victim in the novel, right? Not his lover. So they should be fine filling two issues.

The Complete Dracula (2009) #2

Cd2

So, I guess I hadn’t realized how important Aaron Campbell’s layout contributions are to this series. There’s an example in the back of the comic and it’s clear he’s significant.

The Dracula novel, with the diary entries, the letters, the clippings, is sort of a multimedia (for the late nineteenth century) piece, and this adaptation fully realizes the potential, now incorporating visuals.

Not all the visuals work, however, especially here. There’s a lot of photoshopping going on, a lot of clearly blurred images, a lot of photographic backgrounds with a minimal amount of “painting” over. There moments distract, since Worley’s paintings are usually quite good, even if Mina doesn’t look the same panel to panel (one can’t tell if she’s supposed to be attractive, for example).

The comic’s so successful adapting the novel’s diary entries and letters, actual dialogue comes as a shock, like it doesn’t belong here at all.

The Complete Dracula (2009) #1

Cd1

No one told me Dracula was going to be a digitally painted comic. I usually avoid those. But I probably still would have picked this one and a good thing, because it’s not bad.

As a novel, Dracula, is complete garbage. It’s such garbage, it’s almost impossible to find a good adaptation of it, illustrated, filmed or otherwise. Stoker’s lack of basic writing competence being a major problem. Fruit of the poisonous tree and all.

Moore and Reppion combat it a little with a prologue, making Harker more of a protagonist. But, as usual, the Castle Dracula stuff gets old fast (they even reference a scene they didn’t adapt).

However, the Mina Murray stuff is nice, maybe because Worley paints all the panels like static paintings. He occasionally captures profound moments for Mina, which works.

I’m not sure where the comic’s going quality-wise, but it seems interesting at least.