Dracula, Motherf**ker!
Alex de Campi, writer; Erica Henderson, illustrator
Image Comics, 2020
Campi and Henderson begin their idiosyncratic Dracula story in 1889 Vienna, as Dracula's wives nail him to the bottom of his coffin. Jump to 1974 Los Angeles, as an aging starlet pops the top of an ornate coffin during a party. The resulting mass murder scene attracts the notice of crime photographer Quincy Harker (whose last name has a historical connection to the legendary vampire and his brides). Soon corpses start showing up with bite marks on their necks--but as usual the real problem is the ones who were bitten and turned. It's a contest between the old wives and Dracula plus his new wives, which culminates in another party, this time a setup for the invitees. de Campi's essay "On monsters" describes her unique approach to the myth: she thinks giving the vampire a fixed physical form does a disservice to the monster's power (especially fixing it as a 19th century Gothic horror story). So Henderson mostly draws him as a formless horror, all eyes and fangs. The story takes place entirely at night, but Henderson finds ways to use lots of color--the traditional red of the darkroom being one example--in wild, unnatural ways. A fun ride, and at 70 pages more of a graphic novella than a graphic novel.
Replies
Sounds interesting, intriguing. I can't say that I'll actually seek it out, but if I should happen to see it on the shelf after reading your review, I'll definitely give it a look. That's the case with a lot of the comics you review. Oftentimes, I will have never ever heard of them (as in this case). I usually don't have anything to contribute, but I want you to know I do read all your reviews.
Thanks, Jeff, that's good to know. I hope you get a chance to check this one out. It's definitely visually striking.
I liked this one a lot. The story itself pairs well with the recent Jake Gillenhaal movie Nightcrawler -- another seedy freelance photographer looking to make a buck in LA -- and I liked De Campi's notion that the seductive power of Dracula isn't his looks at all, but his sheer power. But most of all, this really feels like Henderson's show. In neon colors and psychedelic action, she really gives the story all she's got, and De Campi wisely lets the art do most of the talking.