Dracula: The Company of Monsters
Created by and Story by Kurt Busiek, Written by Daryl Gregory, Art by Scott Godlewski, Colors by Stephen Downer and Letters by Johnny Lowe.
Dracula: The Company of Monsters does not try to reinvent vampires nor does it try to wallow in tween storytelling. In this day and age, it is easy to be tired of the oversaturation of vampire stories; some good, some not so good. Dracula: The Company of Monsters does not fall into the category of oversaturation but what this comic does is tell a solid vampire story starring the granddaddy of all vampires, Dracula.
Issue # 8 follows the slow collapse of Evan Barrington-Cabot’s life and the destruction of his family business. It starts right from panel one where Evan learns his mother has been turned into a vampire and keeps going until the end of the book. Even Evan’s fiancé is not safe from the falling debris that is Evan’s life. She becomes a pawn of Conrad’s in his battle against Dracula. At no point does Evan even get moments of rest as he finds himself caught in the middle of a showdown between Conrad and Dracula. To make matters worse, Marta Stefanescu, of the long line of vampire hunters, tries to woo Evan to her side. In the end, Evan with his back against the wall decides to take a side; all of them. It is hard to say which side he is really working forn but inevitably it will end in bloodshed.
What works well for the writing is that it’s hard to tell where Busiek’s writing begins and where Gregory’s ends. The two writers blend their styles together to create a great story. There are some obvious overtones directed at corporate greed creating an interesting dichotomy between man and monster, and greed and corporate responsibility.
Artwise, this is a classic approach to storytelling as well as to vampire character designs. Dracula has a very classic look to his design but does not come across as hokey or outdated. Godlewski also captures the action in the panels so well that each panel almost leaps off the page. The color in the book is mostly muted with a few bright colors that pop in the panels adding to the feel of the book.
You certainly don’t have to be a vampire fan to appreciate this book nor a horror buff, just a fan of solid storytelling. Dracula: Company of Monsters is a great nod to the classic monster stories and it is unclear who the real monster is: Dracula, Conrad or to a lesser degree, Evan.
