Horror 2010 - The Body Count So Far!

HORROR 2010 – THE BODY COUNT SO FAR
With the remake of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (2010) soon leaving the box office to make way for the summer blockbusters and the impending release of the most anticipated horror film of the summer SPLICE just around the corner it’s time to take a look at the horror films thus far released in 2010. The box office info was obtained from the website of Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com).

1. SHUTTER ISLAND ($127.6 million) – This Martin Scorsese back to terrifying form after a long hiatus since his remake of CAPE FEAR. Although this film had trouble finally making it to the big screen after several changes in release dates, the long delays did not hamper the success of the film and it is, in fact, one of the highlights of 2010 whether horror film or not.

2. THE WOLFMAN ($62 million) – This film was plagued with all types of problems from the moment it was announced to be in production to its final release and although it had a healthy opening weekend subsequent weeks proved that there was little audience for this overblown remake. It was all action and no heart. Now that the film is being released in a longer version on DVD there is hope that audiences will finally be able to see the film in a more complete form.

3. A NIGHTMARE OF ELM STREET (approx. $60.6 million) – Although this remake has been one of the most profitable in recent years it also boasts one of the worst reactions by fans. It’s steep attendance drop from week 1 to week 2 of release was a disaster giving the film one of the worst second week percentage drops of any other film this year. It seems that fans were not inspired by this timid remake.

4. LEGION ($40.2 million) – This action-religious-horror film left many scratching their heads as it was neither a true horror film and neither a true action film. It had its successful moments but these were few and far in between leaving many genre fans just waiting for it to hit DVD rather than waste the time at the box office.

5. THE CRAZIES ($39.1 million) – A remake that fans actually liked. Although the film only did mediocre business fans enjoyed the update of George A. Romero’s original infectious disease tail. This update was suspenseful and effective on many levels and was different enough from the original to not be openly compared.

6. DAYBREAKERS ($30.1 million) – One of my favorites of the year that did not translate into huge box office success. This was more an intelligent action film when fans were looking for a horror film (especially after being assaulted by the likes of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON last year). This film also had release troubles and it didn’t help that it was over shadowed but the juggernaut that was AVATAR. This is still one of the best horror films of the year as well as one of the best vampire films in the last few years (this coming from someone who doesn’t particularly like vampire films).

7. REPO MEN ($13.8 million) – Some may ask why I include this sci-fi hybrid on this list but let’s not discredit this highly violent film that documents the horrors of a future in which a repo man can rip the heart out of a still living human being. This is a horror film if there ever is one plus it’s interesting to compare this film with the similarly themed REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA from last year.

8. HUMAN CENTIPEDE (FIRST SEQUENCE) ($115,186) – Although it’s only had a limited release, this film has had a polarizing effect of audiences everywhere (including those who were lucky enough to see it while it was in film festivals). Critics either love or loathe this film which is mark of some of the best indie horror films. Any film that can divide an audience as much as this one is good in my book.

9. AFTER.LIFE ($108, 595) – This ghost story boasts an incredible cast from an all new voice in horror as this was the director’s debut film. Despite the limited release the film got very good reviews and there is hope that when the film finally reaches DVD that it will find its audience.

10. BEST WORST MOVIE ($31,208) – Who said that documentary films had to suck? This documentary of the legacy of the infamous TROLL 2 has gotten great reviews from audiences at film festivals everywhere and it’s a miracle that the film was even given a limited theatrical release. Despite this I’m assured that the film will find an audience just like the original film it is based on.

There have been several other horror films released theatrically in 2010 but Box Office Mojo does not always track all the limited release films. Despite this info 2010 has been a very limited year thus far for the horror genre and there is hope that things will change once we get into the end of summer (when horror films are more plentiful).

Film Review: THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON

I’m probably going to get a lot of hate mail for this review but I’m doing it anyways. I love werewolf films and despite the fact that I hated the werewolves in this film, I don’t think that THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON was as bad as everyone wants it to be (and there are a lot of people that want it to be). When I did my review of the first film TWILIGHT I didn’t think that the film was all that bad and its sequel which is vastly more entertaining isn’t that bad either.

After reading and hearing many opinions on the new film I’m still left with the same opinion I had on the first film – This is not a film for horror fans. I can’t say this enough. The TWILIGHT novels which were geared heavily towards the female audience has been adapted to films heavily geared towards the female audience; therefore all you horror fans looking for blood and guts and action need to check yourselves at the door. It’s not like the advertisements for the film didn’t warn you (nor the fact that the novels are love stories for the young and female crowd). The movies, which have become more like date movies, are the equivalent of two people going out and watching SLEEPLESS IN SEATLE or THE WEDDING DATE, just with vampires and werewolves. This is no secret.

Whereas the first film was about two people falling in love, NEW MOON is about the break up and how it affects one of the two in the couple who refuses to allow herself to let go and heal. Despite everything about the “sparkly” vampires and the so-called “juvenile” dialogue the film works because it never forgets who its target audience is which are people who experience a breakup and most learn how to deal with it however which way they can. Bella (Kristen Stewart) deals with the breakup of her true love Edward (Robert Pattinson) in a very destructive manner and it is Jacob (Taylor Lautner) who is there to pick up the pieces and try to help Bella cope. This then leads into the love triangle between the three and the conflict between humans and werewolves and vampires (which is all just great food coloring to what otherwise is just a typical love story).

I can find all types of faults with the film (the giant werewolves for one) but these faults do not diminish the impact of what the story, essentially, is trying to say which is breaking up with the one you love is hell and we (as humans, werewolves or vampires) do a lot of stupid things in order to cope. I could go out there and watch WHEN IN ROME, IT’S COMPLICATED, LEAP YEAR, DEAR JOHN, or COUPLES RETREAT, among many others, but why should I when I can get the same thing here only with vampires and werewolves?

Film Review: DAYBREAKERS

Being a huge fan of the Spierig Brothers’ previous film UNDEAD, I couldn’t wait to see what they had in store for the vampire genre. In their previous film they rewrote everything we know about the zombie genre and turned it on its head and I had faith that they were going to do the same thing for the vampire genre (a genre I personally loathe). I was not disappointed!

In their new film DAYBREAKERS a plague has turned most of the populace into vampires and those who have not been turned hide in fear of becoming a victim of blood farming by a nefarious corporation run by Charles Bromley (Sam Neil). Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) who loathes his existence as a vampire works for Bromley trying to find a synthetic blood substitute because the human population is almost extinct and the corporation’s current blood supply will not last them more than a month. Just when Edward believes that there is no more hope for their kind in steps Elvis (Willem Dafoe) who was once a vampire but through happenstance has discovered a cure for vampirism and a hope for humanity. With Edward’s help Elvis and what’s left of the human resistance hope to cultivate this cure before time runs out and all of humanity is extinct.

Like UNDEAD, DAYBREAKERS is not only a horror film but an action film as well. The Spierig Bros. have outdone themselves this time as this film is a huge step up from their zombie film in terms not only of production values but the caliber of actors and action. DAYBREAKERS is a grandiose film in terms of low budget futuristic films and they don’t skimp out on the horror either (what their fans really want to see) as there is plenty of the red stuff to go around. Everyone is on their “A” game in this film

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I was a little skeptical about the film. The last futuristic vampire film was the abysmal ULTRAVIOLET so you can probably guess why I was apprehensive about this film despite the high caliber talent on display, but the Speirig Bros. present such a fully realized world with DAYBREAKERS that you can’t help but take notice. It’s a shame that this film sat on the studio shelf for a couple years before finally being released (perhaps because of the popularity of vampires after the two TWILIGHT films) but it was well worth the wait as this film is truly a definition of good things to come not only for the Speirig Bros. but for the vampire genre as well.

Graphic Novel Review: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: 30 DAYS ‘TIL DEATH

There have been approximately over ten stories to the undying 30 Days of Night franchise and with each subsequent series brings new artists brings their tale on the iconic vampires of the original series.

In this new series 30 Days of Night: 30 Days ‘Til Death with story & art by David Lapham, the Elders are tired of the ripple effects of the incident that happened in Barrow, Alaska (the original series) and believe that the American vampires need to be thinned so that all vampires will know what real fear is. The Elders send a death squad to America to kill all the “cowboy” vampires (so-called because they are descendents from the first vampire turned in America which was a cowboy).

This story takes a departure from the other stories as it puts a vampire at the forefront of the story. Rufus is a vampire who knows that the only way to avoid being detected by the death squad is to blend in with the humans, so, he gets a lame dog for a pet, takes a junkie woman as his fiancée, and decides to forego killing any humans (at least within city limits) all for the sake of blending in. His plan begins to work perfectly to the point where he begins to like the humans who share his apartment complex. His tranquility is threatened when other vampires from his past decide to crash in on him.

Now Rufus must prevent these new vampires from his past from destroying everything he created before the death squad comes pounding on his door.

I didn’t really care for Lapham’s story as it was so far removed from the original 30 Days of Night series. Although there is a lot of blood flowing throughout (which will keep the fans happy), one of the things I liked most about many of the previous series is the sense of “location” which this series does not have. Most of the story takes place within Rufus’ apartment complex.

Another thing I didn’t like about the series were the cliché characters. I just never became vested in the characters and therefore never really got into the story. It feels as if the series is finally running out of steam and that it should be laid to rest for a time before another series is crafted to cash in on the current popularity of vampires.

Graphic Novel Review: PINOCCHIO, VAMPIRE SLAYER

Whoever thought that Carlo Collodi’s original story of PINOCCHIO could be so much fun? Collodi’s original story is much darker than Walt Disney’s watered down version hence why Van Jensen & Dusty Higgins’ original graphic novel PINOCCHIO, VAMPIRE SLAYER. Unlike the Disney version the events in this story take place directly after the events in Collodi’s story.

Pinocchio does not become a real boy at the end of the Collodi story and in Higgin’s (who created the story) and Jensen’s story soon after returning to Nasolungo where his father Geppeto is killed by a race of vampires who have arisen in the town. Now, Pinocchio declares it his duty to rid the town of the plague of undead. To aid him are his two companions Master Cherry, a carpenter, and the Blue Fairy and his wooden nose which he uses to dispatch each of the vampires he comes into contact with (when he lies his nose grows and then he breaks it off and uses it as a stake to kill the vampires).

Jensen & Higgins craft a compelling story that’s both funny and romantic (since Pinocchio falls in love) and suspenseful and terrifying. No one is safe in this world and Higgins’ artwork proves this. His dark black & white artwork uses rich blacks in which the vampires hide before striking from the darkness to kill their next victim. Pinocchio is seen in such the same darkness as he is a character who is surrounded by death and is on a mission of vengeance to avenge his father’s death.

Although the story rings of influences from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, this story is darker because as Pinocchio continues on his journey he also is slowly learning about his true origins and purpose in the world. He did, in fact, come from a piece of magical talking wood. This adds another dimension to the story that by graphic novel’s end will have you wondering when the next adventure will begin. This is a great graphic novel not for just fans of vampires but fans of Collodi’s original vision as it is a great to see where the character has grown.

Graphic Novel Review: THE DYLAN DOG CASE FILES

THE DYLAN DOG CASE FILES

Dark Horse Books collection of the Itlaian Dylan Dog comics THE DYLAN DOG CASE FILES is a great introduction for people who are not familiar with the character. In 1994 there was an Italian film based on the character starring Rupert Everett called Dellamorte Dellamore (more commonly known as Cemetery Man) which became an International success and helped Everett become a star. Created by Tiziano Sclavi (with art by Angelo Stano, Andrea Venturi, Giampiero Casertano, Luigi Piccatto, and Bruno Brindisi) Dylan Dog is a womanizer who investigates strange and unusual cases that revolve around everything from zombies, monsters, freaks, vampires, and anything else that he stumbles upon. Much like Sherlock Holmes, Dog has a knack for both getting into trouble both with and without his trusted sidekick Felix, whose even stranger then Dog and whom provides most of the comic relief in the stories provided in this collection.

At an amazing 680 pages this is a huge collection to sink your teeth into both for mystery fans and horror fans. Unlike the film version, the stories contained within this collection are more focused on dark comedy and the unusual fantasy (although the film is filled with a lot of fantasy). Anyone watching the film will see very little resemblance to the graphic novel other then in the character itself which is fine since the stories contained in this collection are more entertaining then the film (and I really like the film). Dog comes off as a poor man’s James Bond mixed with a Sherlock Holmes who cares more about women then he does about solving the next case or paying the bills. This is not to say that the material isn’t dark because the stories “Dawn of the Living Dead” and “Morgana” are particularly dark while “Johnny Freak” is tragic and heartfelt. “Zed” is another standout as it deals with an alternate world that may or may not be better then our own as. Along the way Dog discovers many different loves (hince the Bond reference) and has many brushes with the law, whom don’t take him seriously half the time.
Another great aspect of the book is the fine black & white artwork, which is a compliment to the dark nature of the stories. It’s like reading a film noire (which the tone of many of the stories border upon). This collection for the first time allows many readers to finally have access to a comic which has sold over 56 million copies worldwide and since there is a Hollywood adaptation in the works (as of this writing) what better place then here to get acquainted with this detective then right now.

Graphic Novel review: EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

Creator Steve Niles has a new vision of vampires different from the ones he created in the 30 Days of Night series in this graphic novel EPILOGUE, with art by Kyle Hotz. There is a new vigilante on the streets of the city and he cannot be killed as he so boldly demonstrates when he gathers all the crime lords of the city in one place. When the crime lords try to blow him to pieces they realize that all of his wounds heal automatically and he is more vicious then them as he feasts on their blood. This vigilante has plans to clean up the city at all costs. He is a vampire and he feeds off the blood of the guilty

The story as written by Niles and illustrated by Hotz is at first cryptic with the revealing of who the vigilante is but through fashbacks we learn that he was a family man on a camping trip who watched his two kids and wife be slaughtered by a gang of vampires . He was bitten in the struggle and left for dead and barely found a way to survive in the wild. When he returns to the city he vows to find the ones responsible for the death of his family and for making him into a creature of the night. In the meanwhile, he will protect the innocent and kill anyone who gets in his way.

One of the most unique aspects of the book is that you never really know what this guy’s name is but you get a glimpse into who he was and what he has become through the flashbacks and by the end of the story it’s not important what his name is but what he stands for. Like many of Niles’ previous work this is but an opening chapter to a bigger story should he choose to go further with the material. This being a story about vampires there are buckets of blood and gutts all over the place and will make all of Niles’ fans happen who enjoyed his 30 Days of Night.

Film Review: UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS

The Underworld franchise is one of the most popular werewolf v. vampire films to ever grace the movie screens mostly because of their reliance on action over horror and of the star power of Kate Beckinsale but the latest film in the franchise Underworld: Rise of the Lycans does not have a return visit from Beckinsale because this film is a prequel to the previous films. Instead it relies on the returning cast members of Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, Kevin Grevioux, and Steven Mackintosh, and newcomer Rhona Mitra, to tell the story that started the war between lycans and vampires.

Lucian (Sheen) is chief lycan to Viktor (Nighy) whose reign is being threatened by rogue lycans that lie just outside Viktor’s gates ready to kill anyone who gets in their way. Viktor’s daughter Sona (Mitra) is a warrior at heart but is also having a secret affair with Lucian. This love affair is forbidden as the two are from different species of which Viktor is stop at nothing to prevent the union from happening even if it means killing his own daughter. Now Lucian finds himself having to bring all lycans together as one unified species in order to be free of Viktor’s tyranny and to save the woman he loves. Along for the ride is Tannis (Mackintosh), who returns in this film after being introduced in the previous film Evolution, and Raze (Grevioux), one of the most popular lycans from the first film, whose origins are seen here.

Screenwriter Danny McBride returns for the third go around with assistance from writers Dirk Blackman & Howard McCain and it shows as this third film effortlessly returns audiences to the Underworld universe (and it ends with the events at the beginning of the first film). Nighy, who has been in all three films, is a welcomed assurance that this new film won’t just be a means to squeeze every dime out of the franchise.

The film works on many levels and for those who were missing the lycans from the previous film there is plenty of lycan carnage in this film. Rise of the Lycans is a welcomed continuation of the series and leaves certain things of the story open for another sequel.

TWILIGHT - Film Review

Now a lot of people may not forgive me for saying this but as a horror film fan I had no reservations about the film TWILIGHT, which is the quintessential “non-horror” film that would upset any die-hard fan with the “true-blue” blood flowing through their veins. This is a romantic-love story with only the hint of horror-genre trappings with the appearance of vampires and werewolves. Some would even call this the anti-UNDERWORLD (although some “true-blue” bloods won’t even consider this movie a horror film but an action film). The point is, if you are a true-blue member of the horror crowd then you won’t like this film but if you have an open mind and believe that films that cross genres can’t be all that bad then TWILIGHT might just be of interest to you, whether you’ve read the novel or not.

Based on the original novel by Stephenie Meyer with a screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg, TWILIGHT is the story of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) who moves to a new town to live with her father and becomes infatuated by the mysterious Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), one member of a clan of vampires who have vowed never to take human life again. Instead, The Cullen family lives off the blood of the animals in the wild living separate from the rest of their race. As Bella becomes closer to Edward, they realize that their relationship is put in danger when a rogue group of vampires invade their town killing their prey wherever they may. Their love for one another will be tested as Edward must decide whether to kill another one of his kind or see the woman that he loves killed.

The film is definitely made to appeal to the younger crowds as is par for the course since it is based from a teen novel but the film does appeal in a basic sense to just about anyone who has experienced a forbidden love in their life. By making the movie more about the relationship between Bella & Edward the film is more a love story then anything else and the rogue vampires just represent an outside force trying to tear them apart. Many people will see the parallels with the Shakespeare play ROMEO & JULIET as well they should and like that story this story has many underlining facets that are only glimpsed at in the first film (since there are a series of novels) but which should have a very big payoff in future films.

The film is very rich in character and story and will appeal to the many people who watch films more then once to pick up on the nuances in the story which is a testament to the screenplay (and novel) and director Catherine Hardwicke. Although not a flawless film TWILIGHT is nevertheless one of the more enjoyable romantic-horror-action films of the year that I hope audiences of all ages will be able to embrace.

Graphic Novel Review: SPIKE: SHADOW PUPPETS

Everyone’s favorite villains from Season Five of Joss Whedon’s ANGEL are back and better then ever! I’m talking about the vampire-with-a-soul Spike who crossed over from the television show BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER to it’s spin-off ANGEL and who has now gone solo in several IDW series in particular this one SPIKE: SHADOW PUPPETS which pits Spike against the puppet demons of the kids television show Smile Time (also villains from the fifth season of ANGEL).

If you remember from that episode of ANGEL (self titled “Smile Time”) Angel went up against the soul stealing demon puppets and was himself turned into a puppet by a giant egg-like, soul-stealing thing. After being destroyed by Team-Angel in that episode the demons of Smile Time return to menace the children of Japan. Lorne has enlisted the aid of Spike to help him bring down Smile Time once and for all before the demons are able to send all the children of the world into mindless and comatose children.

Spike and Lorne get into more trouble then they bargain for when the demons of Smile Time release a horde of evil mini-Ninja puppets with only one desire, which is to kill Spike at all costs. If you’ve been following the Spike series then you’ll recognize many of the supporting characters that come to Spike and Lorne’s aid but not in time to prevent them from being turned into puppets themselves. Great fun and hilarity is had at the expense of seeing Spike & Lorne turned into puppets. More fun is had when, in order to defeat puppet-Spike, the demons of Smile Time create puppet versions of all Team-Angel including the infamous Angelus (one of the greatest moments in any of Spike’s solo series).

Writer Brian Lynch has the Spike & Lorne characters down flawlessly and even if it’s hard to believe at first that Spike & Lorne would go off on their own adventure, you just end up going with the flow as this is one of the best adventures Spike has hard out on his own. Artist Franco Urru is the perfect artist to bring the world of Joss Whedon to life and translates the world of Smile Time to the comic book medium effortlessly. This is by far one of the best graphic novels for both fans of the Whedon universe and fans of the comic book medium in general.

As an added bonus you also get a “Writer’s Commentary” at the end of the book detailing the inside jokes and references (if you failed to pick up on them the first time around). Also, many of the original covers are presented here for those (like me) who only buy the books in graphic novel form rather than as single issues.

Graphic Novel Review: ANGEL: OLD FRIENDS

Before IDW publishing tackled the “After the Fall” ANGEL comic book series currently running which asks the question of “What happened after Season Five Ended?” of the series they tackled this story “ANGEL: OLD FRIENDS” which reunited Angel with all the characters of the hit television series for the first time in comics. Being a spin-off of the hugely popular BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (both television show and comic) IDW’s Angel put Angel mostly on adventures by himself never explaining what happened after Season Five of the show ended (presumably because creator Joss Whedon had plans to produced television movies of some of the characters).

After some time had passed and it didn’t seem like the television movies were going to come to fruition IDW got the go ahead to use all the characters of the Angel-verse and thus “Old Friends” was born with writer Jeff Mariotte and artist David Messina at the helm. “Old Friends” finds a one-eyed Gunn seeking out the help of loner Angel when he believes that Spike may be responsible for several murders in the city. Believing that Spike may have gone evil Angel and Gunn team-up to bring the rogue vampire-with-a-soul down. When they finally encounter Spike he is more powerful then before and almost bests both Angel and Gunn until “the real” Spike shows up to dust the doppelganger-Spike.

After this encounter Spike joins Angel and Gunn as they soon realize that someone is using doppelgangers of them to try and kill them, which leads them to a chance encounter with Illyria (in which they all battle doppelganger-Wesley and doppelganger- Fred) and with Lorne (who has his own doppelganger that they have to deal with). Before the culprit it unveiled everyone in Team-Angel will be re-united and need to overcome their personal demons before an old enemy from their pasts reveals himself.

Although not a great story, “Old Friends” is not without it’s moments. It’s great to see all the gang back together again however brief (Illyria’s appearance being nothing more really then a cameo) and everyone gets a fair share at causing damage especially Gunn (who was unceremoniously left to the sidelines many times in the television series). It’s also nice to see that as the characters battle a villain from their past they finally come together…again, as a team. This is a good warm up for the real story going on in the current ongoing IDW series ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL.

Graphic Novel Review: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: BEYOND BARROW

It has been several years since Barrow, Alaska was plagued by vampires into the original graphic novel 30 DAYS OF NIGHT by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith. Now Niles returns to Barrow, almost, in the new graphic novel 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: BEYOND BARROW (the ninth graphic novel in the ongoing series). Although Templesmith is missing in action on this adventure celebrated artist Bill Sienkiewicz is on duty to bring new life to the vampire menace.

Niles and company have decided to take the mythology of the series into a whole new arena by presenting a menace that is even more deadly then the original vampires of the first series. In this new story a group of tourists manage to barter their way just outside Barrow during the infamous 30 days of night on the hunt to capture a picture and evidence of the existence of vampires that they have heard about from the newspapers and books. To bad for them that a gang of vampires seeking to stop over in Barrow for a quick snack are themselves killed off by something that seems to hide in the snow and strike out when least expected.

Survivor John Ikos, from the very first attack on Barrow, soon finds his hands full facing a new menace that’s older and more dangerous then anything ever encountered before and he will have to travel outside the safety of Barrow’s secure gates in order to save the tourists and hopefully survive one more time.

Much like the very first 30 DAYS OF NIGHT series, BEYOND BARROW was originally a three-issue limited series that was fast and furious with more mood and horror then character and story and the just like that series it works well again here. I’ve only read a handful of Niles’ best known stories (as he writes more then just about any other comic book writer working today), so, I’m not totally numb on his storytelling style yet. My only problem with this story is that I actually didn’t care whether any of the tourists lived or died and had more fun seeing Sienkiewicz kill them off in great artistic ways. This is definitely a “colder” experience (if it can get any colder) and not as dynamic as some of the previous stories in the series.

Regardless, Niles thinks there is more life in this series and as long as people keep reading, there will be more stories to tell.

Graphic Novel Review: "Bram Stoker's Dracula"...Again...

Now we’ve all read Bram Stoker’s DRACULA or at least know the story really well. Vampire buys a home in London. Vampire terrorizes a bunch of people in London. Vampire hunter from out of London comes to kill vampire and make London safe again. Nothing new here but the story has transcended time from generation to generation captivating readers (and even film viewers) time and time again no matter how old the story is and like the vampire Dracula himself his story is as immortal as time. Is it little wonder that Fernando Fernandez’ adaptation of the classic novel doesn’t really offer anything new yet is still as captivating as the immortal Dracula himself regardless of the current time.

Although the story offers nothing new it is Fernandez’ lush visuals and colors and make his adaptation stand out amongst all the others. Originally published in 1984 but brought back to life in 2005 by Del Rey Books Fernandez’ DRACULA has such striking visuals due to the realistic painterly style that you can’t help but to stop and take notice. This is one of the reasons why I picked up the book in the first place. Having already read the novel and other adaptations several times before I really wasn’t interested in another version until I opened the book and was awestruck by the artwork inside. I’ve never read anything else Fernandez has done but I will definitely be on the look out for more.

This over-sized graphic novel is short but the story is lush and Fernandez crams a lot of info in the text in case he happens upon the odd person who has not read or know the story. Fernandez did pick one of the better stories to adapt enabling him to reach a far wider audience then something more original (this graphic novel caught my eye). Although I’m not a big fan of the vampire genre those that are will enjoy this book and even the casual gothic horror lover will love this book and should add it to their collection.