X-MEN: APOCALYPSE VS. DRACULA #1
© Marvel

Mania Grade: C+
Issue: 1
Authors: Frank Tieri, Clay Henry
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $2.99

Related Links

0

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE VS. DRACULA #1

Tieri offers mostly setup in this first issue. We learn of Dracula's downfall in battle at the hands of Apocalypse and his subsequent reappearance in London, where he seems to prey on followers of the latter's cult, Clan Akkaba. In present day Egypt, we see the ancient Ozymandias resurrecting the slumbering Apocalypse to save mutant-kind (or so he says).

I admit my knowledge of Dracula skews my opinion of this book, but despite that, it still presents a couple of problems. Tieri indulges in one of the baser tendencies of Marvel and DC writers by disregarding established continuity to suit his story. Marv Wolfman wrote the Marvel Dracula's origin back in the 1970s, and, apparently, it was all a huge lie. According to Tieri, after he routing the Turks on the battlefield in 1459, Apocalypse killed Dracula. But, it doesn't work historically either, as Vlad Tepes didn't take on the Turks until 1461 and didn't die until the following year. If we're to believe that this new Dracula hails from the historical figure (as the Wolfman one did, by the way), the details aren't correct. Errors aside, the story itself shows some promise, but it didn't floor me or anything. It seems like a mash-up of older comics and films, but not necessarily an unwelcome one.

Clay Henry's art looks fine, but it's a bit more stylized than I like for this kind of material. It looks like a typical superhero comic, but I suppose moodier, more subdued art works better when dealing with vampires in Victorian London. That's just a personal preference, but short of a couple of cartoonish exaggerations, I have no substantial complaints.

I'm curious to see where Tieri will take this and I'm just a sucker for the Count, so I plan to ride this one out, despite my misgivings. However, those with no interest in the X-Men or vampires probably won't find much here to go batty about.