It wouldn’t be Halloween until someone incorporated vampire novels into the comic book trends of 2024. Marvel has Brad Hunt. DC has World War V. Kickstarter features the legendary Matt Wagner and Kelly Jones in Part 2 of the Dracula story featuring the aptly titled Brides of Dracula in the book DRACULA—BOOK II: THE BRIDES.
“One of the creepiest and most memorable parts of the Dracula legend is the presence of the vampiric bride,” writer Matt Wagner said of the second original. “Whether in the novel or in the endless series of film adaptations, the appearance of these beautiful and enchanting sirens is always an unforgettable part of the story. And of course this gives us yet another dark and enchanting tale to be told. Who were these women before they became part of Dracula’s evil harem? How and why did he come to claim them as his undead lovers? And what role will they ultimately play in his ongoing story?”
Artist Kelly Jones continued, “When Matt first heard that the second volume of the Dracula epic would be titled ‘THE BRIDES,’ we were so excited.” “And wow…the stories he’s written are truly chilling! It’s a complex portrait of what up until now has only been depicted as gruesome pin-up versions of these three women. And don’t get me wrong. Please…this is not an attempt to shoehorn a modern agenda into the story.One of the things I like about Matt’s writing is the distinct lack of modernity in these stories. It all feels completely accurate to the time period in which it is set.”
“Once again, our Dracula is an absolute monster,” Wagner continued. “His relationships with everyone are based purely on self-interest and conquest. Whenever I’m writing these stories, I wonder how wonderfully Kelly would portray these scenes… I imagine how he would take them and transform them into something even more dramatic and frightening. And each time, he provides visualizations that are even better than I could have imagined. Readers who enjoyed BOOK I – THE IMPALER will be shocked by BOOK II – THE BRIDES. This volume is bigger, more vicious, and bloodier in every sense of the word!”
Check out the preview page by Kelley Jones below.
DRACULA—BOOK II: THE BRIDES is currently available on Kickstarter and is already fully funded with a goal of post-launch bonus rewards. The first volume of Wagner and Jones’ Dracula story was a smash hit, ranking in Kickstarter’s top 20 most successful graphic novel campaigns of all time.
In Volume 2, Wagner and Jones join Dracula’s eerie foray into the shadows of Castle, thanks to José Villarrubia’s masterful talent and color and Rob Lee’s lettering. A European album-sized hardcover version of the book is also available exclusively on Kickstarter.
Here are my accolades for this book:
“It’s no easy task to update one of history’s most famous horror stories while remaining completely faithful to the original, but Wagner & Jones’ Dracula accomplishes it in a gloriously terrifying, Lovecraftian style. This book evokes the classic elements and themes of Bram Stoker’s original work, while bringing a whole new layer of creepy horror to its most enigmatic character, Vlad Dracula himself. ” —Ryan Condal (Co-Creator/Showrunner, House of the Dragon)
And in our review, we also liked the original:
“Wagner and Jones approach their version of Dracula with a classic dark fantasy feel, of the kind found in the pages of old horror magazines like Creepy and Eerie. and creates a richly textured stage for Dracula to play in as he seeks Satan’s guidance in the dark arts.” – COMICS BEAT
Dracula—Volume 2: The Bride runs from now until the end of the month/Halloween.
Something like this:
Like loading…
