Site icon Comic Watch

Dracula Motherf**ker: All Things Must End (Spoiler Free ADVANCE Review)

9.3/10

Just when you think you've seen every Vampire story imaginable, a refreshing new tale like Dracula Motherf**ker comes along & shows just how much "life" the genre truly has. This noir-pulp grindhouse comic is not one to miss.

Dracula Motherf**ker

Artist(s): Erica Henderson

Publisher: Image Comics

Genre: Horror

Published Date: 10/14/2020

Recap

Vienna, 1889: Dracula’s brides nail him to the bottom of his coffin. Los Angeles, 1974: an aging starlet decides to raise the stakes. Crime scene photographer Quincy Harker is the only man who knows it happened, but will anyone believe him before he gets his own chalk outline? And are Dracula’s three brides there to help him...or use him as bait? A pulpy, pulse-pounding graphic novel of California psych-horror from acclaimed creators ALEX DE CAMPI and ERICA HENDERSON.

Review

Alex de Campi and Erica Henderson team up for a classically inspired yet uniquely fresh Dracula story unlike anything you’ve ever seen before in DRACULA MOTHERF**KER! It’s a neon-drenched noir-pulp comic that captures a psychodelic blaxploitation mood without falling into cliche traps, delivering a grindhouse style story that makes effective use of every single panel.

Despite all of those buzzwords, it’s still quite difficult to prepare readers for what lies within the pages of Dracula Motherf**ker not due only to the unpredictable nature of the story but also the highly stylized artwork that carries readers diligently from page to page. It makes for a reading experience that invokes a lot of different reactions and feelings. I found the design almost off-putting in the first pages before it piqued my interest with flairs of Japanese Superflat and even anime inspirations in the delivery of horror to help translate it in the 1974 L.A aesthetic. This brought out a refreshing take on both Dracula, his brides and even photographer Quincy Harker as things turn from bad to worse. Everything from the layouts to the incredible color palettes to even the minimal yet impactful lettering all explodes with creativity that makes the comic feel worth both your time and money.

The strength of Dracula Motherf**ker is found almost entirely in the visual execution and how it distinguishes itself from anything else available today. The story takes backseat to the sheer power of the artwork and while it’s certainly easy to appreciate all of the care and attention put into the visuals, the narrative comes off as just a bit thin. It rolls quickly from one major plot point to the next and even does so more cohesively than the vivid design might lead you to believe, but it doesn’t pull you into the characters with deep emotional beats. The ending feels like a natural conclusion and the artwork elevates every development, the lack of character depth could be felt by the time we reached the final pages however.

Dracula is a character that often carries preconceptions and in this story, we see all of those expectations cast aside in the best way possible. It isn’t what you would expect, but it keeps you engaged with every page. The rapid pacing and wildly interesting artwork helps Dracula Motherf**ker to be a truly entertaining comic that is undoubtedly worth adding to anyone’s collection. For horror fans in particular, this could be the hidden gem that surprises you with it’s undeniable quality.

Worth buying for the art alone, Dracula Motherf**ker is exactly the type of comic I like to recommend for the spooky season in October. Just when you think you’ve seen every Vampire story imaginable, a refreshing new tale like Dracula Motherf**ker comes along and shows just how much “life” the genre truly has!

Final Thoughts

Just when you think you've seen every Vampire story imaginable, a refreshing new tale like Dracula Motherf**ker comes along & shows just how much "life" the genre truly has. This noir-pulp style grindhouse comic is not one to miss.

Dracula Motherf**ker: All Things Must End (Spoiler Free ADVANCE Review)
  • Writing - 8.5/10
    8.5/10
  • Storyline - 9/10
    9/10
  • Art - 9.5/10
    9.5/10
  • Color - 10/10
    10/10
  • Cover Art - 9.5/10
    9.5/10
9.3/10
User Review
5 (1 vote)
Comments Rating 0 (0 reviews)
Exit mobile version