Dracula
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Enjoyable Illustrated Adaptation
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In my youth we would call a book that told a story with illustrations a comic book. Now people who like to consider themselves in the know call this type of book a "graphic novel." Regardless of what the precise name is, this book adapts Bram Stoker's classic novel to a graphic form.
The story is very true to Bram Stoker's story. The actual story is 118 pages long as compared to original, which, depending on the edition, runs into several hundred pages. Thus, things were cut to make an illustrated story. Fans of Bram Stoker's original may find that too much of the story was removed to make this version an acceptable alternative. I would agree that this book is not a substitute for the original, but is more of a supplement to the original.
The authors of this book are listed as Steven Phillip Jones (script), Robert Schneiders (penciller), and Craig Taillifer (inker). All the artwork is in black and white. I like the subtly sinister way in which they illustrated Dracula. Dracula appears to be suave and sophisticated and only fearful when he is angered or frustrated. I was slightly dismayed that Renfield was portrayed less well than Dracula. In fact, Renfield's character, while important in this version, is insufficiently characterized in comparison to his importance; apparently one of the sacrifices of this version. I did like how Mina and Lucy were portrayed. Of all the principal characters other than Dracula, the two lead ladies received the most care and attention. I just wish that the artists had taken similar care with the other principal characters.
The backgrounds for the scenes were consistently good. A few of the background scenes were outstanding and chilling by themselves. The quality of the background scenes often exceeded the quality of the character art.
I generally found the layout of the art to be easy to follow. However, there were two or three places where I had difficulty following the sequence of images. There is one place where I never did figure out the sequence of images, which always annoys me in any illustrated work.
After the graphic portion is an article by Steven Phillip Jones titled "Dracula: A Blood Thirsty Count?" This article delves a little into the history of Vlad Dracul and the amount of influence Vlad the Impaler had on Bram Stoker. This article is introductory to those who are new to Dracula and Vlad; those who have read extensively will already be familiar with this material. Also included in this section is a limited filmography and bibliography portion. I say limited because there are many more references in both film and print than are listed here. I also question some of the references and how relevant they are to Dracula.
I enjoyed this book and found it to be an interesting addition to my collection. However, I do not recommend this book for a first time reader, as you will gain a false impression of the original story. If you consider yourself a fan of Stoker's character you will want a copy of this book for your library, but only because it adds a dimension to the ever-evolving portrayal of Dracula.
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Dracula Books In Print, Audio Books.