The Secret History Of Dracula Comes To London In ‘Dracula: Book III — The Count’
by Brendan M. Allen
Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 gothic horror novel Dracula created the most famous literary character of all time. Now comic book creators Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones reunite to produce an all new chapter in their own series of Dracula graphic novels. Dracula: Book III — The Count takes place in the shadows of the original novel to tell the familiar and horrifying tale from Dracula’s own point of view.
“Anyone who’s familiar with Stoker’s original novel knows that once the action shifts to England, the title character is basically all-but unseen for the remainder of the narrative,” says Wagner. “A sinister, charismatic and scheming vampire lord set loose on the streets of London … and it’s so frustrating because we never get to see him!”
“Well, he’s definitely up to something most foul … and now Kelley and I are finally unveiling what he was doing during that terrifying period. We’ll see him exploring and planning to exploit his new home, this grand and modern British Empire, a vast realm on which, it was said, the sun never set.
“One of the distinctive aspects of Stoker’s original novel is that it’s epistolary … told exclusively in the form of journal entries, letters of correspondence and news articles. The only voice missing from these various narrations is the most crucial one of all … Dracula himself! Our version of these events is narrated by Dracula himself … from inside the mind of an unrepentant monster.”
“From our very first discussions of this project, this was the part I thought would be the trickiest to pull off,” added Jones. “But it was also the part I was looking forward to the most! What Matt does so beautifully is to combine literary and historical accuracy with an utterly compelling story that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Every time I read one of his scripts, I find myself so fully engaged in how the story unfolds … I almost forget that I’m the one who gets to draw this incredible tale!”
Dracula: Book III — The Count presents 120 pages of sinister story and art in a beautiful, European-album sized hardcover edition. Wagner and Jones are once again joined for this macabre foray into the shadows of Dracula’s schemes by the stellar talents of José Villarrubia on colors and Rob Leigh on letters.
Check out the preview pages below:
Kickstarter backer rewards kick in at the $10 tier for a digital copy of the book. A digital bundle of all three volumes runs $30. Physical copies are $50. At the top of the pledge tier for $2,500, backers can secure one of three remaining original art pieces from the book. The project is now live at this link.
