Dracula

All-Action Classics #1

by Michael Mucci, Ben Caldwell, Bill Halliar

Before the dozens of night stalkers slain by Buffy, there was the first and the Dracula . And now everyone’s favorite bloodsucker is back, and captured in a thrillingly told, spine-tingling graphic novel. Originally written by Bram Stoker in 1897, Dracula gave the world one of literature’s most compelling characters. Michael Mucci translates the tale into amazing, action-packed images—with meticulous attention paid to the finer details in each piece of art, from facial expressions to the historical accuracy of costuming, architecture, and heraldry. Young readers will love it.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Vampires, Fantasy, Classics, Young Adult

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1897

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this a couple of years ago, because Hello, it's DRACULA! And in graphic novel form! I finally just sat down and read it straight through, and it was aces. The art is gorgeous, and they do an excellent job of condensing down the storyline so it fits in the more limited pages and works for kids. Really fun intro to Dracula for the younger set, a treat for us olds!

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A middle-grade graphic novel adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel; this one was an interesting adaptation in the sense that the illustrations (while appearing more "kid-friendly") conveyed more storytelling without words, even if you couldn't read, the illustrations are very clear and emotional in visual description...The text is a bit small and some of the sequences feature so much text that there is hardly any space for images.
The familiar story focuses on the action and less on the sexual elements, gore and/or religious content of the original.
A good introductory read of Dracula and good for middle grade readers and reluctant readers.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not recommend this book more! I loved the artwork and the story was fantastic! I would give it more than five stars if I could

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I read a lot of graphic novel adaptations of classic novels. It's led to me having a lot of knowledge on many classics without ever having read the original works. And, for some reason, I read these graphic novels MANY times over. So certain panels have been burned into my brain.

This edition of Dracula is one of those books. Since I finally read the proper version this year, I repurchased my favorite comic adaptation. And it did not disappoint!

I have many fond memories of this book - it was such fun going over which lines and panels I still remember. And this follows the original book so well! My one complaint would be that the story moved along very quickly, but I don't much care. I had a splendid time. And I'm pleased to reintroduce my shelves to this book!

5/5 stars.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it twice because my mom said I could get a game after I read it...

[Samantha Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok for a comic but not one of my favorites that I have read

[Bear of MoonBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think you probably need some prior knowledge of the Dracula storyline in order to follow this. It's a bit choppy, with many time jumps. I enjoyed it though, and the illustrations were great too.

[Ulrica Kulturladyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Startade nya året med denna klassiker i serieformat. Kanske skulle vetat ännu mer om originalstoryn för att förstå, det här är verkligen en förkortad version.

[Jenny E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

En helt okej seriebok. Störde mig en del på lite dålig översättning, men på det stora hela var den bra.

Det börjar verkligen bli dags att läsa originalet ...

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For years I read and watched adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula before I even read the book. Beforehand I did not have the original to compare to, but now that I do, I still find myself enjoying them and not being overly critical, if I am critical at all sometimes.

This adaptation I couldn’t help myself though because even though the amount of the original story used is far better than expected there’s still something to be desired. It isn’t so much what has been cut out from the original, but what has been left out between panels so the story doesn’t flow smoothly in places, leaving it to feel disjointed and even confusing at times. I know I have mentioned in previous reviews for comics that I can get easily confused, but after doing my comic reading challenge and nearing the end of it, I’ve learnt to appreciate the difference between my problem of following and a graphic novels’ lack of seamlessness.

Other than that it isn’t a badly done graphic novel. It is aimed at a younger audience and that would probably explain the art. There isn’t anything wrong with the art, in fact it is pretty good, but for me it is too cute. Not only for an old school horror story, but for Dracula. That doesn’t feel right to me and I also feel that the story, and any sinister aspects it may have had, wasn’t at its full impact because of it. But if the art is done the way it was to help lesson the horror of it then, it has achieved what it was meant to do, which is cater to a younger audience with an intriguing story.

[Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

A major function that graphic novels of classics like this one serve is to provide access to the story for readers who have difficulty with the original text. I don't think that reading this book would allow a student to pass a test on the original novel because it diverges substantially from Stoker's classic text.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was addicted to this book in the sixth grade. I made all my friends read it, I screwed up the spine. I actually covered the pages where Lucy died because it upset me too much. The art style is unique and is the coolest depiction of Dracula the character I've ever seen.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went in wondering how one could adapt Dracula into such a short comic...then realized that it was probably easier than expected, if only from cutting out all of Van Helsing's interminable monologues. The team actually has some clever strategies to compress the story (I particularly like Jonathan recognizing Lucy's bitemarks at her funeral), though I do think the ending is a bit rushed, mostly because we don't get as much exploration of Mina's character. In contrast, I do like that Jonathan's shift from traumatized to badass is presented as more of an arc, even if it means that he doesn't get to be as badass as in the book.

I like the stylized art; it's cartoony in a way that doesn't completely detract from the horror, though it may make it more palatable to younger readers than something more realistic.

[Ellyn → Allonsythornraxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

09/08/2023
3 ⭐
Dracula is one of my favourite classics, so this was an absolute blast!

read for the graphicsathon 31 in 31 challenge!!

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[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly my favorite version of the story, including Stoker's. That's maybe going too far, but it reminds me of how I feel about Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings vs Tolkien's. Michael Mucci and Ben Caldwell keep the story and characters of the original intact while making a few, carefully considered changes to help illuminate some things or keep the story moving.

It loses the puzzle-solving that the epistolary nature of the novel forces on the reader, and that's something I miss, so I'm glad to have the story in both formats. This is the perfect introduction to Dracula for anyone interested in the story, but intimidated by what they've heard about the novel.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was hoping this would be a more coherent adaptation of the original (one of my all time favs!) to add to my classroom for readers who want an entry point into engaging with classics. However, I felt that as a graphic novel, it lacked the flow of storytelling needed to help struggling readers have closure through each page. It read like a choppy summary, fast forwarding through the novel. To be fair it would be very difficult to condense the original into such a small number of panels. Relying almost entirely on dialogue and hardly any captions also holds it back from capturing the full tone of the original. Ah well. Valiant effort?

[Moon Petrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely some harsh material to draw from for a book that’s clearly intended to appeal to lower middle grade readers. Of all the things they cut… why not cut the bit with the baby?! I don’t know, I thought it did the job, I guess, but I’ve read Dracula three times. Don’t know how well it would get the story across to someone who wasn’t already familiar with it. The art was good. Some of the characters seemed to come across pretty clearly. Wish there was more Renfield, but that’s just a personal preference… I love Renfield.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice easy presentation of the classic Dracula story (for all I know - I have been meaning to read the original for some time and this has really piqued my interest in getting around to it - a lot more depth and twists than I had ever really picked up from just knowing of pop culture "Dracula" mythos).

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

left out a lot of details, as is normal to an adaptation. but it felt rushed and sort of erased some nuance and commentary. it was entertaining tho, but it made me want to read the original for what it lacked. and i didn’t even really enjoy the og dracula very much. this adaptation just made me realize what there was to miss!

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is weird to me to read Dracula as a graphic novel, that said it was well written... I guess. I mean, there aren't really a lot of words in a graphic novel, although I think this had more than usual. Regardless, Chloe asked me to read it and I did. LOL! 😉😄

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as a book club selection, because otherwise this wouldn't normally be on my reading list. Not bad really and quite a surprise for me because I have never read a graphic novel before. I can see why readers enjoy them.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was fantastic from the art, the pacing of the story, etc.

[Bud Latanville · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice, quick read of Stoker's famous novel. the adaptation is well-done, keeping the characters and all major scenes. the Art is expressive and very nicely rendered and coloured.

[Abby Puhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Dracula written in graphic novel. I was very impressed by how closely it stayed to the actual book by Stoker!

[Kayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really interesting topic .It was really well drawn .It had really well illustration.I loved the topic.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this graphic novel adaptation of Dracula. The book sticks close to the original story and has fun, angular illustrations.

[Erin Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dracula is one of my favorite books and I always enjoy graphic novel adaptations. The artwork in this is beautiful

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great artwork, but the story was tamed down.

[READERS RETREAT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome audio book

[R · Rating 2 out of 5]

A creepy story with gross illustrations. Some of the characters are horrifying, while others are beautiful and ethereal. I have no desire to read the book, but this was interesting.