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Dark Shadows (Dynamite Entertainment) #1-4
Dark Shadows Volume One
Television''s original reluctant vampire is back! Barnabas Collins is re-adjusting to life under his vampiric curse. Haunted by terrifying dreams of his age-old lover and nemesis, Angelique, and fighting his bloodlust, Barnabas fears that danger lies ahead for all who live at Collinwood. Meanwhile, Barnabas'' ally and trusted friend Dr. Julia Hoffman is harboring secrets of her own... Collecting the first four issues of Dynamite''s Dark Shadows series, along with a complete cover gallery!
96 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 2, 2014
Das Paperback enthält die Hefte 1-4 der Reihe DARK SHADOWS. Erzählt wird die Geschichte der Familie Collins, die ein altes Anwesen in Maine bewohnt. So alt wie das Gemäuer sind auch die Geheimnisse, die die Familie umgibt; ein Vampir, ein Werwolf und eine vor 200 Jahren schief gelaufene Liebesbeziehung mit bösen Konsequenzen sind die Zutaten zu einer Horrorstory, die aus dem Jahr 1971 stammen könnte, in dem die Geschichte auch spielt.
Die ersten beiden Hefte haben zeichnerisch wie auch erzählerisch viel von den Horror-Comics der frühen Siebziger, die zweite Hälfte der Story fällt dann leider ab.
Die Handlung ist platt und unoriginell, nur die passable, stimmungsvolle Artwork rettet DARK SHADOWS vor dem Schlimmsten.
Verglichen mit den Zeitungsstrips der Serie, die Charme haben, bleibt nur ein
Fazit: Enttäuschend.
Die ersten beiden Hefte haben zeichnerisch wie auch erzählerisch viel von den Horror-Comics der frühen Siebziger, die zweite Hälfte der Story fällt dann leider ab.
Die Handlung ist platt und unoriginell, nur die passable, stimmungsvolle Artwork rettet DARK SHADOWS vor dem Schlimmsten.
Verglichen mit den Zeitungsstrips der Serie, die Charme haben, bleibt nur ein
Fazit: Enttäuschend.
June 24, 2012
I have mixed feelings about this one.
This is a sequel to original series 'The Dark Shadows' I watched that and liked it, but this doesn't feel right as a sequel. It does continue the story, sure. But it doesn't capture the essence.
I have some issues with Barnabas here. Its hard to explain what exactly bothers me so much, its a combination of things, there's no real energy to him. He seems like a wimp here and it puts me off.
I liked the new movie better that this. Most of the people who liked the original series love this comics and dislike the new movie. Its the other way around with me. In the movie, Barnabas also wasn't ecstatic about what Angelique did to him, but he fought back. Here all he does in mopes around and shouts "NOOOOOO!!" in horror after Angelique does something new to him. Its weak. And he insists on not drinking blood even if it weakens him. Another vegetarian emo. Does this remind you of something?
The only good thing about him here is that at least he doesn't sparkle!
Aside from Barnabas's pathetic displays, this comics has solid story and the artwork is so-so. Nothing spectacular.
This is a sequel to original series 'The Dark Shadows' I watched that and liked it, but this doesn't feel right as a sequel. It does continue the story, sure. But it doesn't capture the essence.
I have some issues with Barnabas here. Its hard to explain what exactly bothers me so much, its a combination of things, there's no real energy to him. He seems like a wimp here and it puts me off.
I liked the new movie better that this. Most of the people who liked the original series love this comics and dislike the new movie. Its the other way around with me. In the movie, Barnabas also wasn't ecstatic about what Angelique did to him, but he fought back. Here all he does in mopes around and shouts "NOOOOOO!!" in horror after Angelique does something new to him. Its weak. And he insists on not drinking blood even if it weakens him. Another vegetarian emo. Does this remind you of something?
The only good thing about him here is that at least he doesn't sparkle!
Aside from Barnabas's pathetic displays, this comics has solid story and the artwork is so-so. Nothing spectacular.
July 30, 2019
This series is special to me because rumor has it I may have been named after Quentin, the werewolf in this series. And my first novel was about a werewolf pack, go figure.
Anywho, I was pretty impressed with this series. I'm only somewhat familiar with the Dark Shadows cast of characters, but they are a pretty interesting bunch. This series managed to get some true horror across without becoming campy. The art is good, the atmosphere creepy, and overall I thought this was very entertaining. More die hard fans may have a different opinion because they would have a better idea of the source material, but to me this was a better than average horror comic and I'll be continuing with the series.
Anywho, I was pretty impressed with this series. I'm only somewhat familiar with the Dark Shadows cast of characters, but they are a pretty interesting bunch. This series managed to get some true horror across without becoming campy. The art is good, the atmosphere creepy, and overall I thought this was very entertaining. More die hard fans may have a different opinion because they would have a better idea of the source material, but to me this was a better than average horror comic and I'll be continuing with the series.
December 27, 2020
Wrapped up too quickly, Should have gone 5 issues maybe. A nice continuation of the TV series.
April 4, 2012
Graphic novel of the new Dynamite comic series. Volumes 1 - 4 are included in this book. I just received this book yesterday and read it in 1 hour. It was very good and much like the series Dark Shadows was. I don't remember if the story came from the old show or not. The story takes place in 1971 and Barnabas and Quentin are main characters. Dr Julia Hoffman is trying to cure Barnabas of his vampirism for the second time but it is not working well. The Collins family is acting strangely and while Angelique is thought to be dead, signs are brewing that shes just around the corner. Any Dark Shadows fan knows how it goes. I really bought this book for my brother but loved reading it myself. It brought back my memories of reading comics as a kid and my love of Dark Shadows as a show. Dynamite comics did a great job.
April 25, 2012
My mom LOVED Dark Shadows when it was daytime TV. In the mid 70's, when I was a kid, a local TV station began reunning it. They started the run not at the start, but with Barnabas Collins coming to Collinsport. I was hooked. My mom also had some novels written during the show's run, and I read those too.
This is a pretty good. It picks up after the soap went off the air in 1971. The writer makes a point to tell enough back story, so if you've never seen the show (or the 1991 remake) you can still enjoy the story.
I may just pick up the monthly comic now!
This is a pretty good. It picks up after the soap went off the air in 1971. The writer makes a point to tell enough back story, so if you've never seen the show (or the 1991 remake) you can still enjoy the story.
I may just pick up the monthly comic now!
July 27, 2015
Interesting story , somewhat murky artwork, although the actors were portrayed well.
Also it was good to see things back to basics, none of that alternate timeline nonsense.
Also it was good to see things back to basics, none of that alternate timeline nonsense.
June 24, 2023
Dark Shadows (2012) Dynamite Entertainment Series vol.1 - A Great Beginning
This is a great continuation of the original Dark Shadows TV show from the '60s. It picks up right where the show left off in 1971. The artwork is absolutely gorgeous! The characters actually look like the actors who portrayed them.
Hats off to Mr. Aaron Campbell for the phenomenal drawing job he did in these first four issues. And the writer of this tale, Mr. Stuart Manning, my hat's off to him as well! When reading these first four issues of this new Dark Shadows ongoing from 2012, I could not help but hear the actors voices every time any character spoke. It's quite remarkable how Mr. Manning has captured all of their voices.
I could hear Jonathan Frid as Barnabas when he was speaking or Lara Parker as Angelique etc etc. He manages to capture the different vocal styles of each character absolutely perfectly. There's nothing about this story I would change. The way he brought back Angelique was a stroke of genius!
Hopefully, other characters like Professor Stokes or Nicholas Blair will show up in this comic as it continues on. This graphic novel only contains the first four issues of this 2012 Dark Shadows comic series. To read the rest, you have to go on Comixology and either buy them or, if you have a Comixology Unlimited membership, borrow them. But there are no other trades available for this series.
Overall, the whole series consists of 23 issues. So I recommend that if you really enjoyed reading this trade, then go get the rest of the series. I was so happy to find it available on Comixology Unlimited and I took out the whole series. It's nice to be able to read this whole story finally because I did buy this trade awhile ago and I was highly disappointed when I saw that Dynamite had not released any other ones collecting this series.
There were no more trades aftef vol.1and no omnibus' either. The only reason I can come up with as to why there were no other trade releases must be because Dynamite lost the license for Dark Shadows shortly after this series ended. There have been no other Dark Shadows comics from Dynamite Entertainment since the early-2010s. That's why I think they lost the license to create new Dark Shadows comics.
But, whatever the reason is, this series is a real work of love and every Dark Shadows fan should give it a try. You won't be sorry 🙂.
Pleasant nightmares 🎃🕸🕷
This is a great continuation of the original Dark Shadows TV show from the '60s. It picks up right where the show left off in 1971. The artwork is absolutely gorgeous! The characters actually look like the actors who portrayed them.
Hats off to Mr. Aaron Campbell for the phenomenal drawing job he did in these first four issues. And the writer of this tale, Mr. Stuart Manning, my hat's off to him as well! When reading these first four issues of this new Dark Shadows ongoing from 2012, I could not help but hear the actors voices every time any character spoke. It's quite remarkable how Mr. Manning has captured all of their voices.
I could hear Jonathan Frid as Barnabas when he was speaking or Lara Parker as Angelique etc etc. He manages to capture the different vocal styles of each character absolutely perfectly. There's nothing about this story I would change. The way he brought back Angelique was a stroke of genius!
Hopefully, other characters like Professor Stokes or Nicholas Blair will show up in this comic as it continues on. This graphic novel only contains the first four issues of this 2012 Dark Shadows comic series. To read the rest, you have to go on Comixology and either buy them or, if you have a Comixology Unlimited membership, borrow them. But there are no other trades available for this series.
Overall, the whole series consists of 23 issues. So I recommend that if you really enjoyed reading this trade, then go get the rest of the series. I was so happy to find it available on Comixology Unlimited and I took out the whole series. It's nice to be able to read this whole story finally because I did buy this trade awhile ago and I was highly disappointed when I saw that Dynamite had not released any other ones collecting this series.
There were no more trades aftef vol.1and no omnibus' either. The only reason I can come up with as to why there were no other trade releases must be because Dynamite lost the license for Dark Shadows shortly after this series ended. There have been no other Dark Shadows comics from Dynamite Entertainment since the early-2010s. That's why I think they lost the license to create new Dark Shadows comics.
But, whatever the reason is, this series is a real work of love and every Dark Shadows fan should give it a try. You won't be sorry 🙂.
Pleasant nightmares 🎃🕸🕷
October 16, 2025
While waiting on the new graphic novel from Craig Hurd-McKenney I decided I'd revisit this Dynamite run. I had forgotten how enjoyable I found this first arc, it gets off to a pretty strong start, and to me feels pretty close to the show. All the dialogue felt true to the characters, aside from the werewolf stuff. But either way, a fun story.
November 7, 2021
I'm a big dark shadows fan so of course once I heard this existed I had to devour it. The art could be better but I appreciate that they knew the characters and used a good mix of them. The eternal struggle that is Barnabas and Angelique!
August 24, 2025
Outstanding work that has the t.v show feel!
I am so glad that I found this series of comics that are good as the t.v. show. I am 65 and remember running home to look at the show. It was the most important part of my viewing after school. A new fan!
I am so glad that I found this series of comics that are good as the t.v. show. I am 65 and remember running home to look at the show. It was the most important part of my viewing after school. A new fan!
February 8, 2020
Fun read. I enjoyed the fast paced story and beautiful art.
The art looks fantastic. The story is well paced and fun. I really enjoyed the comic. It's worth your time.
The art looks fantastic. The story is well paced and fun. I really enjoyed the comic. It's worth your time.
September 17, 2020
Updating my TBR list. I read this one, and you can find my short review of it here: https://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.c...
November 4, 2020
Old school style, a story that actually makes a fair bit of sense, dialogue that isn't completely over the top. Not quite my favourite comic so far, but I was pleasantly surprised!
December 14, 2022
Takes a minute to get going, but is a wonderful revisit of the 1971 world of Collinsport.
June 25, 2024
Excellent
A continuation of the original show. Fast paced, great characterization, cool colours, the right mood from the series. Well done. Super entertaining. Highly recommended.
A continuation of the original show. Fast paced, great characterization, cool colours, the right mood from the series. Well done. Super entertaining. Highly recommended.
September 9, 2025
Story does nothing to catch the reader's attention and the art is quite bad.
October 30, 2025
Fun read. For fans of Dark Shadows
Fans of Dark Shadows and stories like it will enjoy this gothic read. Great story. Beautiful art. An eerie atmosphere.
Fans of Dark Shadows and stories like it will enjoy this gothic read. Great story. Beautiful art. An eerie atmosphere.
October 17, 2012
I have only limited experience with the original Dark Shadows soap opera, but am familiar enough with the basic story through the 90's revival. This collection represents a continuation of the original series and, in many ways, suffers from it. It blatantly continues from where the original series left off, but without more than a cursory explanation of what the status quo is. Characters are mentioned in passing without any context and characters within the story are brought in without providing a full understanding of who these characters are and why they act the way they do. While this is fine for someone who has been a devout fan of the original series, it's somewhat alienating for anyone else. Beyond that, the events are presented in a somewhat pedestrian manner, robbing the story of a significant amount of suspense. Ultimately, it serves as an argument against a slavish devotion to the source material. While the recent Tim Burton film was too far away in tone from the original, the creators of this title may have been better off taking a lesson from the 90's television revival and started of fresh, maintaining the broad strokes of the original, but updating it in tone and setting for the modern day.
April 8, 2015
This is perfect. It delivered a groovy vampire, an evil witch, and a kick ass werewolf. The books artwork is nice, the pacing and dialog were enjoyable and crisp. The comic book captures the fun of the original soap, but allows for a pace that even those of us with short attention spans can appreciate. I really enjoyed this comic and have already read it about three times. If you like Dark Shadow you'll enjoy this. Too bad this wasn't the plot for that stupid movie with Johnny Depp.
Read
December 28, 2016What? A graphic novel/comic book on my good reads? But guys, it's Dark Shadows! How could I resist? Especially home sick from work a few days after Christmas? It was great fun..especially Barnabas and Quentin speaking like reasonable people while in full vampire and wolf man mode. Thanks Madeleine for the awesome Christmas present! I give it a 3.5 because nostalgia clouds my judgement on this one and I know it. I just don't care.
April 3, 2012
Now this is what Dark Shadows fans have been waiting for! This picks up where the TV series leaves off and it's just about perfect storywise. For everyone that's disappointed with the Dark Shadows (2012) film, you will find some solace here in this wonderful comic book. Loved this book and can't recommend it highly enough.
July 17, 2013
I found the story interesting enough and enjoyed it. However, I thought the graphics were terrible. Way too dark and, I don't know, vague. Maybe there were drawn that way because the story is dark and of a gothic nature, but I've seen better illustrations in other graphic novels whose story has been just as dark.
April 18, 2012
This is a relatively decent, albeit very simplistic, introduction to the original soap series - but probably not the silly-voiced/big glasses wearing Johnny Depp film.
April 24, 2012
I originally read these in single issue format, and loved every single one of them. THIS is the "Dark Shadows" I wanted from the new movie, and sadly didn't get.
May 24, 2012
Pretty good, but made a few mistakes in reference to the tv continuity (Quentin cannot control his transformations). I'll stick around for the next volume.
June 5, 2012
Simple little graphic novel that tries to take up the tale where the series ended and I would call it a fail.
September 4, 2014
A fairly well written visit with my first vampire and my first werewolf, all wrapped up in nice little package.
October 8, 2016
Ehhh, needs a bit more back story if you just pick up this one and start. Things happen without explanation for a volume one.
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October 14, 2013it's was great. I love the fact that quentin is in it .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews