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Dampyr #1
Dampyr #1: Devil's Son
In book one, haunted by horrible nightmares, Harlan Draka wanders the countryside, shamelessly making money pretending to be a Dampyr - half human/half vampire - ridding villages of what they naively believe are evil vampires. But when he is summoned by soldiers who are under attack by real vampires, Harlan learns the horrible truth: his nightmares are reality
96 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 17, 2024
QUI COMINCIA L'AVVENTURA
Sono arrivato a Dampyr un po' tardi, un anno dopo questo numero - e ci sono arrivato su suggerimento di un amico.
Mai stato grande frequentatore di fumetto seriale prima: ma Dampyr mi ha stregato.
E, non l'ho più abbandonato: ho recuperato anche gli arretrati e completato la collezione, che supera i 150 numeri, più gli Speciali, i Maxi.
Un appuntamento mensile al quale non so e non voglio resistere.
I miei numeri preferiti sono quelli dove i maestri della notte si alleano a forze economiche del male, si intromettono in guerre che conosciamo (Balcani, Africa, Cile...).
E Dampyr, alias Harla Draka, più che figlio del diavolo, è figlio di un vampiro.
Del film viene da dire che per essere una produzione italiana è notevole (budget di 15 milioni di euro! Ma ha incassato ben meno di mezzo milione, un disastro). Rimane però un compitino ben svolto, senza sorprese, senza invenzioni, se non quelle della storia che rendono la serie a fumetti così speciale.
Sono arrivato a Dampyr un po' tardi, un anno dopo questo numero - e ci sono arrivato su suggerimento di un amico.
Mai stato grande frequentatore di fumetto seriale prima: ma Dampyr mi ha stregato.
E, non l'ho più abbandonato: ho recuperato anche gli arretrati e completato la collezione, che supera i 150 numeri, più gli Speciali, i Maxi.
Un appuntamento mensile al quale non so e non voglio resistere.
I miei numeri preferiti sono quelli dove i maestri della notte si alleano a forze economiche del male, si intromettono in guerre che conosciamo (Balcani, Africa, Cile...).
E Dampyr, alias Harla Draka, più che figlio del diavolo, è figlio di un vampiro.
Del film viene da dire che per essere una produzione italiana è notevole (budget di 15 milioni di euro! Ma ha incassato ben meno di mezzo milione, un disastro). Rimane però un compitino ben svolto, senza sorprese, senza invenzioni, se non quelle della storia che rendono la serie a fumetti così speciale.
April 4, 2020
Soggetto interessante, storia un po' abusata.
March 28, 2024
Inizio molto interessante per questa serie di fumetti. Il finale sembra un po' affrettato, ma l'impostazione è sufficiente per incuriosire.
November 6, 2011
Picked up a couple of volumes of this while thrifting, and really enjoyed them.
I'm not really "into" vampires, but these have an engaging, if somewhat clumsy, narrative, which is based in the Baltic folklore of the offspring of a vampire and a human.
The story moves slowly for a graphic novel, but doesn't bore, though I'm not sure why. The dialogue is not particularly good (this might be in part a translation--from Italian--problem), the cast arc of an unlikely/reluctant set of heroes is hardly new, and even the art, while quite good, occasionally seems "choppy" from frame to frame. The overall unpolished impression it leaves (not too rare for black and white comics) doesn't really detract much though as the story is well plotted enough that it always seems to be going somewhere, even if the some of the plot points are awkwardly introduced via dialogue.
The backdrop is a Serbian/Croatian type war, though no specific groups are mentioned, and lo and behold, vampires enter the mix. Fortunately, one of the survivors of an initial attack not only recognizes what killed his fallen comrades, but knows of a man who was from childhood rumored to be a dampyr, a half-blood over whom vampires have no controll and whose blood is toxic to all real vampires.
Again, I'm not exactly sure what makes this stand out (perhaps the overt mocking of the more cliched moment--the converted vampire with a heart of gold) or that it by and large succeeds in staying logical within the frame of its own fantasy rules, but I enjoyed these enough to track down the subsequent volumes.
I'm not really "into" vampires, but these have an engaging, if somewhat clumsy, narrative, which is based in the Baltic folklore of the offspring of a vampire and a human.
The story moves slowly for a graphic novel, but doesn't bore, though I'm not sure why. The dialogue is not particularly good (this might be in part a translation--from Italian--problem), the cast arc of an unlikely/reluctant set of heroes is hardly new, and even the art, while quite good, occasionally seems "choppy" from frame to frame. The overall unpolished impression it leaves (not too rare for black and white comics) doesn't really detract much though as the story is well plotted enough that it always seems to be going somewhere, even if the some of the plot points are awkwardly introduced via dialogue.
The backdrop is a Serbian/Croatian type war, though no specific groups are mentioned, and lo and behold, vampires enter the mix. Fortunately, one of the survivors of an initial attack not only recognizes what killed his fallen comrades, but knows of a man who was from childhood rumored to be a dampyr, a half-blood over whom vampires have no controll and whose blood is toxic to all real vampires.
Again, I'm not exactly sure what makes this stand out (perhaps the overt mocking of the more cliched moment--the converted vampire with a heart of gold) or that it by and large succeeds in staying logical within the frame of its own fantasy rules, but I enjoyed these enough to track down the subsequent volumes.
August 14, 2012
Good, satisfying vampire tale. Set during the Balkan war of the early nineties, it has a troop of soldiers, cut off from their command and under attack from mysterious creatures, requisition a vampire-hunter in the form of local con-man "Dampyr". It's all groovy and very moviesque, right down to the last panel of the guy screaming his vengeance to the skies with his arms upraised. Would like to read the rest but when I looked how many books are in the series, it's hunners so maybe not. Then again, fuck it, it was very enjoyable, why not.
January 13, 2010
Long running Euro series gets an American make over and is a really fun, fresh, dark and twisted new take on Vampires and the "Dampyr" who can bring them down. Think as if Blade had grown up as a farmer's kid and became a low-life grifter who eventually comes to realize who and what he is. I really enjoyed it.
July 25, 2011
And the story begins... Nothing really special, but I'm hooked anyway :)!
January 8, 2019
I picked this out at random, usually I find most comics bad or mediocre, and I thought this was better than that. 3.5 stars were that possible. Dark stuff.
December 27, 2019
4.6☆
This was great. To put it simply, I loved it. It was fun, had good humour and it was actually interesting. Will be reading more.
This was great. To put it simply, I loved it. It was fun, had good humour and it was actually interesting. Will be reading more.
July 8, 2012
I found 8 volumes of this Italian comic-book series at at library sale. The art seemed interesting (I'm drawn to black & white comics rather than to color), so I bought them.
I'm not into vampire stories, generally speaking. They are usually so formulaic.
I'd never heard of a "Dampyr," though. A dampyr is the offspring of a vampire and a human. Supposedly, a dampyr's blood is poisonous to vampires.
So, our existential hero, who doesn't believe that he's really a dampyr, finds out that he really is. And he's been enlisted in the war effort in what seems to be some a burnt-out Serbo-Croatian village.
I don't know how many volumes are in this series, or if it has been completed.
I'm not into vampire stories, generally speaking. They are usually so formulaic.
I'd never heard of a "Dampyr," though. A dampyr is the offspring of a vampire and a human. Supposedly, a dampyr's blood is poisonous to vampires.
So, our existential hero, who doesn't believe that he's really a dampyr, finds out that he really is. And he's been enlisted in the war effort in what seems to be some a burnt-out Serbo-Croatian village.
I don't know how many volumes are in this series, or if it has been completed.
April 29, 2016
Muun muassa Tex Willerin parissa meritoituneen Mauro Bosellin "Paholaisen poika" (Arktinen Banaani, 2005) on italialaisen Dampyr-kauhusarjakuvan ensimmäinen osa. Jonnekin Jugoslavian hajoamissotiin sijoittuvassa tarinassa kohdataan Harlan Draka, ihmisnaisen ja vampyyrin välinen poika, jolla on kyky vastustaa ja tuhota inhoja verenimijöitä. Hän pääseekin testaamaan kykyjään sodan keskelle joutuneessa pikkukylässä, jonne saapunut sotilasjoukko saa kimppuunsa vampyyrilauman.
Sarjakuva ei sinänsä ole mitenkään erityisen omaperäinen, mutta onpahan nyt kuitenkin niin jännittävän ja verisen tarinansa kuin tyylikkään mustavalkokuvituksensa puolesta pätevä lajityyppinsä edustaja.
Sarjakuva ei sinänsä ole mitenkään erityisen omaperäinen, mutta onpahan nyt kuitenkin niin jännittävän ja verisen tarinansa kuin tyylikkään mustavalkokuvituksensa puolesta pätevä lajityyppinsä edustaja.
April 23, 2026
Curioso inicio, mucho más contemporáneo y realista de lo que esperaba, ya que está ambientado en la Guerra de los Balcanes con ejércitos modernos y con población civil y es que tanto los soldados como los ciudadanos de a pie resultan una comida apetitosa para los vampiros (que además visten como punkis o como góticos de los 90). Con esto queda demostrado que los inicios de Dampyr no dependen mucho del horror de época ni de mansiones o castillos transilvanos, al menos de momento. Eso sí, el héroe maldito, Harlan Draka, está en una búsqueda, en un proceso de autoconocimiento que sí tiene sus raíces en los crímenes y en los documentos que dejó su padre chupasangre a lo largo de los siglos.
Esto hace probable que a través de flashbacks, visiones o viajes místicos podamos ver en algún número sucesos del pasado, quién sabe. Los extraños compañeros del prota tienen también un perfil curioso, porque se les podría considerar desertores o rebeldes en cierta manera, uno reniega de la crueldad de sus compañeros de armas y otra de su manada nocturna antinatural. Hay por lo tanto 3 personajes que están buscando su humanidad, con independencia de su origen o de su bando. La acción es considerable, aunque yo hubiera preferido algo más de misterio y de folclore, de hecho se me antoja más parecido a 'Los viajeros de la noche' o a 'Abierto hasta el amanecer' antes que a una obra del estilo de Drácula, para que os hagáis una idea.
ENGLISH
A curious start, much more contemporary and realistic than I expected, as it's set during the Balkan War with modern armies and a civilian population. Both soldiers and ordinary citizens prove to be tempting prey for vampires (who also dress like punks or 90s goths). This demonstrates that Dampyr's beginnings don't rely heavily on period horror or Transylvanian mansions and castles, at least not yet. However, the cursed hero, Harlan Draka, is on a quest, a journey of self-discovery rooted in the crimes and documents left behind by his bloodsucking father over the centuries.
This makes it likely that through flashbacks, visions, or mystical journeys, we might see past events in some way—who knows? The protagonist's strange companions also have curious profiles, as they could be considered deserters or rebels in a way: one renounces the cruelty of his comrades-in-arms, and the other, her unnatural nocturnal pack. Therefore, there are three characters searching for their humanity, regardless of their origins or allegiances. The action is considerable, although I would have preferred a bit more mystery and folklore; in fact, it strikes me as more similar to 'Near Dark' or 'From Dusk Till Dawn' than to a work in the style of Dracula, to give you an idea.
Esto hace probable que a través de flashbacks, visiones o viajes místicos podamos ver en algún número sucesos del pasado, quién sabe. Los extraños compañeros del prota tienen también un perfil curioso, porque se les podría considerar desertores o rebeldes en cierta manera, uno reniega de la crueldad de sus compañeros de armas y otra de su manada nocturna antinatural. Hay por lo tanto 3 personajes que están buscando su humanidad, con independencia de su origen o de su bando. La acción es considerable, aunque yo hubiera preferido algo más de misterio y de folclore, de hecho se me antoja más parecido a 'Los viajeros de la noche' o a 'Abierto hasta el amanecer' antes que a una obra del estilo de Drácula, para que os hagáis una idea.
ENGLISH
A curious start, much more contemporary and realistic than I expected, as it's set during the Balkan War with modern armies and a civilian population. Both soldiers and ordinary citizens prove to be tempting prey for vampires (who also dress like punks or 90s goths). This demonstrates that Dampyr's beginnings don't rely heavily on period horror or Transylvanian mansions and castles, at least not yet. However, the cursed hero, Harlan Draka, is on a quest, a journey of self-discovery rooted in the crimes and documents left behind by his bloodsucking father over the centuries.
This makes it likely that through flashbacks, visions, or mystical journeys, we might see past events in some way—who knows? The protagonist's strange companions also have curious profiles, as they could be considered deserters or rebels in a way: one renounces the cruelty of his comrades-in-arms, and the other, her unnatural nocturnal pack. Therefore, there are three characters searching for their humanity, regardless of their origins or allegiances. The action is considerable, although I would have preferred a bit more mystery and folklore; in fact, it strikes me as more similar to 'Near Dark' or 'From Dusk Till Dawn' than to a work in the style of Dracula, to give you an idea.
April 2, 2026
Prva epizoda serijala vodi nas do zabacenog sela Yorvolak u vojnoj zoni. Ono sto me iznenadilo vec i kod prvog citanja epizode je nacin na koji Harlan sazna da ima svoje moci. Cijeli zivot vara ljude govoreci kako je Dampyr da bi se na kraju ispostavilo kako je za stvarno! Moram priznati i kako je trenutak u kojem je Harlan stupio na scenu (str 28) bas sjajno prikazan, odlican scenski nastup bas djeluje kao da je iz nekog filma. Prica je dobra, iako ne vrhunska kao neke koje slijede. Za prvi broj rekao bih sasvim pristojna, upoznajemo se s 3 glavna lika - Harlanom, Kurjakom i Teslom te njih troje na kraju epizode obave zajedno i prvu zajednicku akciju. Izbor vampira za neprijatelje u prvoj epizodi je bio sasvim logican i opravdao je moja ocekivanja. Ipak su vampiri Dampyrovi primarni neprijatelji, a ovdje smo saznali i kako osim obicnih vampira postoje i gospodari noci koji imaju puno vece moci i protiv kojih ce se u biti Harlan morati obracunavati.
Prvi put kad samcitao, dao sam 8 za crtez, medutim naknadno kako sam citao dalje serijal, uvidio sam kakav sve crtez moze imati ovaj serijal, tako da ovo je ipak nesto losija izvedba. Prema tome, spustam ocjenu na 7. Crtez odise tom nekom mracnom atmosferom koju vise-manje svi Dampyrovi crtaci i uspjevaju postici, medutim Majo ima problema s prikazom likova, narocito mi Kurjak nije licio na samoga sebe. Smijesno je to i reci imajuci u vidu kako je ovo prvi Dampyrov broj i Majo bi kao prvi crtac serijala trebao likovima dati one njihove prave crte lica. Ali bit ce i Majo u buducnosti puno bolji, narocito od epizode "Vukodlaci". Naslovnica je tipicna za prvi broj nekog novog serijala, onako pozerska s glavnim likom u prvom planu.
Zanimljivosti:
- kronoloski gledano 1. Dampyrova avantura
- 1. rad Bosellija i Colomba na scenariju te prvi Majov rad na crtezu, a takoder i prva suradnja Boselli/Colombo - Majo.
- epizoda je originalno izasla u travnju 2000. godine.
- drzava u kojoj se radnja odvija nije navedena te znamo samo kako je rijec o balkanskoj zemlji
- str 17, saznajemo da su Kurjakova zena i sin poginuli u bombardiranju
- saznajemo kako je Harlanova majka umrla pri porodaju te da je Harlan roden 1945. godine
- Gorka je Teslu pretvorio u vampira
- u Dampyrovom snu vidimo i 3 sestre
- Negativci: Gorka - gospodar noci
- Likovi: Kurjak, Tesla, Gorka, Lajoš, Ištvan, Yuri, Harlanove tetke (u snu), Harlanova majka (u snu)
- Lokacija: Yorvolak, bezimeni grad
Prvi put kad samcitao, dao sam 8 za crtez, medutim naknadno kako sam citao dalje serijal, uvidio sam kakav sve crtez moze imati ovaj serijal, tako da ovo je ipak nesto losija izvedba. Prema tome, spustam ocjenu na 7. Crtez odise tom nekom mracnom atmosferom koju vise-manje svi Dampyrovi crtaci i uspjevaju postici, medutim Majo ima problema s prikazom likova, narocito mi Kurjak nije licio na samoga sebe. Smijesno je to i reci imajuci u vidu kako je ovo prvi Dampyrov broj i Majo bi kao prvi crtac serijala trebao likovima dati one njihove prave crte lica. Ali bit ce i Majo u buducnosti puno bolji, narocito od epizode "Vukodlaci". Naslovnica je tipicna za prvi broj nekog novog serijala, onako pozerska s glavnim likom u prvom planu.
Zanimljivosti:
- kronoloski gledano 1. Dampyrova avantura
- 1. rad Bosellija i Colomba na scenariju te prvi Majov rad na crtezu, a takoder i prva suradnja Boselli/Colombo - Majo.
- epizoda je originalno izasla u travnju 2000. godine.
- drzava u kojoj se radnja odvija nije navedena te znamo samo kako je rijec o balkanskoj zemlji
- str 17, saznajemo da su Kurjakova zena i sin poginuli u bombardiranju
- saznajemo kako je Harlanova majka umrla pri porodaju te da je Harlan roden 1945. godine
- Gorka je Teslu pretvorio u vampira
- u Dampyrovom snu vidimo i 3 sestre
- Negativci: Gorka - gospodar noci
- Likovi: Kurjak, Tesla, Gorka, Lajoš, Ištvan, Yuri, Harlanove tetke (u snu), Harlanova majka (u snu)
- Lokacija: Yorvolak, bezimeni grad
January 9, 2019
A experiência que tive aqui foi completamente diferente do que esperava, para o lado positivo, tanto que se tornou uma das minhas estreias favoritas de uma série na casa italiana: https://www.planocritico.com/critica-...
November 20, 2019
Majo desaponta na arte, mas Boselli constrói uma ótima história, que termina num ponto alto e te faz querer continuar lendo mais dos personagens.
March 22, 2022
Alun huteruuden jälkeen alkoi antamaan lupasta paljon paremmasta tulevaisuudesta. Ehkä tästä sarjasta tulee parasta ikinä.
April 24, 2022
Un guión cargado de improvisaciones y diálogos mal trabajados que suenan más a justificación de argumento que a palabras de un personaje.
Muy flojo.
Muy flojo.
February 17, 2014
Se eu não soubesse que a série Dampyr se resume sempre ao mesmo até ficaria intrigado por este primeiro número. Mas se calhar não seria má ideia explicar melhor. Dampyr é um personagem de fumetti de vertente sobrenatural. Sendo fumetti, não tenho que dizer que é italiano, pois não? Filho da união entre uma mulher humana e um vampiro primordial, este Dampyr tem a capacidade de eliminar vampiros graças ao seu sangue tóxico para as criaturas da noite. Caçador destas entidades sobrenaturais, percorre o mundo acompanhado dos seus fiéis companheiros, entre os quais se encontra uma vampira que se esforça por manter a sua humanidade, a combater a ameaça das tenebrosas criaturas que subsistem sugando o sangue humano.
Este primeiro episódio, que nos leva a conhecer a personagem e a sua história, surpreende pela visceralidade inicial. Os argumentistas não fazem por menos, levando-nos para a violência extrema da guerra na ex-jugoslávia e para uma aldeia na terra de ninguém onde os sanguinários guerrilheiros se vão deparar com um perigo ainda maior do que os advindos da xenofobia potenciada a balas de AK47.
Este primeiro episódio, que nos leva a conhecer a personagem e a sua história, surpreende pela visceralidade inicial. Os argumentistas não fazem por menos, levando-nos para a violência extrema da guerra na ex-jugoslávia e para uma aldeia na terra de ninguém onde os sanguinários guerrilheiros se vão deparar com um perigo ainda maior do que os advindos da xenofobia potenciada a balas de AK47.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2015
Recupero d'annata.
Non è proprio il mio genere preferito, però la storia è carina.
Risente molto dell'epoca in cui è stato scritto, e a volte le opinioni dell'autore, riguardo alla guerra e le sue vittime ad esempio, sono un pò troppo invasive.
Per il resto, i disegni sono nella norma e la trama scorre.
Se conoscete la serie di videogiochi Castlevania, non troverete però nulla di originale.
Non è proprio il mio genere preferito, però la storia è carina.
Risente molto dell'epoca in cui è stato scritto, e a volte le opinioni dell'autore, riguardo alla guerra e le sue vittime ad esempio, sono un pò troppo invasive.
Per il resto, i disegni sono nella norma e la trama scorre.
Se conoscete la serie di videogiochi Castlevania, non troverete però nulla di originale.
February 7, 2016
Modern vampir avcısı hikayelerini merak edenler için birebir bir çizgi roman. Kesinlikle alınıp okunması gereken bir seri. Siyah beyaz ve çizimleri çok hoş. İşlenen öykü, aralarda verilen bilgiler ayrıca çok güzel.
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