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Essential Tomb of Dracula #2
Essential Tomb of Dracula, Vol. 2
Collecting Tomb Of Dracula #26-49, Giant-Size Dracula #2-5, Dr. Strange #14 ,and one page of The Wedding of Dracula #1.
592 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1990
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119 people want to read
About the author
Marv Wolfman
2,304 books306 followersMarvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 9, 2016
Marvel Comics did a good take on the Dracula legend in this comic series. The awesome Gene Colan art was perfect for the story. Recommended.
November 25, 2024
Another awesome volume. There's not much to say that I didn't say in the first review, but this remains the greatest horror comic ever in my opinion. (As far as ongoing series go. Anthologies are a little different, but as far as a continuous story goes, this one is the best.)
While the stories are great, the art truly makes the book. There couldn't have been a better art team for this book than Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. The used used to creep me out as a kid, and honestly, it still creeps me out.
Great vampire comic, Marvel really caught lightning in a bottle with this one.
While the stories are great, the art truly makes the book. There couldn't have been a better art team for this book than Gene Colan and Tom Palmer. The used used to creep me out as a kid, and honestly, it still creeps me out.
Great vampire comic, Marvel really caught lightning in a bottle with this one.
June 22, 2016
When the Comics Code restrictions on horror were loosened in the 1970s, DC primarily went in for horror anthology comics, while Marvel Comics based entire series around horrific heroes and villains. One of these was the classic (and public domain) character of Vlad Tepes, aka Count Dracula.
This series revealed that Bram Stoker’s book (highly recommended if you haven’t read it, by the way) was highly fictionalized, and Dracula had not in fact finally died at the end of it, only being very inconvenienced. He had been various places, doing various things, temporarily being put of commission now and then…and this storyline opened with him once again being awakened to start his reign of terror anew.
Opposing the Lord of Vampires was a crew of vampire hunters including Quincy Harker (the son of Jonathan and Mina), now an elderly man confined to a wheelchair by injuries received in past battles with Dracula; Rachel van Helsing (great-granddaughter of Professor van Helsing) a crossbow-wielder who wasn’t always as effective as she’d like; Frank Drake, a descendant of Dracula (before becoming a vampire) who had wasted his wealth and had to man up over the course of the series; and Taj Nital, an Indian man who had been rendered mute when Dracula injured his throat. Independent of them were Blade, who only hunted Dracula because he hated all vampires due to the murder of his mother by Deacon Frost, and Hannibal King, a detective that Deacon Frost had turned into a vampire, who avoided taking blood from living humans.
Of course, Dracula didn’t just have vampire hunters after him, but people who either wanted to become lord of all vampires themselves or otherwise exploit him. The most persistent of these was Doctor Sun, a Chinese scientist who’d been turned into a disembodied brain hooked up to a computer, who wanted to take over the world.
At the start of this volume, Dracula learns of the current whereabouts of an artifact called the Chimera, which re-sparks his desire to conquer the world himself. (He’d had to put that on hold as a vampire army large enough to take over would promptly drink the rest of humanity to extinction, and then where would they be?) Fortunately for the world, Dracula is not the only one after the artifact, and it ends up smashed.
Dracula has noticed his powers waning, and this leads him to a near-final confrontation with Quincy Harker, before learning that it is in fact Doctor Sun behind it, and the action moves to Boston. There the cast adds nebbish “true vampire story” writer Harold H. Harold and lovely but ditsy secretary Aurora Rabinowitz, who act as comic relief.
After the Doctor Sun situation is resolved, Dracula takes control of a local Satanist cult and marries a woman named Domini, who he believes will give him a proper heir. (The leader of the Satanists, of course, has other plans.)
Mixed throughout this volume are soap-opera subplots involving the various supporting cast, and interludes of Dracula’s adventures in other times and places. Marv Wolfman’s writing is often excellent, but he sometimes doesn’t consult previous issues, resulting in some minor continuity glitches. Gene Colan’s art is more consistently outstanding, and fits the mood well, especially in this black and white reprint. (Some stories from the Giant-Size side series are included, with art by the less impressive but very competent Don Heck.)
Make no mistake, Dracula is the main villain here, and rare is the issue where he does not murder at least one innocent person just to remind us of that. Much of his time is taken up with petty revenge against people who have crossed him and when he acts against other villains, it’s usually out of pride or personal vendetta. Every once in a while, he does show a moment of kindness, but the door soon slams shut when his darker nature prevails. Because he’s the title character, Dracula has what TV Tropes calls “Joker Immunity”; he can never be permanently killed off, only temporarily thwarted, so the heroes seem ineffectual. (Quincy Harker broods about this frequently.)
These stories do take place in the Marvel Universe, though this series avoids most of the implications of that. Brother Voodoo helps Frank Drake through a bad patch in his life, and Doctor Strange actually temporarily kills Dracula (but is hypnotized not to notice it’s not permanent until later.)
In addition to the expected violence (but relatively little gore–the Comics Code was still in effect), Dracula’s attacks on women are often treated in a sexualized manner. There are some instances of suicide, both voluntary and forced. Dracula is also depicted as being racist (mostly against Blade) and sexist (he is not at all kind to the memory of Lucy Westerna.)
And speaking of sexism, one story includes a woman who’s a bit of a “straw feminist”; the owner of a fashion house who only hires women even if a man would be more competent at the job (except one dress designer who might be gay given the coding) and who has an enormous grudge against the various men who tried to keep her down. Dracula agrees to kill her enemies in exchange for information she can get more efficiently than he, but leaves her in a sticky situation at the end of the story.
Despite often high melodrama, there are some very well-written moments as well.
Recommended for vampire comics fans, Blade fans who want to see his early adventures, and those who enjoy Gene Colan’s art.
This series revealed that Bram Stoker’s book (highly recommended if you haven’t read it, by the way) was highly fictionalized, and Dracula had not in fact finally died at the end of it, only being very inconvenienced. He had been various places, doing various things, temporarily being put of commission now and then…and this storyline opened with him once again being awakened to start his reign of terror anew.
Opposing the Lord of Vampires was a crew of vampire hunters including Quincy Harker (the son of Jonathan and Mina), now an elderly man confined to a wheelchair by injuries received in past battles with Dracula; Rachel van Helsing (great-granddaughter of Professor van Helsing) a crossbow-wielder who wasn’t always as effective as she’d like; Frank Drake, a descendant of Dracula (before becoming a vampire) who had wasted his wealth and had to man up over the course of the series; and Taj Nital, an Indian man who had been rendered mute when Dracula injured his throat. Independent of them were Blade, who only hunted Dracula because he hated all vampires due to the murder of his mother by Deacon Frost, and Hannibal King, a detective that Deacon Frost had turned into a vampire, who avoided taking blood from living humans.
Of course, Dracula didn’t just have vampire hunters after him, but people who either wanted to become lord of all vampires themselves or otherwise exploit him. The most persistent of these was Doctor Sun, a Chinese scientist who’d been turned into a disembodied brain hooked up to a computer, who wanted to take over the world.
At the start of this volume, Dracula learns of the current whereabouts of an artifact called the Chimera, which re-sparks his desire to conquer the world himself. (He’d had to put that on hold as a vampire army large enough to take over would promptly drink the rest of humanity to extinction, and then where would they be?) Fortunately for the world, Dracula is not the only one after the artifact, and it ends up smashed.
Dracula has noticed his powers waning, and this leads him to a near-final confrontation with Quincy Harker, before learning that it is in fact Doctor Sun behind it, and the action moves to Boston. There the cast adds nebbish “true vampire story” writer Harold H. Harold and lovely but ditsy secretary Aurora Rabinowitz, who act as comic relief.
After the Doctor Sun situation is resolved, Dracula takes control of a local Satanist cult and marries a woman named Domini, who he believes will give him a proper heir. (The leader of the Satanists, of course, has other plans.)
Mixed throughout this volume are soap-opera subplots involving the various supporting cast, and interludes of Dracula’s adventures in other times and places. Marv Wolfman’s writing is often excellent, but he sometimes doesn’t consult previous issues, resulting in some minor continuity glitches. Gene Colan’s art is more consistently outstanding, and fits the mood well, especially in this black and white reprint. (Some stories from the Giant-Size side series are included, with art by the less impressive but very competent Don Heck.)
Make no mistake, Dracula is the main villain here, and rare is the issue where he does not murder at least one innocent person just to remind us of that. Much of his time is taken up with petty revenge against people who have crossed him and when he acts against other villains, it’s usually out of pride or personal vendetta. Every once in a while, he does show a moment of kindness, but the door soon slams shut when his darker nature prevails. Because he’s the title character, Dracula has what TV Tropes calls “Joker Immunity”; he can never be permanently killed off, only temporarily thwarted, so the heroes seem ineffectual. (Quincy Harker broods about this frequently.)
These stories do take place in the Marvel Universe, though this series avoids most of the implications of that. Brother Voodoo helps Frank Drake through a bad patch in his life, and Doctor Strange actually temporarily kills Dracula (but is hypnotized not to notice it’s not permanent until later.)
In addition to the expected violence (but relatively little gore–the Comics Code was still in effect), Dracula’s attacks on women are often treated in a sexualized manner. There are some instances of suicide, both voluntary and forced. Dracula is also depicted as being racist (mostly against Blade) and sexist (he is not at all kind to the memory of Lucy Westerna.)
And speaking of sexism, one story includes a woman who’s a bit of a “straw feminist”; the owner of a fashion house who only hires women even if a man would be more competent at the job (except one dress designer who might be gay given the coding) and who has an enormous grudge against the various men who tried to keep her down. Dracula agrees to kill her enemies in exchange for information she can get more efficiently than he, but leaves her in a sticky situation at the end of the story.
Despite often high melodrama, there are some very well-written moments as well.
Recommended for vampire comics fans, Blade fans who want to see his early adventures, and those who enjoy Gene Colan’s art.
January 4, 2015
As with the 1st volume, good stuff! Art is great, as is the writing. A lot of reading, but that's ok with me.
Love it when Dracula calls someone a "Dolt"! HA!
Doctor Strange pops up here. And Dracula;a comes to America!!!
All in all I loved it.
Love it when Dracula calls someone a "Dolt"! HA!
Doctor Strange pops up here. And Dracula;a comes to America!!!
All in all I loved it.
April 25, 2019
Interamente scritto da Marv Wolfman e disegnato da Gene Colan e Tom Palmer (a parte i 4 Giant-size Dracula, tutti abbastanza scarsi, ma disegnati e scritti da altri) questo secondo essential ha una buona qualità generale, ma inferiore rispetto al primo. Il problema è di Wolfman, che cerca di mettere troppa carne al fuoco e non riesce poi a seguire le vicende dei personaggi comprimari perché le frammenta troppo. Invece di diluire in una decina di albi le vicende personali di Taj, Frank Drake, Quincy Harker, Rachel Van Helsing, avrebbe fatto meglio a orchestrare una serie di storie singole come ha fatto altre volte nella serie.
Ottima la storia che vede lo scontro quasi decisivo tra Dracula e Quincy Harker, ad esempio. O quella in cui affronta la polizia londinese.
In generale Dracula è sempre il Protagonista con la P maiuscola, e la prima parte, con il confronto finale contro il dr. Sun e la sua morte è notevole, e inaspettato. Purtroppo la resurrezione di Dracula è troppo scontata e scarsamente ispirata, e stride enormemente con la sua morte. Interessante il trasferimento delle vicende in USA, a Boston, nel New England che evoca Salem, i puritani, la caccia alle streghe e molto soprannaturale. Abbiamo anche un altro paio di comprimari, che cercano di essere una nota umoristica in una serie tendenzialmente cupa e crudele. Perché Drac è crudele e spietato, e lo dimostra molte volte in molti modi.
Imprevista l'idea di un matrimonio satanico di Dracula, e della creazione tramite magia (essendo un cadavere, Dracula non procrea nel modo classico) di un figlio, da contrapporre al "figlio di Dio" mai nominato ma solo mostrato in ritratto (ovviamente Gesù). Sebbene Domini, la moglie di Dracula, sia un personaggio insipido, molto più di Marianne, la vampira che chiederà a Dracula di porre fine alle sue sofferenze con un paletto; Lupeski, il capo dei satanisti, è già più intrigante.
Sul finale ritornano anche Blade e Hannibal King, che uniscono le forze per la prima volta, nonostante le loro naturali divergenze, ponendo le basi per il revival dei Nightstalkers degli anni '90.
La parte grafica è sempre ottima e grazie al bianco e nero risaltano al meglio le capacità di Gene Colan e Tom Palmer.
Ottima la storia che vede lo scontro quasi decisivo tra Dracula e Quincy Harker, ad esempio. O quella in cui affronta la polizia londinese.
In generale Dracula è sempre il Protagonista con la P maiuscola, e la prima parte, con il confronto finale contro il dr. Sun e la sua morte è notevole, e inaspettato. Purtroppo la resurrezione di Dracula è troppo scontata e scarsamente ispirata, e stride enormemente con la sua morte. Interessante il trasferimento delle vicende in USA, a Boston, nel New England che evoca Salem, i puritani, la caccia alle streghe e molto soprannaturale. Abbiamo anche un altro paio di comprimari, che cercano di essere una nota umoristica in una serie tendenzialmente cupa e crudele. Perché Drac è crudele e spietato, e lo dimostra molte volte in molti modi.
Imprevista l'idea di un matrimonio satanico di Dracula, e della creazione tramite magia (essendo un cadavere, Dracula non procrea nel modo classico) di un figlio, da contrapporre al "figlio di Dio" mai nominato ma solo mostrato in ritratto (ovviamente Gesù). Sebbene Domini, la moglie di Dracula, sia un personaggio insipido, molto più di Marianne, la vampira che chiederà a Dracula di porre fine alle sue sofferenze con un paletto; Lupeski, il capo dei satanisti, è già più intrigante.
Sul finale ritornano anche Blade e Hannibal King, che uniscono le forze per la prima volta, nonostante le loro naturali divergenze, ponendo le basi per il revival dei Nightstalkers degli anni '90.
La parte grafica è sempre ottima e grazie al bianco e nero risaltano al meglio le capacità di Gene Colan e Tom Palmer.
November 27, 2020
It had some okay moments but mostly I was just trying to get through it as fast as possible.
I'm sure it's not an easy title to write for. The main character is evil and the supporting characters are trying to kill him. How long can you keep that story going? How long SHOULD you keep it going?
I'm sure it's not an easy title to write for. The main character is evil and the supporting characters are trying to kill him. How long can you keep that story going? How long SHOULD you keep it going?
May 22, 2021
Great collection from a great series. Some feel a bit dated but for the most part they hold up pretty well.
April 24, 2016
This b/w volume collects issues # 26–49 of Marv Wolfman's and Gene Colan's Tomb of Dracula as well as Giant-Size Dracula # 2–5 and Doctor Strange # 14. Continuing from the end of volume 1, we continue to follow the strange adventures of what may well be one of Marvel Comics' best conceived villains (and paradoxically at the same time protagonist) during the 70s. With roots and references to Bram Stoker's 19th century novel , Marvel's Dracula was, and remains, one of the most fascinating and interesting developments of this particular literary character.
Here Dracula once more battles the evil Doctor Sun (first seen in volume 1) and remains hunted by Quincy Harker, Rachel Van Helsing and his own descendant Frank Drake; not to forget Blade. And much, much more.
All well-told stories with absolutely stunning and beautiful art by master craftsman Gene Colan. This is a must read!
Here Dracula once more battles the evil Doctor Sun (first seen in volume 1) and remains hunted by Quincy Harker, Rachel Van Helsing and his own descendant Frank Drake; not to forget Blade. And much, much more.
All well-told stories with absolutely stunning and beautiful art by master craftsman Gene Colan. This is a must read!
November 1, 2015
Entertaining Dracula stories. Some of the highlights include a showdown between one of the chief vampire hunters, Quincy Harker versus Dracula. Another storyline featured Dracula relocating to Boston to fight Dr. Sun, an incredibly ridiculous villain that Wolfman and Colan make menacing despite the utter absurdity of the character. This book also features a fight between Dracula and Doctor Strange. This is a nice touch, as this is the first time in the series that Dracula interacts with the greater Marvel Universe. There is also an entertaining story when Dracula takes control of a satanic cult. Gene Colan illustrates most of the book, and his art continues to bring a lot of creepiness to the stories. On the downside, when the action shifts to Boston, Wolfman introduces a couple of characters who are meant as comic relief. Unfortunately, they don't bring much humor to the book, and are mostly annoying. Problems notwithstanding, the book is solid, and a lot of fun.
July 10, 2009
Reprints Tomb of Dracula #26-49, Giant-Size Dracula #2-5, and Dr. Strange #14. Frank Drake, Rachel Van Helsing, Quincy Harker, Hannibal King, and Blade battle Dracula and his forces. Tomb of Dracula was the best of the Marvel horror from the 1970s and had the most developed story, mostly because of the supporting cast and more variety with the characters.
September 2, 2016
I grew up reading TOD, and having the issues all collected was a wonderful way to revisit one of the fun parts of my youth. While some of the issues are pretty formlua-riffic, I enjoyed reading this several times now and will reread it again.
January 10, 2013
Classic, old-school horror comic that relies more on atmosphere.Liked it very much.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews