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Dan's Review's
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Rayna
(last edited Feb 07, 2012 02:18PM)
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Feb 07, 2012 02:18PM
Well Dan here is your page to let us have it! lol
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Dan, Deadly, dangerous and out for blood.....
(last edited Feb 15, 2012 03:23AM)
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Well, I think I'll start with this one because it's been such a big deal since it came out in 2009...
4 Fangs
Dracula The Un-Dead. This book was written by Dacre Stoker (Bram Stoker's great grand-nephew) and Ian Holt(A Horror Screen writer and Dracula documentarian). Supposedley they took things from Bram Stoker's notes that he made when originally writing and researching Dracula. Now I would have given this book five fangs, but theres only one problem I have with it...it promises A Segaul To The Orginal Classic when it actually deviates from the original story. Here is a Trailer for this book...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJJCiQ...
"He Returns". Sounds like they are promising to give us the original Count Dracula from Bram Stoker's book, right? Well, that's not necessarily the case. Please note that if it sounds like I am bashing on Dracula The Un-Dead, I am not. I did enjoy this book. Infact, Dacre Stoker and I are friends on facebook, and I told him that I liked it. Also, this review may contain *Spoilers*.
Okay, the story takes place twenty five years after the original characters destroyed Dracula, in 1888 (when Bram Stoker's Story takes place in 1893). Like I said, it deviates from the original Dracula. Something similar, but not quite the same, happened with Dracula. Van Helsing has told the story to Bram Stoker (who is actually in the book), and he has changed it around to his liking. Dr. Seward has become a crazed morephine addict. Arthur Holmwood has become an angry person who is unhappily married, and still obsesses over Lucy Westerna. Jonathan Harker has become an alcoholic and his marraige to Mina Harker is troubled because she still fantacizes about Dracula in her sleep. Quincey Harker, the son of Jonathan and Mina, is a twenty five year old struggling actor who doesn't get along with his father. And Van Helsing is a sickly old man.
The story starts out with Jack Seward obsessed with tracking down Elizabeth Bathory, who is a vampire. He tracks her down to Paris and attempts to kill her, but gets killed by Bathory in the process. After hearing of Seward's death, Van Helsing believes that Dracula has come back. Armed with an arsenal of vampire hunting weapons, Van Helsing travels to London.
At the same time, Quincey Harker befriends a Shakespearean actor named Basarab. He tries to convince him to play Dracula in a staged version of the book, held by Bram Stoker and Hamilton Deane. Basarab reads a copy of Dracula, and becomes furious because he is a Romanian and therfore considers the Historical Dracula to be a national Hero, when Stoker portrays him as an Evil Vampire.
Also, an Inspector Cotford (a character that was supposed to be in the original Dracula, but was taken out), who worked the Jack The Ripper case begins to investigate Seward's Death. After discovering a journal kept by Jack Seward, Cotford comes to believe that Van Helsing was Jack The Ripper.
Jonathan Harker is attacked by one of Bathory's vampire Brides in an alleyway. He is impaled to death in Picadilly Circus. After his death, Mina Harker is interogated by Cotford. Quincey travels home after learning of his father's death in the paper.
Quincey seeks out the help of Arthur Holmwood because he believes that Dracula has killed his father. At first Arthur refuses, but then changes his mind and joins Quincey in his quest to hunt down Dracula.
There is a big mystery who Dracula is in the book. Quincey believes That he is Jack The Ripper. They are contacted by Van Helsing. Van Helsing and Bram Stoker are both attacked by Dracula. Van Helsing is turned into a vampire, and then killed by Arthur Holmwood.
Mina is attacked by Elizabeth Bathory. Bathory infuses her blood with Mina's. Years ago, Dracula had also fed Mina his Blood which made her eternally young. You see, in this book Dracula is not the Monster he was in Bram Stoker's Dracula, but a romantic anti-hero which is another thing I didn't like.
After Bathory's attack, her blood is in her system as well. She researches Bathory and tries to warn Quincey of Bathory, and she wonders if Dracula has returned.
Eventually, Dracula is revealed to be the person you would least expect in the story. He turns Mina into a vampire so that she can help him fight Bathory. Dracula and Bathory eventually meet and an epic sword fight between the two ensues. Eventually Bathory is defeated by Dracula, but he dies in the process. So does Mina. Basically everyone in the book gets killed except for Quincey, who at the end boards the Titanic.
Even though there were certain things I didn't like about this book, I still think it was a good story. Lots of plot twists and suspense. Plenty of action and gore. Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt are trying to get this turned into a movie. That was actually thier original intention when first starting the project, to make it into a movie. However, they decided that it should be a book first. I contacted Dacre Stoker on facebook and asked him if there was going to be a sequal to Dracula-The Undead. He said yes, but not for a while since he is currently working on a book about Bram Stoker, and Ian Holt is working on something else. But there is going to be another book. Anyway, I would say that if you are a fan of Dracula, or are just looking for a good vampire book, I would definatley recommend this to you. Despite the things I listed that I didn't like about the book.
I think a person would be hard pressed to say there is a perfect book! Well i guess if you wrote it that would probably be your perfect book! Sounds good i'll add it to my very large TBR pile!!! Im a sucker for a good Dracula story!
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Dan, Deadly, dangerous and out for blood.....
(last edited Feb 08, 2012 09:35AM)
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I agree. I was never really saying that the book should have been perfect, as you said there is really no such thing as a perfect book. I just didn't like fact that they changed the story around, and made Dracula a good guy.
And there we go.....the debate against good and evil vampires.....laugh!But some should stay bad ;)
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Dan, Deadly, dangerous and out for blood.....
(last edited Feb 09, 2012 06:41PM)
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I think that turning Dracula into a good guy (or anit-hero) is like Taking The Joker and saying, "oh no, he's not a murderous bastard that finds death funny. No, he's just a clown that does children's birthday parties, despite the fact that he carries around a gun and a poisonous laughing gas". Or, taking Freddy Krueger and saying, "oh no, he doesn't kill people in thier sleep. He just comes along and reads the kids bed time stories. What a great guy!".
hahaha, i liked freddy! I thought he was hilarious!
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Dan, Deadly, dangerous and out for blood.....
(last edited Feb 09, 2012 07:36PM)
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yes.......my hubby took me on our anniversary (romantic i know...lol) For the past few years he picked the movie and i got tired of seeing things like that one(not to say i dont like those flicks, its just a one of our very few romantic outings)....he even took me to alien versus predator and such! I told him he was fired on picking a romantic anniversary movies and it was my turn! so i picked the girlyest flick out there and made him suffer....lolBut yes i like Freddy and Jason....they would be my 2 fav's
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Dan, Deadly, dangerous and out for blood.....
(last edited Feb 14, 2012 07:43PM)
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If you think the front of the cover looks cool, you should see whats on the back!
FIVE FANGS
Seth Grahame Smith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, tells the story of the 16th president as secretley being a vampire hunter. A trailer for this book was made when it first came out, and featured Michael Krebs an actor who is famous for playing Lincoln in films and documentries. Here is the trailer for the book...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X58RPS...
Like Dracula, the story is told in Epistolary form. It begins in 1818 in Indiana, when Lincoln is just a young boy. His mother is dying of what he first thinks is "Milk Sickness". However, it turns out to be the result of a dose of vampire blood, fed to his mother as a result of his father's failure to repay a debt to a vampire. Lincoln drives a wooden stake through the heart of the vampire that killed his mother, and then vows to hunt down and kill vampires wherever he can find them.
As a vampire hunter; Abe hones his skills by increasing his strengh by bench pressing heavy logs, and learning how to throw an axe at an opponent. He aquires a number of vampire hunting weapons including stakes, knives, and crosses. His primary weapon however is a razor sharp axe that he uses to decapitate vampires. I am wondering whether or not the axe thing has some historical signifigance to Abraham Lincoln, I'm not sure.
While hunting a vampire on the Ohio River, he is almost killed but is saved by a Henry Sturges. Henry Sturges is an Anne Rice-like vampire who clears up some of the truths and myths about vampires for Abe, and also explains to him that some vampires are evil while others are not. Henry teaches Lincoln how to fight, making him a more deadly vampire hunter.
The vampires in this story are like traditional vampires, having fangs and claws as well as black eyes. They are actually able to walk in the sunlight without bursting into flames, however they have to protect thier eyes from it by wearing dark glasses.
Henry continues to help Lincoln in his crusade by giving him the names of evil vampires to hunt and kill. Lincoln eventually learns that some of the slave owners in the south are vampires, and they use thier slaves not for labor but for blood.
Lincoln also befriends Edgar Allan Poe, who he first mistakes for a vampire but is really an eccentric poet. Poe also knows the truth about vampires.
Eventually Lincoln becomes president. The Civil War begins, and Lincoln decides that the only way to defeat the southern vampires is by ending slavery, thus eliminating thier food source.
The war ends, and vampires leave the south. John Wilkes Booth becomes a vampire and, as you already know...assissinates Lincoln in Ford's theater. Booth is tracked down by Henry Sturges, and it is implied that Henry kills him.
The story has a surprise ending, which I will not give away for those of you who haven't read this yet.
When I first came across this book, I thought it was a joke. I ended up buying it anyway. I read it and absolutley loved it. It mixes historical accounts of Lincoln's life with fictional accounts of vampires. There are also a number of interesting pictures in this book as well, featuring the fanged skulls of Confederate soldiers and what John Wilkes Booth looks like as a vampire. I actually want to read another book on Lincoln's life so I can compare it to this. I would say that if you are interested in learning about Abraham Lincoln, The Civil War, and love vampires then you should pick this up. The book is being made into a movie which will be released in June, 2012. The first trailer for the movie was actually released today, heres a look...
http://www.vampires.com/first-abraham...
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Dan, Deadly, dangerous and out for blood.....
(last edited Feb 22, 2012 01:45PM)
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5 Very Bloody Fangs!
Written by Scott Snyder and Stephen King, with artwork by Rafael Albuquerque and published by Vertigo Comics it is a New York Times Bestseller and winner of the 2011 Eisner Award for best new series. American Vampire, or AMVAMP as it is referred to by the fans, explores the idea of the evolution of the traditional vampire myth. What really drew me to this book was, not just because it's about vampires, it was because it is partly written by Stephen King. Back in 1975 Stephen King wrote a little story called Salem's Lot,which became one of the most popular vampire novels of all time. Aside from two short stories, Stephen King really hasn't written about vampires since then, until now that is! Now, this book is labeled, SUGGESTED FOR MATURE READERS, full of F-bombs and gore so....I don't recommend it as something to read with the kids. The book starts out with a hilarious introduction by Stephen King called SUCK ON THIS. It features two stories, one by Scott Snyder and the other one by Stephen King. The vampires in this comic are trully terrifying! Here's a peek at what they look like...
Scott Snyder's Story: Snyder tells the story of Pearl Jones, a struggling actress living in 1925, Los Angeles. Pearl meets an actor named Chase Hamilton, who invites her to a party held by big time movie producer, B.D. Bloch. Thinking it's her big break, Pearl is extremely excited about the party. Skinner Sweet tries to warn her not to go, but she doesn't listen. B.D. Bloch turns out to be the leader of a coven of "traditional vampires" from Europe. She is lead into a dark room and attacked by the vampires. Poor Pearl. On July 4,1925 Pearl is found wandering in the desert by her friends, half naked and covered in blood and vampire bites. She is immediatley taken to the hospital where the doctor announces that her organs are failing, and that she will die. That night, as the fireworks are going off, Skinner Sweet comes to Pearl on her death bed and tranforms her into a vampire like himself. He then teaches her how to take revenge on the Euro-Trash vamps that left her for dead.
Stephen King's Story: King tells the origin story of Skinner Sweet, the most notorious, murderous, bank-robbing outlaw of the American West. Yes...this is a western with vampires in it!!! Something I've actually always wanted to see. The story is told from the perspective of writer Will Bunting, who witnessed these events and turned them into a novel called "Bad Blood". It starts out in 1880, Sidewinder, Colorado with the capture of Skinner Sweet by lawman Jim Book of the Pinkerton Agency. Sweet is put in chains, and boarded onto a train to New Mexico where he is to be hanged. Skinner Sweet's gang sabotage the tracks, causing the train to crash so that Skinner can escape. During his attempted escape, he is attacked by a vampire named Percy. Percy kills Skinner but some of his blood gets into his system. Skinner Sweet is buried and remains sleeping in his coffin for years. In 1909, Skinner Sweet rises from his grave to become the first American Vampire. A new breed of bloodsucker that is stronger, faster, and immune to sunlight. Apparently, the only thing that can hurt this breed of vampire is gold. Now, I looked in my mythology books and I couldn't find anything in them about gold killing vampires. I mean, I knew that silver worked on vamps, but never heard of gold before. I'm not criticising it, I'm just saying I've never heard that one before.
Of course the story doesn't end here. Unfortunatley, Stephen King left the series after this book, but it's still ongoing and has a strong fanbase. Anyway...yeah....I really enjoyed this book! It's the best comic book story I've come across in years. Scott Snyder and Stephen King did an awesome job writing it. As for Rafael Albuquerque's artwork, I have nothing but good things to say about this guy! Not sure what he's working on now, but I would like to see more of him. There is also some stunning cover art in the back by some of today's top comic book artists, including two of my personal favorites Jim Lee and Andy Kubert.
I would say, that even if you don't read comics, but like vampires, then you should give this book a try.
You know, every so often there comes along a character in a vampire story (whether it's in a book, a movie or a tv show) that we all love to death. The fans of American Vampire seem to really like Skinner Sweet. I think, if this thing were made into a movie or something, he would be one of those characters. As he says in the introduction...
"Skinner Sweet really sucks, and man, that's a good thing."---STEPHEN KING
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Bout to start book 2 soon as I finish BDB
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Dan, Deadly, dangerous and out for blood.....
(last edited Apr 12, 2012 04:33PM)
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FIVE FANGS
With his own interpretation of vampires, author David Wellington makes an attempt at moving them back to horror. Now, I've read a lot of vampire stories, and this is probably one of the creepiest ones I've come across so far. It starts out in 1983 with Special Deputy Jameson Arkeley hunting down the last vampires known to exist. It then jumps to twenty years later with Lesbian Pennsylvania State Trooper, Laura Caxton discovering that vampires have come back and Arkeley comes to her aid. Now, almost everyone in the world dislikes vampires in this story...but Arkeley really hates them! Arkeley trains Caxton to hunt vampires, and the two of them set out to kill them off. The vampires in this story are pretty terrifying and truly hideous. They have pale skin, bald heads, pointy ears, red eyes, and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth (meaning that all the teeth in their mouths are fangs, not just their canines). I would describe their physical appearance as a cross between Count Orlok from Nosferatu and the vampires from 30 Days of Night. These vampires don't just bite you and suck your blood, no they rip you apart. They also have steel-hard skin so good luck getting a stake through it's chest. The only way to kill them is to somehow destroy the heart (usually by using a gun to burst a hole in the chest and remove the heart, and in one part a jackhammer is used). They do sleep in coffins but turn to goo crawling with maggots during the day. Unlike in other vampire stories where they have human "familiars", these vampires have zombie-like servants called "half-deads". The story is extremely creepy, with a lot of surprises and twists, and an ending that leaves you wanting for more. I would definitely recommend this to any fan of vampires or horror. Other books in the series are 99 Coffins, Vampire Zero, 23 Hours and coming this month 32 Fangs: A Final Vampire Tale (which I'm guessing by the title will be the last book in the series). Will I be reading the rest of them? Most definitely, but not any time soon as I have other books to read.
I agree totally with your review. When I read this it was very disturbibgly creepy. I also want to read the others....already have them but am trying to finish up other series. I do know I will finish these up...probably not til summer break though.
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(last edited Apr 12, 2012 04:58PM)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m85ZfB...
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(last edited May 30, 2012 10:20AM)
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4 Fangs
In Uprising, Sean McCabe tells the story of a world where vampires exist and are controlled by a secret society known as the Vampire Federation. The Vampire Federation is a global group of vampires who have come in and created laws saying what vampires can and cannot do. They can no longer kill people, turn them, etc. These laws are enforced by the vampire intelligence agency, or the VIA. There, however, a group of old school vampires who oppose the VIA. They want thing to go back to the way they used to be back in the day. Alex Bishop, an agent of the VIA, teams up with a detective inspector named Joel Solomon to search for an ancient relic that has the power to destroy vampires if they so much as go near it.
For some reason I thought this was going to be a story about "Traditional vampires" like the ones from Dracula, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, etc. That, however, is not the case. It says in the book that "..all the old legends are bullshit". Stakes, crosses, garlic, etc....none of that stuff works. I was a little disappointed in that, so that's why it only got four fangs. Of course that's just me being nit-picky. The vampires in this book take these special pills that allow them to walk in the sun without bursting into flames, they use this stuff called "vambloc" to keep their victims from turning, and they have developed this special poison called "Nosferol" which is extremely lethal to vampires. Overall this was a pretty good read, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good vamp book. There is a sequel to this book called The Cross, I think I will read it when I eventually get around to it.
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Dan, Deadly, dangerous and out for blood.....
(last edited May 30, 2012 04:48PM)
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FOUR FANGS
The 30 Days of Night Omnibus collects the first three graphic novels in the series and is written by Steve Niles with artwork by Ben Templesmith. The major reason I wanted to read this was because I wanted to see how it was compared to the movies, 30 Days of Night and it's sequel, 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (if you haven't seen the sequel already, I'm not sure I recommend it. It was very low budget, they used different actors, and it was too long). On to the graphic Novels.
30 DAYS OF NIGHT: A clan of vampires comes to the town of Barrow, Alaska where there is no sun for thirty days, and turns it into one big smorgasbord for the undead.
DARK DAYS: Stella Olemaun, one of the survivors of the vampire attack on Barrow, has turned those events into a book ironically titled 30 Days of Night. She also becomes a vampire hunter.
RETURN TO BARROW: The remaining vampires return to Barrow, Alaska but this time not for blood....for revenge.
Was it better than the movies? Worse? Hard to say. Well, sorry but there were no"..blood parties, blood slaves, buffet tables with bodies hanging from their feet over the table with their throats slit slowly dripping blood..." like Tiff said there should have been. But it was pretty entertaining. There were some characters in the book that weren't in the movie.
As for Ben Templesmith's artwork......well......it's...different. I mean I realize not everything has to be Jim Lee, but I just thought it was a bit sketchy and hard to read in some places. As for his method, it looks like he draws everything out in either pencil or ink (probably ink) and then paints over it, I'm not sure what kind of paint he uses though. I read on his website that he sometimes paints with beer...not kidding. It looks like he throws a little bit of photoshop in there as well.
As for Steve Niles' writing, well he's not exactly Charlie Dickens or Will Shakespeare, but I think he's pretty good. The writing is what really does it in this comic. Steve Niles also did write the screenplay for the first 30 Days of Night movie, and he did an awesome job with that.
There are other graphic novels in the series. Perhaps I'll be reading the rest of them sometime down the road.
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Dan, Deadly, dangerous and out for blood.....
(last edited Aug 03, 2012 11:11PM)
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Well, I like the cover art. A painting of thousands and thousands of vampires.
ONE WOODEN STAKE
That's right, I am actually putting a stake in this beloved classic. I'm sorry, I just didn't get it. This tells the story of Robert Neville, a tortured, drunken vampire hunter living in a world that has been taken over by the undead. I've actually always wanted to see a vampire apocalypse, but this just didn't do it for me.The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price, The Omega Man starring Charlton Heston, I Am Legend starring Will Smith. These are all movies that have been based off this book. Well, the book is probably better, but I'm still not singing it's praises. Apparently, I Am Legend won the award for "Best Vampire Novel of the Century" at this year's Bram Stoker Awards. Well, I can't say I agree with that. In my opinion, this book is highly overrated. Don't get me wrong....there are MUCH WORSE vampire books out there, but I don't feel that this one deserves that much praise. For those of you who don't know, I Am Legend is just one short story in a collection, it does not take up the whole novel. Out of the other stories in here, I would have to say I enjoyed The Near Departed and Dress of White Silk. However, I Am Legend is probably the best short story in here. Well, that's what I think. Again, I'm sorry, but I just don't get the hype over this book.
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(last edited Jan 23, 2013 02:07PM)
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FIVE FANGS!!!
This is American Vampire Vol. 2, the twisted, New York Times best selling comic. If you scroll up, you'll see I reviewed Volume One of this series last year. This continues the story of Outlaw vampire, Skinner Sweet and his fledging, Pearl Jones. It takes place ten years after where volume one left off in... where else....Vegas! Even though I've never been there, I think that's a pretty bad-ass idea to have vampires running around Las Vegas. I know there have been a few crappy movies done about that, but this story is actually really good. Sweet is living in Vegas under another name, and Pearl is living in Arrowhead, California. An ancient species of vampire is going around killing people, and an Irish detective named Cash McCogan is investigating the murders. The ancient vampire looks pretty damned cool, just picture Marcus from Underworld: Evolution or Gary Oldman in bat form in Bram Stoker's Dracula. The killings of the ancient vampire bring in a society of vampire hunters known as "The Vassals of the Morning Star". The "old school vampires" are also after it, and so is Skinner Sweet. Cash soon learns the shocking identity of the ancient vampire and all hell breaks loose after that. All in all I would have to say this was an awesome book! Unlike the previous book, this one is full of sex and nudity...so maybe you would like it, Tiff...HAHA!!! Plenty of darkness, terror and gore too! The sickest part is when (view spoiler). I was disappointed, however, that Stephen King did not come back to write part of this one like he did with volume one. However, Scott Snyder does return to write it as well as the artist, Rafael Albuquerque who is joined by Mateus Santolouco. Snyder does a terrific job writing the story and both Albuquerque and Santolouco do a beautiful job of bringing it to life. There's also a preview of American Vampire Vol. 3 in here. It takes place during World War II. LOL...I can just see that, they'll have vampire Nazi's running around. I can't wait to get my hands on that book!
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(last edited Apr 19, 2013 10:21AM)
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FIVE BLOOD SOAKED, GORE COVERED FANGS!!
This is the 30 Days of Night Omnibus Volume 2. If you scroll up you’ll see I read the 30 Days of Night Omnibus last year. As you can tell I really liked this book. Yes it is a graphic novel. Five to be exact…it’s an omnibus. What I liked the most about this volume, compared to the previous one, is that it wasn’t just Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith working on it. No, it was a bunch of various writers and artists doing the stories and they were all great! It had everything; from a mad doctor that experiments on vampires, to vampires in Russia during World War II, a gang of vampire clowns in Mexico and the legend of the Chupacabra, what happens to Eben and Stella Olemaun after they become vampires after the events in 30 Days of Night, Vol. 2: Dark Days, and an ancient species of vampire living in the mountainous caves surrounding the town of Barrow, Alaska. I Think my favorite story out of all of them was Eben & Stella. Mostly because of the artwork, it was so realistic and richly painted. My least favorite was Beyond Barrow. It was just too weird, and I didn’t care for Bill Sienkiewicz's artwork very much (I’ve heard about that guy before, he’s supposed to be good, sorry…I disagree). So, If you liked the first 30 Days of Night Omnibus, liked the movie, or just want a good read, I highly recommend this.
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Five Fangs
This is the story of Melanie Elizabeth Dare, a fifteen year old flower child growing up in a drug addled world. She is taken by a gang of bikers then beaten and raped and left for dead. Fifteen years later, she claws her way out of her grave as a vampire named "Melabeth". As a vampire, she goes on all sorts of adventures but her main goal is to hunt down the bikers who raped and killed her and get revenge. Now this story isn't just vampires...it has all sorts of supernatural creatures! Ghosts, werewolves, wizards, witches, warlocks, giants, necromancers....and even zombies! If you are looking for something different I say give this a try!
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Dan, Deadly, dangerous and out for blood.....
(last edited Dec 04, 2013 09:36PM)
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Three Fangs
David Wellington returns with his Nosferatu/ 30 Days of Night vamps in this action packed follow up to 13 Bullets. This story begins about a year or so after the events in 13 Bullets, with Pennsylvania State Trooper, Laura Caxton picking up the pieces from her last account with the vampires. The now crippled vampire Hunter, Arkeley comes to Caxton and tries to persuade her to rejoin his obsessive crusade in ridding the world of vampires. One-Hundred coffins, ninety-nine of them containing vampires missing their hearts, have been unearthed in a cave underneath the battlefield at Gettysburg (That’s right…..Civil War vamps! Just like in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter !!!). One of the coffins is smashed to pieces, it’s occupant missing, and Arkeley believes that this vampire has the missing hearts and plans on resurrecting their owners creating an army of vampires. At first Caxton is hesitant to join him, considering all that she lost in her last fight with the vampires, but she soon changes her mind. The missing vampire succeeds in his plan and brings back the 99 vampires to wreak hell on Gettysburg.
Now here’s why I gave it only three fangs. You would think that with an army of vampires, and as terrifying as 13 Bullets was, Wellington would give us an extremely creepy, gore fest of one-hundred vampires making Thanksgiving dinner on a town of people much like something in 30 Days of Night. There should have been blood parties, bloodsuckers feasting on the town of Gettysburg, a real bloodbath! But no, he does not give us that. In fact, the humans have a WAY to easy of a time killing off the vampires when I remember in 13 Bullets, they could barely handle four vampires. Now I’m not saying it’s a bad book, it just only got three fangs from me cause it could have been better. I did like the ending, and look forward to reading the other books in the series. If you liked 13 Bullets, or are just looking for a good read I say give this a go despite the issues I had with it.
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FIVE BLOODY FANGS!!!
It’s been called Titanic meets 30 Days of Night. And thats exactly what it is, and was what caught my attention when I read about it on vampires.com. Storytelling mastermind, Matt Forbeck, brings us Carpathia, a story about…as the reviews said…. “What would happen if Bram Stoker threw an Iceberg at James Cameron?” Its a must read for any vampire fan or history buff.
Now, some people might roll their eyes at this book being that, like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, it is another monster mash-up. And last time I heard there were at least 854985093 historical/vampire mash-ups on the shelves right now. But this one is different. It’s original, and well written…it stands out from the crowd. This action packed/adventure/horror/love story is sure not to disappoint!!!
What I really like about this book the most is….its about TRADITIONAL VAMPIRES! There are so many interpretations what with everyone trying to do their own thing with a vampire story these days by making them different (and there’s nothing wrong with that!), and there is the abomination that is Twilight (UGH!!! Hate that book!!!!), that it’s refreshing to see someone take vampirism back to it’s roots. Now….“what do I consider to be a traditional vampire?” you may ask?? Well, let me outline it for you…
“TRADITIONAL VAMPIRES”(or vampires similar to the ones created by Bram Stoker):
1.) Drink human blood
2.) Are immortal/live forever
3.) Possess a pair of fangs (long, sharp canine teeth)
4.) Can only be killed by means of;
a.) Wooden stake through the heart
b.) Exposure to direct sunlight causing them to burst in to flames and burn to death.
c.) Decapitation
d.) Fire
e.) Silver works too (that’s not just werewolves)
f.) I almost forgot garlic
5.) Fear and are hurt by religious items such as crosses, holy water, rosary beeds, etc.
6.) Must sleep in coffins or the native soil of their final resting place during the day.
7.) Heal fast
8.) Hightened senses
9.) Power of shapeshifting
a.) bats
b.) wolves
c.) mist
10.) Cast no reflection in mirrors
11.) Have no souls
The story revolves around three central characters; Abe Holmwood, Lucy Seward, and Quin Harker. Lucy is Abe’s girl, but Quin is in love with her….it’s a love triangle. The three characters are childhood friends traveling to America aboard the Titanic. Not only do all three admit to having read Dracula, but confess that Bram Stoker was a family friend whom they regarded as an uncle.
The Titanic sinks. Abe, Lucy and Quincey survive and are picked up by the Carpathia ….a ship filled with vampires who feed off the victims! Now, not really knowing anything about the Titanic besides seeing James Cameron’s movie about it, I thought the Carpathia was a fictional ship that Matt Forbeck made up, naming it after the Carpathian Mountains, an homage to where Count Dracula lived in Stoker’s book. However, my mom told me that Carpathia was in fact a real ship. And she was right.
Unlike when I read most vampire, stories, this time I actually found myself rooting for the vampires at one point. I wanted more gore, more detail of the vampires’ feast on the passengers. There could have been more. Well, I still gave it five fangs regardless
I would definatley recommend this book to anyone who is interested in vampires, the Titanic, or just want a good read. Not only is this the best vampire book I read all year….it’s the best book I’ve read all year!
NOW HURRY UP, HOLLYWOOD, AND MAKE THIS INTO A MOVIE!!!!!!
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Four Fangs
Before Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Hollywood shaped the image of the vampire into what it is today, vampires stalked the pages of nineteenth century literature. The Undead fueled the creative imaginations of countless writers. Edited by Michael Sims, this is an anthology of vampire stories from the Victorian era and it is quite a treat! I enjoyed it very much. It includes great stories such as: The Vampyre by John Polidori, Wake Not the Dead by Johann Ludwig Tieck, The Family of the Vourdalak which is a story about a family of vampires by Aleksei Tolstoy, Varney the Vampyre by James Malcolm Rymer, and Death and Burial-Vampires and Werewolves by Emily Gerard…Just to name a few. It also includes Dracula’s Guest the chapter that was “arguementably”, cut out of Bram Stoker’s Dracula by his publisher.
I really enjoyed reading this anthology. I think my favorite story in here was The Tomb of Sarah by F.G. Loring, which features a female vampire who is awakened from her tomb after she’s been sleeping for two-hundred years resulting in her evil rampage on the living. I also enjoyed Death and Burial-Vampires and Werewolves, which is actually a chapter taken out of Emily Gerard’s book, Land Beyond the Forest which contains the creepy beliefs and traditions of dealing with the dead and the Undead in Transylvania...and was also a major influence on Bram Stoker when writing Dracula. Some stories I did not care for, but of course you’ll find that with any anthology. However I found it extremely entertaining. I would recommend this book to the ultimate, die-hard vampire fan. You have to really love vampire stories to get truly savor this feast.
Loved Tomb of Sarah. It has been a while since I've read it, but I never forgot it. A movie you might really like Dan is a film called Blood & Roses. Pretty obscure, but unbelievable.
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You might not like it though, because it is a very suggestive vampire movie. No fangs, only implication. Based on Carmilla (but feels like an artsy ghost movie I guess.)
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I know . I love fangs too, actually. Both the Hunger and Near Dark are still some of my favorites. Basically I love it all!
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You're not going to believe this story. (I have a lot of them.. I don't know if you looked at my profile. I also wrote The Yellow Wallpaper feature (which I am in), that is on iTunes and coming out on Vudu and Amazon Prime this year... the story: I was a kid in Santa Cruz in the comic book shop and a guy came up to me. They needed extras (atmosphere as you probably know that it is called) for The Lost Boys. Being a stupid little kid, I said: Do I get to have any lines? Answer: No, you're just in one of the scenes with Kiefer Sutherland. I have to have lines or I won't do it...!! Stupid me. It would have been fun. Boy, kids have some ideas, right??
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I am completely not kidding! After the shows and movies I've done (I did a scene in American Horror Story, first season) which was unfortunately cut from the show, I think to myself... boy, was I misguided child!!!! Now I look back and think... I could have freakin' been in THE LOST BOYS! Who cares if it was an extra part! Lord..! Kids!
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Hey Dan!! Yeah, I am the lead (with Veronica Cartwright of Alien) and Dale Dickey (Iron Man 3) and Juliet Landau (Buffy the vampire slayer) in the film The Yellow Wallpaper. Gothic ghost story... hard sell because it is veryyyyyy artsy. It's on iTunes now and coming out on Vudu and Amazon Prime in a few months.... I guess we never talked about that@! ha ha...thanks for reading the play! Yes, that was put up in HOllywood a while ago. I really wanted to reflect so many of the characters in the novel (Stoker's), that are always cut from the films... so it's a play for the real die-hards (which is why I thought you might like it!)...what else? I thought of something I was going to send you the other day and just forgot... oh yeah! I have a recommendation. Need to find it on goodreads and hit the recommend button... I am thinking this might be a vampire book you haven't read, and one you would like.. I think..
Just checked. I guess I CAN'T recommend it because you have it on your 'TO READ' list... FEVRE DREAM by Martin.
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FIVE BLOODY FANGS
Bram Stoker’s Dracula: A Play in Two Acts is an attempt to do a stage version of Stoker’s infamous vampire tale as faithfully to the novel as possible. Dracula was first adapted into a play by Hamilton Deane in 1924, and in my opinion…..he butchered it! Now, I have read Stoker’s original novel atleast five times so far (it is my favorite book), and comparing it to all the other Dracula plays and films which have come out over the years, I was always annoyed at how they would play havoc with the material. For instance, Harker is Renfield, Lucy is Arthurs daughter, characters like Quincey Morris and Dr. Seward were often cut out, and so on. Aric Cushing, however has done a terrific job of finally bringing us a faithful stage adaptation of the book, and it is quite a treat! It’s very well written, most of the dialogue is taken from the novel, and all the important characters and scenes are included. There are a few inaccuracies, however. For instance it is Van Helsing, not Dr. Seward, that stakes Dracula’s vampire brides, and it is Jonathan and Quincey…not Jonathan and Arthur Holmwood…who kill Count Dracula at the end of the book. But that’s just me knit-picking. This is the most faithful adaptation of Dracula that I have ever come across. Aric Cushing has a lot of talent. I’ve always wanted to see a movie made that was this faithful to the book, and if Aric Cushing were to make it big…he should be the one to write and direct it!
Thx Dan! You are probably the only one in the entire world that could give such an accurate review like that. :) Thx Again, aric
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FIVE VERY BLOODY FANGS!
It’s one of the greatest vampire novels ever written since Dracula first came into publication in 1897. It is Stephen King’s second novel, and is the book that he says “…typed [him] as a horror writer.”. So far, two movies have been based of ’Salem’s Lot…
Many people dislike the 2004 version, but I enjoyed both adaptations equally. Most of you die-hard King and hardcore vampire fans know the story: Ben Mears moves back to the town of Jerusalem’s Lot (‘salem’s Lot as it is referred to by the natives) to exorcise his own personal demons surrounding The Marsten House. Only is he to discover that two antique dealers named R.T. Straker and Kurt Barlow have purchased it. Barlow (…Dracula??), turns out to be a very old and powerful vampire who spreads vampirism over the Lot like an epidemic. He is however hounded by a circle of vampire hunters intent on destroying him.
This, however, is a special edition of Stephen King’s vampire novel. This is ’Salem’s Lot:Illustrated Edition. It contains at least fifty pages of deleted material from the original manuscript, two short stories from Night Shift that are related to the events in ’Salem’s Lot, and some very creepy photographs as well. This is my third time reading ’Salem’s Lot, however, reading this edition is like discovering the book allover again! Boy is that deleted material terrifying!!
King’s original vision was to combine Bram Stoker’s infamous vampire Count from Dracula with the vampires he had read about in the E.C. comics, Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror, of the 1950’s (man…I wish those comics were still around!) into one gruesome vampire tale. He wanted blood parties, vampire restaurants, etc. Really gory, terrifying vampires! Well, unfortunately it didn’t exactly work out that way, but I think he really did a bang up job with ’Salem’s Lot! Barlow is one of the most scary, EVIL bloodsuckers I have come across aside from Rudy Pasko and Skinner Sweet. And we need more vampires like Barlow in print….scary, evil bloodsucking monsters! Especially with all this romantic vampire bullshit that’s cluttering the market nowadays (not to mention the abomination that is Twilight….makes me want to puke!!!).
I would say that no vampire or Stephen King fan’s library is complete without Salem’s Lot: Illustrated Edition. I will cherish this book.
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FIVE FANGS!
Everyone’s favorite vampire comic book series returns!!! American Vampire: Volume Three features three stories, “ Strange Frontier”, “Ghost War” and “Survival of the Fittest”. The first story, “Strange Frontier”, features Skinner Sweet at a wild west show in 1819. He feels the show ruins his repuatation so he goes for his bloody revenge. The story is written by Scott Snyder and Illustrated by Danijel Zezelj . I can’t say I like Danijel Zezelj’s artwork, but you gotta give the brother credit for trying.
The next two stories take us to the frontlines of World War II. That’s right!! Vampires and WWII!!! What more could you ask for?!!
“Ghost War”, written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque, folllows a team of vampire hunters to the Island of Taipan, Japan, where they discover a new breed of vampire with Skinner Sweet among them posing as a human. We also see the return of Pearl Jones and her husband, Henry. Now, what I didn’t like was that this new breed look more like aliens than vampires. And by “aliens” I mean the ones designed by H. R. Giger for those movies that Sigourney Weaver starred in. The other thing I didn’t was that Albuquerque changed Skinner Sweet's fangs. He turned them from to giant canines to a mouth full of shark teeth, kind of like the vampires in 30 Days of Night. Albuquerque’s work still rocks though.
The next story, “Survival of the Fittest”, written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Sean Murphy, follows the story of Felicia Book (daughter of Jim Book form Volume one) and Cash McCoogan (from volume two) who are both members of a secret vampire hunting society called the Vassals. Book and McCoogan travel to a castle in Eastern Europe in search of a cure for vampirism, only to discover that it is occupied by vampire Nazis. THAT’S RIGHT…VAMPIRE NAZIS…HOW MUCH MORE EVIL CAN YOU GET!!!! I love It!!!
Sean Murphy’s art is amazing. I mean…..WOW!!!!
If you haven’t read American Vampire yet…by all means go do so!!! And, Hollywood, hurry up and make this into a damned movie!!!!!!!!!
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Four Fangs
In 1897, Draculawas first published by Bram Stoker. In 1975, comic book legends Dick Giordano and Roy Thomas began working on a comic book adaptation of Dracula for Marvel Comics. Unfortunately, the project was cancelled. Thirty years later, the two reunited to complete the book. Here is Stoker’s Dracula, a beautiful, hardcover graphic novel. Thomas and Giordano set out to create “..the most faithful adaptation ever.” Is it one-hundred percent faithful? Now, I am a huge fan of the original vampire novel by Bram Stoker… I’ve read the damned thing five times! So….was it one-hundred percent faithful?? Well, not entirely but as close as they could get it.
I can see how faithful of an adaptation it is. Not just because I’m obsessed with the book, but because Hollywood always changes it and plays havoc with Stoker’s story. For example: In the movies they always leave key scenes of the book out, change the names of the characters or do away with them altogether. The most important mistake they have made is the way Dracula looks. In the book, Bram Stoker gives a highly detailed physical description of Count Dracula. He does not look like Bela Lugosi!!!
So, yes Giordano and Harris did a good job…about as good as they could. One thing I didn’t like is that when I was reading it (and keep in mind that I do love the movies, nothing against them) it felt like I was watching an old Hammer film with Christopher Lee. Also, they made Van Helsing look like Colonel Sanders!
The art has a very old school, “Hanna-Barbara” feel to it. There’s nothing wrong with that though, it just comes down to a matter of taste.
I would say that if you are a die-hard fan of Draculathen this book is for you! There are other graphic novel adaptations of Stoker’s story out there…
..I intend to read them all!
VAMPS-R-US
Books mentioned in this topic
Live Girls (other topics)First Kill (other topics)
Dust Devils (other topics)
American Vampire, Vol. 1 (other topics)
Vampires Don't Sparkle! (other topics)
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