Dracula remains undead, both within his stories and as a pop culture obsession. This year’s Spooky Season brings with it a Kickstarter for a second volume of the “Dracula” graphic novels from acclaimed creators Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones. Their work explores gaps in the vampire’s backstory, fitting in between the stories shared as part of Bram Stoker’s famed 1897 novel.
The first “Dracula” volume was subtitled “The Impaler,” while the second edition is titled “Dracula: Book II — The Brides.” That first volume is set for release in trade paperback format on Oct. 22 from publisher Dark Horse, the beginning to a story ultimately set to roll out over four volumes.
“One of the most eerie and memorable parts of the Dracula legend is the presence of his vampiric Brides,” Wagner explained in a statement.
Wagner is best known for his creator-owned series “Mage” and “Grendel,” while Jones’ iconic gothic look was part of books such as 1990s-era “Batman” and Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman.” One of Jones’ most popular projects was “Batman & Dracula: Red Rain,” the first in what became a trilogy of stories connecting the two dark figures.
“In both the novel and the litany of screen adaptations, the appearance of these beautiful and seductive sirens is always an indelible part of the narrative,” Wagner said. His story investigates who the women were before joining “Dracula’s sinister harem,” Wagner adds, as well as what led to their joining and their ongoing role at Dracula’s side.
“I was so freaking excited when Matt first told me that the second volume in our Dracula epic would be titled ‘The Brides,’” Jones said in a statement, calling the Wagner-penned tale “absolutely chilling.”
Wagner and Jones also looked to create a version of Dracula’s brides that aren’t the oversimplified sex appeal-based versions sometimes seen in media over the years. Jones explained that the pair are looking for a balance between a modern sensibility and being accurate to the story’s setting.
“It’s a complex portrait of what, up until now, have only ever been gruesome pin-up versions of these three women,” Jones said. “And, make no mistake… this isn’t an attempt to shoehorn a contemporary agenda into the story. One of the things I love about Matt’s scripts is the distinct lack of modernity. These tales all feel completely accurate to the time period in which they’re set.”
“The Brides” provides a meaty chunk of comic book material, coming in with 120 pages of new story.
“Again, our Dracula is an absolute monster,” Wagner said. “His relationships with anyone are grounded purely in self-interest and conquest. Whenever I’m writing these stories, I’m always picturing how wonderfully Kelley is going to draw these scenes… how he’s going to take my descriptions and transform them into something even more dramatic and terrifying. And every time he delivers visualizations that are even better than I could have imagined.”
Among those who’ve praised Wagner and Kelley’s Dracula is “House of the Dragon” co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal.
“It is no easy thing to update the most famous horror story in history while staying totally true to the source material,” Condal said in a blurb for their “Dracula,” calling it “glorious,” “horrific” and “Lovecraftian.” “The book evokes the classic elements and themes of Bram Stoker’s original while bringing an entirely new layer of eldritch terror to its most mysterious character, Vlad Dracula himself. I absolutely feasted upon the art and story alike.”
While a version of the book is set for a wider release in the future, the Kickstarter edition is the only planned venue for special European-album-sized hardcover editions. José Villarrubia serves as the book’s colorist, while Rob Leigh is the letterer.
Read an exclusive sneak peek of pages 8-11 of “Dracula: Book II — The Brides” below, which you can back on Kickstarter now:
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