This way leads to madness.
Creative Staff:
Story: Cullen Bunn
Art: Mirko Colak
Colors: Maria Santaolalla
Letterer: Simon Bowland
What They Say:
The Brothers Dracul-Vlad and Radu-have grown skilled at slaying the undead. But they soon discover that there is more than one type of vampire, and some are more difficult to kill than others. Especially when the brothers themselves are on the verge of turning against one another!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The further we get into this series the more I enjoy it and want it to really progress into something richer and deeper over time. Cullen Bunn has won me over with a few titles recently that has made me really glad that I stick to trying a lot of things he does outside of the superhero side of things and Brothers Dracul hits a certain sweet spot. Some of that comes from the way that Mirko Colak brings it all to life as there’s just such a great sense of design and flow to the panels here, such as in the two-page spreads, as well as the detail and expressiveness of the characters that I want more. It’s also really enhanced in all the right ways thanks to Maria Santaolalla as I’ve talked about before as her color work is fantastic here.
The way Ermine and Vlad were getting closer was an easy sign that things would go wrong and Vlad is most definitely being pushed over the edge here, intentionally so. The way the vampir came and stole her away was unexpected to begin with and that has Vlad out killing as many as he can find in the short term because he wants their heads along the castle wall to draw them to him. It’s almost amusing in seeing how he believes he can still rescue her while Radu and Mehmed are making it clear that she must be dead by now but he preserves in this. For Radu, this is just a sign that his brother is going off the deep end and he wants to do something to help him but those in power are holding back there, trying to channel Vlad’s rage instead.
So it’s no surprise that the vampir are drawn to the castle, causing bloodshed and kidnapping more. It’s a fun sequence as it jumps about with this as those within the castle do their best but it’s such a chaotic situation that it’s easy to imagine the disbelief taking over as to it actually happening. I also really like the way that Vlad is like a bat out of hell in chasing them as he wants to find their lair in order to save Ermine but it plays out as badly as you’d expect. The way he’s taken down factors in well to the idea of him not being at the top of his game with his rage and the reveal of those waiting for him is delightful. Colak brings it to life (or unlife) so well here with the unnatural aspect of it all that it just left me grinning with each panel, each expression. It left me craving more, more than anything else.
In Summary:
Brothers Dracul may, to some degree, be fairly predictable with what it’s doing. But Bunn and Colak are executing it so beautifully and with such passion and intensity that’s done in a tight and controlled way that it’s really an engaging experience. Each of the characters have their own stories to tell even as Vlad becomes more and more central with what he’s doing but it doesn’t distract from their stories at all. There’s a lot of potential for things to go horribly wrong here and it still can considering how Vlad is handling it all, but I want more of it, the vampir themselves, Radu, and even Mehmed.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: AfterShock Comics
Release Date: July 25th, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
