Andrea Speed
December 30th 2004, 07:35 PM
Reviewer: Andrea Speed andy@comixtreme.com
Quick Rating: Average
The few survivors face Dracula as this miniseries limps to a close.
<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/713/tomb4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/713/tomb4.jpg" align="left" border="0"> </a>Writer: Robert Rodi
Pencils: Jamie Tolagson
Inks: Tom Palmer & Scott Koblish
Colors: Studio F
Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Rus Wooton
Editor: Warren Simons
Production: Tom Valente
Cover Art: Bill Sienkiewicz
Publisher: Marvel
Review: I have to give Rodi credit for changing up the obvious betrayer, but by the end, that person actually becomes a rather convenient deus ex machina, having played the scam of the century. This allows Blade to save the day, but also not exactly, as his butt would have been toast if not for this intervention.
Also, an old enemy of Blade’s shows up for a couple of panels, only to get easily taken care of in one of the least dramatic fight scenes of the week. Why was he brought into things if he was simply dispatched in eight panels? It seemed like stalling, a way to lengthen out the inevitable end, as his appearance has no substance and no point. This series has had its moments, but just that - moments, and usually not in the same issue. Frankly, this isn’t replacing Sword of Dracula on my shelf. (And if you’d like to read a really good, interesting take on Dracula and vampires in particular, That’s the one I recommend.)
The art is very good in the final Dracula transformation scenes, which while chaotic are at least chaotic in an interesting way, and the scenes with the archers are also pretty solid. But overall, the art on this series has never really worked for me, and sometimes Blade looks like he has strange furrowing on his face, like he has extra folds of skin he has yet to have surgically removed. The coloring is supposed to be dark and eerie, but is usually muted and never eerie, although it is at its best in the Dracula’s castle sequence, where the power effects are quite good.
One of the worst things you can say about any piece of writing is that you found it so bland you forgot about it several minutes after you read it. It is especially damning for a horror comic, which should at least have a memorable shock or two. But I think you guys will have to remind me I’ve read this, as I‘ve already started to forget it.
Rating:http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/half.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World and Save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1517&cat=TOMB+OF+DRACULA+)
Quick Rating: Average
The few survivors face Dracula as this miniseries limps to a close.
<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/713/tomb4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/713/tomb4.jpg" align="left" border="0"> </a>Writer: Robert Rodi
Pencils: Jamie Tolagson
Inks: Tom Palmer & Scott Koblish
Colors: Studio F
Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Rus Wooton
Editor: Warren Simons
Production: Tom Valente
Cover Art: Bill Sienkiewicz
Publisher: Marvel
Review: I have to give Rodi credit for changing up the obvious betrayer, but by the end, that person actually becomes a rather convenient deus ex machina, having played the scam of the century. This allows Blade to save the day, but also not exactly, as his butt would have been toast if not for this intervention.
Also, an old enemy of Blade’s shows up for a couple of panels, only to get easily taken care of in one of the least dramatic fight scenes of the week. Why was he brought into things if he was simply dispatched in eight panels? It seemed like stalling, a way to lengthen out the inevitable end, as his appearance has no substance and no point. This series has had its moments, but just that - moments, and usually not in the same issue. Frankly, this isn’t replacing Sword of Dracula on my shelf. (And if you’d like to read a really good, interesting take on Dracula and vampires in particular, That’s the one I recommend.)
The art is very good in the final Dracula transformation scenes, which while chaotic are at least chaotic in an interesting way, and the scenes with the archers are also pretty solid. But overall, the art on this series has never really worked for me, and sometimes Blade looks like he has strange furrowing on his face, like he has extra folds of skin he has yet to have surgically removed. The coloring is supposed to be dark and eerie, but is usually muted and never eerie, although it is at its best in the Dracula’s castle sequence, where the power effects are quite good.
One of the worst things you can say about any piece of writing is that you found it so bland you forgot about it several minutes after you read it. It is especially damning for a horror comic, which should at least have a memorable shock or two. But I think you guys will have to remind me I’ve read this, as I‘ve already started to forget it.
Rating:http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/half.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World and Save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=1517&cat=TOMB+OF+DRACULA+)