All-Action Classics No. 1: Dracula

Before the dozens of night stalkers slain by Buffy, there was the first and the best: Dracula. And now everyone’s favorite bloodsucker is back, and captured in a thrillingly told, spine-tingling graphic novel. Originally written by Bram Stoker in 1897, Dracula gave the world one of literature’s most compelling characters. Michael Mucci translates the tale and Ben Caldwell adds action-packed images—with meticulous attention paid to the finer details in each piece of art, from facial expressions to the historical accuracy of costuming, architecture, and heraldry. Young readers will love it.

Children's Literature

Bram Stoker's 1897 classic has been ably adapted by Michael Mucci for this graphic version of the story. All the critical plot points—Jonathan Harker's arrival in Transylvania; Mina's patient wait at home in England; Lucy's three suitors and their faithfulness to her spirit; the slave Renfield's mad addiction to spiders; and the final destruction of Dracula back in Transylvania—have been retained in this first offering in the "All-Action Classics." The artistic team of Caldwell and Halliar have interpreted the familiar story in a kid-friendly style. Caldwell's characters are Disney-wholesome and infused with a touch of humor (with the exception, of course, of the villains) and feel as if they have been spun straight from an animated film. Halliar's palette is suitably inked in the hues of night, speckled with the vivid red of blood drops and the yellows of hypnotized eyes. Aside from the difficult-to-read lettering of the historical afterward, the end result is a handsome and amusing take on an old favorite. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr