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Tomb of Dracula #65: Review

Jul 1978
Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan

Story Name:

Where No Vampire Has Gone Before!

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Tomb of Dracula #65 Review by (December 28, 2021)

Review: Trust Marv Wolfman to come up with another way to keep this comic book fresh: has anyone ever done a story about a vampire becoming human again? And things get pretty dicey for Drac, including taking a bullet but it’s mostly Drac finding out he is no longer vulnerable to sunlight and holy symbols, which should leave him feeling better. For a while at least. So, next time he should have a better idea of what he’s doing when more troubles arise, such as gunslingers and hunger.

True, there are some loose ends such as why Rachel, having discovered that Dracula was human, just let him walk away? Or how the vampire that ratted out Dracula knew he was the killer—and how Cowboy Brown knew where to ask? Why does Dracula still have superhuman strength and stamina? Was he treated for the bullet wound? What happened to the mob following Dracula, you know, the ones attacking him on the cover? And why is Cowboy Brown concerned about the cold in New York when he’s in Boston which is generally colder than NYC?

Comments: Part one of three parts. The title is adapted from the opening to the classic STAR TREK TV series. Fun fact: Dracula is opposed to the use of drugs and other mind-altering substances. See note about colorist Francoise Mouly on issue #64.





 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Tomb of Dracula #65 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Rachel van Helsing has discovered the Dracula is no longer a vampire; she reports the news to her associates. Janus realizes it is Satan’s judgment on his father, Quincy Harker sees the puzzle of whether they should keep hunting him or not, and Frank Drake is merely confused….

Hitman Cowboy Brown, hired to hunt down the vampire who killed his client’s daughter, digs up a recently deceased vampire, forces him to name Dracula as the girl’s killer, and then burns him to death with a cross, leaving him unburied….

The now powerless Dracula hides in an alley where he encounters a woman named Harriet shooting up heroin. Dracula is confused by his new status and when she invites him to her apartment he takes advantage of the offer to have a place of security where he can figure things out. Back at her apartment (after asking specifically for an invitation), he recoils at the sight of a crucifix on the wall but it no longer affects him. Then two guys whose heroin she stole burst in, demanding it back. Dracula beats up both men, receiving a bullet in the arm for his troubles and a trip to the police station, again startled when he goes out into the sunlight and isn’t harmed. Later, he is cleared of any wrongdoing after Harriet speaks to the detectives but he resists being called a hero and having his picture taken by a reporter and he storms out. The cops give chase but Dracula eludes them. He decides that the only recourse is to become a vampire once again and vows to seek out his daughter Lilith in New York. Some kids ask him for money but he has never carried any. A driver almost runs him down and the threatens the man, gathering a crowd which pursues him….

At home, the vampire hunters are watching the news when the story of the anonymous hero saving a woman from death airs, including the photo snapped of Dracula, something Quincy never thought he would see….

At a private airfield outside the city, Dracula forces his way onto a small plane and demands that the pilot take him to New York. A witness calls the police, telling them it was the mystery man from the news and Cowboy Brown, hearing of this, gets his guns ready and heads to the Big Apple for a showdown….



Gene Colan
Tom Palmer
Francoise Mouly
Gene Colan (Cover Penciler)
Tom Palmer (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Letterer: Denise Wohl.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.


Plus: Janus Tepes (Son of Dracula).

> Tomb of Dracula: Book info and issue index

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