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Tomb of Dracula #18: Review

Mar 1974
Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan

Story Name:

Enter: Werewolf by Night

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Tomb of Dracula #18 Review by (November 10, 2020)

Review: Drac’s first crossover with one of Marvel’s other early-70s horror stars goes very well, thanks to Gene Colan’s appropriate art, though the printing gets very muddy toward the end. The Dracula/Werewolf matchup is a good one, though Drac clearly outmatches his furry foe in their clashes here. The only odd bit is the claim that Castle Dracula is twenty miles from the village where Jack and Topaz arrive; the events clearly suggest a closer proximity e.g. Drac finding them as his first prey of the night and later not being surprised to see them outside his castle. Mike Ploog takes over the art in part two of the crossover.

Comments: Crossover with WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #15. Jack Russell, no terrier but a werewolf, first appeared in MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #2; Topaz was introduced in WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #13 for a long run, later becoming more associated with Dr. Strange; she appears in the MCU in THOR: RAGNAROK as one of the Grandmaster’s aides. Scratcher is mistakenly called “Slasher” on the page where he dies.





 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Tomb of Dracula #18 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Dracula returns to his castle in Transylvania, shipping coffins of dirt to England to replace the ones destroyed by the vampire hunters, so he can return there and pursue his enemies….

In the Paris catacombs, Quincy Harker discovers Blade, bitten by Dracula (last issue) and apparently dead. He prepares to stake his ally….

Seeking to learn more about the werewolf’s curse, Jack Russell and his sorceress girlfriend Topaz arrive in Transylvania and check into a hotel. There, a thug named Scratcher makes a pass at Topaz and Jack punches him. Later that night, Scratcher, seeking revenge, creeps into Jack’s room and finds Topaz using her powers to keep Jack from transforming into the Werewolf; the distraction breaks the spell and the beast comes out and he chases Scratcher out to the street, leaps on him and kills him. Topaz is able to make Jack docile—just in time for Dracula to prey on her. Dracula is unnerved by the intensity of her stare into his eyes and turns away. The Werewolf attacks but the vampire easily hurls him away and finds a new victim nearby….

The next day, Jack and Topaz go to his family home, Russoff Manor, where Jack tells Topaz of his father’s death at the hands of werewolf hunters. They discover a secret passage that leads to a cave where they find a telescope pointed at Castle Dracula. To find out why Russoff was interested in the castle, they walk there but Dracula spies them and swoops down to carry off Topaz to find out more about her powers. Jack transforms into the Werewolf and attacks Dracula, who knocks Topaz out and prepares to feast on the blood of a werewolf….

Story continues in WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #15.



Gene Colan
Tom Palmer
Linda Lessmann
Gil Kane (Cover Penciler)
Tom Palmer (Cover Inker)
Tom Palmer (Cover Colorist)
Letterer: John Costanza.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Blade
Blade

(Eric Brooks)
Werewolf
Werewolf

(Jack Russell)

Plus: Topaz.

> Tomb of Dracula: Book info and issue index

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