Spike Vs Dracula 1

Writer: Peter David
Artist: Joe Corroney
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $3.99

Across his writing career in novels and comics, Peter David has written many licensed properties – Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, various flavours of Star Trek – and now this, his latest Angel-related title from IDW. One of the things from which he seems to take great pleasure in is continuity, interweaving disparate strands into a whole.

In the opening episode of Season 5 of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Buffy and her associates encountered the big D himself. One scene from that episode featured loudmouthed mockney vamp Spike, who described Dracula’s special abilities as “showy gypsy tricks” – and moreover, that Dracula owed him eleven pounds.

This issue (the first of five) opens with Dracula learning those showy gypsy tricks from a member of the Kalderash gypsy clan. Buffy/Angel fans who haven’t read this comic yet will be either laughing or crying at this seemingly minor point– because they already know the fate of the Kalderash. Whatever your reaction, stick with it. How you feel about that will colour your opinion of the whole title. If you like the idea, you’ll probably like the comic. David has a good handle on the characters’ distinctive personalities, and on the series continuity. On the other hand, if you dislike the idea, if you think it’s a little too convenient, stay away.

And if you’ve not seen much (or any) Buffy or Angel, and want to know what this is about?

Short version: It’s 1898. Three vampires - loudmouthed mockney Spike, his loopy girlfriend Drusilla, and senior bloodsucker Darla are in London. Spike is pissed off about the recently published novel Dracula blowing all the secrets of their kind, and how to kill them. Dracula is pissed off about what Spike & co did to the Kalderash. There’s also a tiny, tiny reference to one of the greatest horror films ever made, so look out for that.

Corroney’s artwork is sufficient. The characters look like their TV counterparts, but in many panels the proportions of bodies and objects seem to be slightly off, which has a distracting, almost distancing effect.

Future issues will feature appearances from Bela Lugosi, Ed Wood, and Adolf Hitler - if that doesn’t get you interested, nothing will.

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  • Russell HillmanRussell Hillman was born in London but now lives in Coventry. His hobbies include precious little. He doesn’t get out much, but thinks reading a lot of comics makes up for it. He’s wrong.