CULT OF DRACULA #6 – Review

In CULT OF DRACULA #6, available from Source Point Press on August 25th, 2021, the bloody finale to the cult’s last night on Earth plays out in gory detail, revealing a secret plan that will change Lilith’s reign forever.

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The Details

• Written By: Rich Davis
• Art By: Puis Calzada
• Colors By: Alex Zief
• Letters By: Dave Lentz
• Cover Art By: Gyula Nemeth
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: August 25, 2021

Was It Good?

Admittedly, I did not see this ending coming, so surprises always earn high marks.

We’ve been a fan of this series since issue #1 for its alternate take on the Dracula novel with a fresh, modern spin set in a Midwestern church compound. When you add Biblical ties into the mythology and span the stories over millennia, now you have my attention.

That premise sells this series, but it’s the tone of melancholy tragedy that’s sealed the deal since the beginning. Davis has done an excellent job of making this story a tragedy with horror elements rather than just going for straight shock and gore. Although, there’s plenty of blood and gore.

Now we get to the final issue in this arc, and it adds in a surprise/twist ending that makes the whole journey worth it because it doesn’t end the way you might think. Mina’s role in the overall story is much more active and planned than Davis let on, and you gain a new appreciation for the complexity of her character. You can read more details in the next section, but suffice to say this tragedy takes on a revenge element as well.

To be fair, this final chapter forces readers to recollect some small points from the prior issues that could be easy to miss. I’m never a fan of spoonfeeding but a little reminder here and there would have helped for clarity’s sake (e.g. who’s the woman in the butterfly mask?).

Calzada’s art has the opportunity in this issue to go big with wide shots during the forest ceremony that emphasizes just how big the cult truly is. When you consider how this story began, you gain an appreciation for how much death took place that night, and Calzada’s art forces you to feel the scope of death on several pages.

In all, there’s a lot happening but the twist makes the journey worth your time.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

The story is a progression of scenes during the final night when the cult was massacred, interspersed with flashbacks involving primarily Mina.

As the cult follows a torchlit procession out into the woods to gather around a massive tree, we see the vampire acolytes assembled in a pentagram formation. Lilith sits on her throne waiting for all to arrive. When the cult is gathered, the vampires feed on all willing human sacrifices before the main event – Mina’s submission to be turned into the next Dracula.

Through a series of flashbacks, we see the first meeting between Abe, Mina, and Lucifer making plans. We again see Mina and Lucifer meeting Arthur and Lucy before they joined the cult. We see Mina make a profession to the three sisters in an ancient tongue. And finally, we see Mina as a little girl when she was delivered into Lucifer’s hands after escaping the cult.

The entire tragedy was a setup orchestrated by Mina and Lucifer right from the very beginning. As we conclude with the final act, Mina willingly submits to Lilith to become the next Dracula… and then everything goes to Hell in spectacular fashion.

Final Thoughts

CULT OF DRACULA #6 brings the story to a conclusion with the death and destruction of Biblical proportions. The writing holds up the tragic elements that sold us on this story since the beginning and adds in a surprise twist that makes you completely rethink the entire story, and the art adds in a tremendous sense of scope and scale. This is one of the better takes on the Dracula legend in recent memory.

Score: 9.5/10