RISE OF DRACULA #2 – Review

RISE OF DRACULA #2, from Source Point Press on February 9th, 2022, shows Dracula’s “peaceful” transition into a new world order is not so peaceful when a group of freedom fighters upsets the balance.

The Details

• Written By: Rich Davis
• Art By: Puis Calzada
• Colors By: Alex Zief
• Letters By: Dave Lentz
• Cover Art By: Keyla K. Valerio (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: February 9, 2022

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Was It Good?

RISE OF DRACULA #2 continues the hostile takeover of Washington D.C. by Dracula and the great vampire houses. However, there’s no greater threat to the dominance of ancient evil than… Twitter?

Okay, okay. We’re having some cheeky fun. That said, this issue picks up what issue #1 put down by examining just how hard it can be to take over the capital of a world power when many of the trappings of the current political landscape – press conferences, news spin, social media, political posturing by competing camps – all factor in.

Davis smartly addresses how logistically impossible it would be for a vampire army to simply walk in and take over without influence. Weak or strong, human citizens would outnumber the vampire ranks hundreds-to-one, and the vampires could never take over by sheer force alone. Instead, Davis uses a mixture of Black Ops techniques, media propaganda, and a fair bit of radicalized thinking on the part of the less-depraved vampires to construct a scenario where a takeover seems downright plausible.

The scenario is disturbing in that Davis is drawing clear parallels to how spin and influence are done in the real world. At the same time, it’s fascinating to see it all play out in a horror context so effectively. It makes you wonder which is more evil – vampires or the press. Some may argue they’re the same.

That said, the minor down point in the writing execution is a single panel where Davis goes out of his way to take a dig at Fox News. We’re no fans of Fox or any news station for that matter, but when you hit too close to the real world, the suspension of disbelief for this fictional world is immediately broken. If calling out Fox, or again, any other station, fits the scene, it would make sense. But the dig comes out of left field, turning into a record scratch moment that pulls you right out of the story.

Big developments aside, the issue has several intimate moments, all surrounding Draculina aka Lucy, which are both heartfelt in their sweetness and terrifying in their implication. The vampires are sold on the idea of human subjugation as a means to save humanity from itself after thousands of years of conflict and corruption. While Lucy and Mina make impassioned points about the rightness of their path, Davis keeps their rhetoric just horrifying enough to make sure you don’t start agreeing with their points. If nothing else, Davis understands how the misuse of words and ideas can make the worst ideas seem like good ideas on the surface.

The art by Calzada is bloody, violent, emotional, and dramatic. Calzada is the master of the scowling brow, and he uses those penetrating facial expressions liberally in this issue to broadcast as much emotion as possible. Again, the art is consistently good from one issue to the next, and in a few panels, you can see Calzada improving with every issue.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.

What’s It About?

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

This issue drops you into the middle of a shootout in a rave. If you’re not sure how that happened, first read our RISE OF DRACULA #1 review.

We begin with the shootout in the vampire rave from the end of issue #1. An armed group wearing religious garb has weapons designed to inflict maximum damage on vampires. When word reached the Dracula office, Camilla gives the order to issue a drone strike, accepting several high-profile vampires are inside.

Meanwhile, Arthur secretly meets with Lucy aka Draculina to ask for her help in stopping a convoy of children headed for the farming camps. It’s clear the two still love each other but their philosophical divide over the takeover is growing. Still, Lucy agrees.

Meanwhile, the rave battle rages on and we see the Ruthven sisters have mystical powers beyond the average vampire. Before the battle is decided, the drone strikes commence, turning the club into a smoking crater and creating a PR nightmare for the new administration.

We conclude the issue with a betrayal, a terrifying news cycle, and a passionate speech.

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