RISE OF DRACULA #3, from Source Point Press on February 23rd, 2022, deals with the gruesome aftermath of the night club attack by the Order. Meanwhile, Dracula tries to broker peace between humans and vampires.
The Details
- Written By: Rich Davis
- Art By: Puis Calzada
- Colors By: Alex Zief
- Letters By: Dave Lentz
- Cover Art By: Keyla Valerio (cover A)
- Cover Price: $1.99 (digital)
- Release Date: February 23, 2022
Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.
It’s 100% FREE. Sign up NOW!
Was It Good?
RISE OF DRACULA #3 is a perplexing entry in the series in that, based on the events happening in this issue, I have no idea where this story is going. However, the lack of predictability, in this case, may turn out to be positive because wherever the story is headed feels like it may be an epic destination of Biblical proportions.
What Davis captures so well in this issue is momentum. Admittedly, that may or may not be enough depending on the reader. You get a continuous sense the story is building towards something. Characters die, new characters are introduced, status quo changes and little tidbits are dropped that indicate greater powers are involved in the individual events unfolding.
Again, momentum may not be enough if readers are looking for a clear sense of purpose or direction. It takes a modicum of faith in the creators to trust that the payoff of the story is worth readers’ patience. We’ve reviewed many arcs from other creators and publishers where the stories seemed to be treading water and they asked for patience with the promise of a big payoff that never lived up to expectations, so the tendency towards cynical impatience is normal. Here, however, the story isn’t treading water, and Davis wowed us with the end of the last arc, so for now, we can forego the absence of a clear direction.
We won’t divulge any details in this section because the developments are too substantial (rad through to the next section for more story detail). What you’ll take away from this comic is that the world invasion of vampires by Dracula is progressing. Resistance forces are taking drastic, potentially risky, steps to stop the vampire menace, and a substantial status quo change happens in the last act. The dialog is well-written, the scenes are well-paced, and the big event that happens at the end is a bit of a shocker. That’s all good stuff, and when combined with a general sense of momentum equivalent to a runaway train speeding into a pitch-black tunnel, there’s a lot to like here.
As for Calzada and Zief’s art, it continues to get sharper, more refined, and more detailed with every issue. In particular, Zief plays with light sources in the color shading to give each scene a unique look that catches your attention. A group of rebels is cast in flickering firelight out in the woods. Rebels train in underground tunnels lit by nothing more than a string of harsh lightbulbs. Dracula arrives for a surprise meeting in a moonlit field. It’s not the objects (fire, bulbs, moon) that stand out but how Zief uses the sources in creative ways to develop a distinctive highlights for the scenes.
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]
If you’re not sure about the current status quo of the new Vampire World Order, check out our RISE OF DRACULA #2 review.
We begin with a Resistance Campsite in the middle of the woods. During a moonlit patrol, one of the guards spots a forming mist, and before you can say “pass the garlic”, Dracula appears with an entourage of her soldiers. However, her appearance isn’t an attack.
Later, soldiers of the Order eagerly train and await orders from the leadership to begin a full-scale attack on the vampire forces. In the group’s facilities in Turkey, the Order’s scientists dissect and analyze captured vampires to search for weaknesses. One scientist, Victor, appears to be making progress experimenting with body parts.
We conclude the issue with Dracula’s meeting ending badly, the Ruthven sisters sporting a new look, and a globe-changing event that happens in the blink of an eye.
Final Thoughts
RISE OF DRACULA #3 doesn’t have a clear destination but it feels like it’s moving and picking up speed, creating a feeling of impending doom. The writer makes big things happen in this issue, adding to the sense of momentum, and the artists use every trick in the book (and more) to add an ethereal quality to the scenes.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com