Writer: Gardner Fox

Art: Gene Colan, John Costanza, and Tom Palmer

Release Date: January 1st, 1973

Price: $.20 cents

As Frank, Rachel and Taj continue their chase of Dracula, another creature is among them lurking in the mists and fog. Is it a man or monster, good or evil? Let’s find out!

As we’re on our third writer in the first six issues I’ll again say that the real star of this series is the fantastic art by Gene Colan. One of my biggest gripes in modern comics is the sheer number of panels that have absolutely nothing in the backgrounds. Gene Colan also has a few plain backgrounds but very few. My point being is that the backgrounds add SO to the atmosphere and ambiance of the story.

The story is not all that great in this issue though. Frank, Rachel, and Taj have followed Dracula and Lenore through the mirror and have continued their pursuit. The only thing that changes things up a bit is that when a young woman shows up dead there is a question of “who” did it. The townsfolk in this English town know nothing of Dracula but the Dering family has a “monster” of their own that shows up every few centuries in the form of a “hairy deformed monster”. How this monster factors, in the end, is the real story. And while this isn’t my favorite issue, I do appreciate Gardner changing things up a bit.

And while the cast is somewhat set with Frank and Rachel in their pursuit of Dracula, I’m really looking forward to the stability that will come with a regular writer in Marv Wolfman who takes over in issue seven.

Final Thoughts:

This feels like a fill-in issue to me while waiting for a regular writer to start in the next month. Not a terrible story by any means, but not spectacular. The art continues to be the highlight of this run so far.

6.5/10