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Published by: Image Comics
Released on: Feb 11, 2015
Writer: Frank J. Barbiere
Artist: Chris Mooneyham
Cover artist: Chris Mooneyham
Go HERE for last issue's write-up.
Now that Dracula's ghost has overcome Fabian's will to keep the beast at bay, the mysterious hunter (Van Helsing) is the focus of his aggression. The two engage in a heavyweight battle to the death that occurs without any dialogue; it's just an ass-whooping in the grand sense. They are not entirely alone though, as the weird bird-looking mini-monster makes evident with a report to his master. And his master so happens to have Fabian's brother-in-law/friend Sebastian in his company. Company is probably not the best word; torture subject seems more appropriate.
The little bird-beast is named Lucian and when the mad doctor/master cracks the little guy upside the head and knocks off the bird mask, we get to see why he wears it in the first place. And as for why the master gave him a good smack, well that's because he was supposed to have brought Fabian to the castle and still breathing. Lucian reported Fabian as being dead already, and now he needs to retrieve the body. He'll need some help and a nice little boy in the forest is all too eager to lend a hand. But Fabian has no clue all this is going on. He's possessed by Dracula and is trapped inside his own brain, bound by the will of the vampire. The vampire sees the weakness in the hunter and tries to exploit it, but is quickly schooled on what a bad idea it was…but if Dracula gets schooled, then that means whatever happens to him happens to Fabian.
This latest arc is in full gear now, but with the cliff-hanger at the end of this chapter there may not be anymore of Fabian's story to tell (yeah….right…). Barbiere knows how to leave a room (or rather, a comic issue) and this time around he really makes an impact as he slams that door shut for another two-month period. But now we know a bit more about the bird face (Lucian) and more on what his role is in the story, and we know where Sebastian is being held, but still not much on the hunter. A portion of a memory is revealed, but that's it. Could be his dad; could be Fabian from the future; could be lots of things. No sense guessing, just let the two creators do their thing.
As usual the artwork is a huge part of why this book is as great as it is, and Mooneyham does an awesome job with the wordless fight between the hunter and the possessed Fabian. Really take your time going over those pages, as his powerful artwork and his story telling ability really impress in this issue. There is but one complaint concerning this series as a whole: it's bi-monthly. It needs to be a once a month affair. Aside from that, this is a series well worth reading and catching up to if you're just coming on board.
