Ottawa Artists begin to get their due...
I preface this by saying that even though I live in Aylmer, I grew up in Ottawa and I have an affinity for the city that transcends what most people feel (except maybe Batman for Gotham City.) So I feel a point of pride in the comic/sci-fi world whenever something or someone makes it from our little burg. (Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock comes to mind right away.) So today I am going to review a book that I picked up at Ottawa Comiccon, inked by local artist Craig Taillefer, based on Bram Stoker's Dracula
This book is a collection of a four-issue miniseries published by Caliber Comics. Written by Steve Jones, and penciled by Robert Schneiders and inked by Craig, this mini-series strives to be a faithful reproduction of the original novel by Bram Stoker. Well, as someone that has read the original novel on numerous occasions, I can say, they got it right. The writing captured the essence of the novel and I didn't feel that anything was left out, and since there are several sites and most people know what happens in the story (even those you have only seen Mel Brooks' spoof Dead and Loving It!) It brings back the feel of the original Classics Illustrated books, without the "Coles Notes" telling.
Now to the art, which is the main focus of this review. The book is in black and white, which I feel adds to the experience. Although there is violence, the nature of the novel hints more at it in a psychological feel than outright action, and the art mostly reflects this. There is very little gore and when there is it is kept to just the right amount to convey the feeling. As the inker, Taillefer would be responsible for this part, and thus I am very impressed. The figure work in particular bears mentioning because of the following factors: they are drawn realistically, and consistently. Pencil art is always the soul of a comic, because it is this that an inker has to follow, but when done properly and with care, the finished product can be just as recognizable and fantastic on its own. Vince Colleta had that quality, as did Dick Giordiano, and I put Craig into this category. The female characters (and Dracula in particular, as an example of make figure work) always look believable and fresh...(Boris approves, see photo below)
The three wives of Dracula in particular have been favourite characters of mine, and they are treated well here. I particularly love the look on the face of Wife Number 1 when Dracula throws her off of Harker. The evil and hate are portrayed so realistically here that this image stuck with me long after I read it. I also enjoyed seeing the storms in the novel being portrayed by lines across the panels, such as when they describe the events pertaining to the Demeter.
Overall, this novel is worth the price. I look forward to rereading this on many occasions in the future. You can order it here: https://www.amazon.com/Dracula-Steve-Jones/dp/0996030646 if you so inclined.
Ottawa News and Notes - Due to having to adult most of the last couple of days and spending what time I did have on reading the novel reviewed here and (finally!) seeing the new Avengers movie, I do not have anything else to report (other than I really have to learn how to book movie tickets online.)
In conclusion, have a great time playing in your longboxes and until next time, where I review another book that my son loved the cover to.
This book is a collection of a four-issue miniseries published by Caliber Comics. Written by Steve Jones, and penciled by Robert Schneiders and inked by Craig, this mini-series strives to be a faithful reproduction of the original novel by Bram Stoker. Well, as someone that has read the original novel on numerous occasions, I can say, they got it right. The writing captured the essence of the novel and I didn't feel that anything was left out, and since there are several sites and most people know what happens in the story (even those you have only seen Mel Brooks' spoof Dead and Loving It!) It brings back the feel of the original Classics Illustrated books, without the "Coles Notes" telling.
Now to the art, which is the main focus of this review. The book is in black and white, which I feel adds to the experience. Although there is violence, the nature of the novel hints more at it in a psychological feel than outright action, and the art mostly reflects this. There is very little gore and when there is it is kept to just the right amount to convey the feeling. As the inker, Taillefer would be responsible for this part, and thus I am very impressed. The figure work in particular bears mentioning because of the following factors: they are drawn realistically, and consistently. Pencil art is always the soul of a comic, because it is this that an inker has to follow, but when done properly and with care, the finished product can be just as recognizable and fantastic on its own. Vince Colleta had that quality, as did Dick Giordiano, and I put Craig into this category. The female characters (and Dracula in particular, as an example of make figure work) always look believable and fresh...(Boris approves, see photo below)
The three wives of Dracula in particular have been favourite characters of mine, and they are treated well here. I particularly love the look on the face of Wife Number 1 when Dracula throws her off of Harker. The evil and hate are portrayed so realistically here that this image stuck with me long after I read it. I also enjoyed seeing the storms in the novel being portrayed by lines across the panels, such as when they describe the events pertaining to the Demeter.
Overall, this novel is worth the price. I look forward to rereading this on many occasions in the future. You can order it here: https://www.amazon.com/Dracula-Steve-Jones/dp/0996030646 if you so inclined.
Ottawa News and Notes - Due to having to adult most of the last couple of days and spending what time I did have on reading the novel reviewed here and (finally!) seeing the new Avengers movie, I do not have anything else to report (other than I really have to learn how to book movie tickets online.)
In conclusion, have a great time playing in your longboxes and until next time, where I review another book that my son loved the cover to.
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