To Bad The End Is Near
Issue 16 this one is a short read. Just 2 stories this time . Dracula 2199 and Count Dracula. We alsoget some Bernie Wrightson lost Frankenstein art. Alas no Death Dreams of Dracula. Does it mean that series is done?. Just 2 eight page stories. The usual with Rickey Shanklin writing both and in black and white. Still think this was an under rated series. Too bad Apple went bankrupt too.
Dracula 2199 - Stemming from last issues chapter , Dracula has convinced the muslim nation he is Al Muddaththir a.k.a. Allah's chosen by ressurecting the dead. We see Dracula perched on a ledge giving a speech and riling up the crowd. Once again there is a non believer and Dracula let's the crowd pass judgement on the man. We then see Dracula and his cabinet in a war meeting preparing for Jihad the final battle it seems. We head to London where exiled scientist Kleigh 02 is working on freeing Marisa his beloved from inside the vampborg. It doesn't work and the scientist who put Marisa's body in the vampborg reveals more information about it. Meanwhile a dead man in the middle east sits.
Over in Count Dracula we return to Herr Burkholdt's residence where a villager is unhappy for not getting paid for selling her house to Dr. Stroemann. Burkholdt slams the door in her face only to hear the door knock again. This time it's Dracula. He wants a treaty with Burkholdt to team up against Stroehmann and leave a lamp as a token. Burkholdt asks the villagers about the mystery and he tracks down Stroehmann only to find him and his monsters. However Burkholdt is spotted and invited inside. There the good dr. tells him how Dracule intrigues him.. Running from fright he leaves and runs and tell Dracula. It helps but after that knowledge our dear Burkholdt is no more.
We then come to Bernie Wrightsons work which is fantastic I've never known why he was revered as a horror artist till now . I really like it. As far as Dracula 2199 and the middle east story ark this is damn spooky as this was written 20 years ago and now it seems destined to be like that now. Howerver this is just average book this issue is.