Ruins of Ravencroft: Dracula Review
Writer: Frank Tieri
Artist (Modern Day): Angel Unzueta
Artist (Flashback): Stefano Landini
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letters: VC’s Travis Lanham
Like the previous two issues this one is divided into two parts, the modern day story and flashbacks to Ravencrofts horrific history.
The modern day storyline has been the weakest part of the previous issues, and it isn’t great here either. It feels like it’s setting things up for the ongoing Ravencroft series but hasn’t gripped me the same way the previous stories have. Equally they've been important in explaining the flashback stories and why we're getting them, as well as tying them into the larger Ravencroft mythos.
It starts off with a return to the basement below Ravencroft with a new lineup of heroes as backup. No sign of Fisk this time either. It’s a bit of a random assortment of heroes and there isn’t any real explanation for why each character is here. And one character in particular feels like he’s only here so he can say he was there in the flashback scene. Perhaps these characters are going to be regulars in the ongoing series but I would have liked a bit more of an explanation for what they’re all doing here.
Onto the flashbacks. We jump back to where the previous issue left off and skip forward a few years, detailing some of the encounters inbetween, until we reach the Second World War. This is where the majority of the story is focused. Ravencroft asylum is being used to experiment on the inmates, in an attempt to develop weapons for the war. I’ll not say anymore so I don't give away any spoilers.
Captain America and Bucky find themselves there to look for an old friend of theirs. It was great seeing the pair of them in their old costumes and felt like reading an old school comic.
The horror elements are carried out well here, we have some explanations for events that have transpired before and some new mysteries that are still waiting to be explored. How important these events are for the ongoing Ravencroft series isn’t clear but I’m definitely intrigued to what comes next.
The modern day art duties once more falls to Angel Unzueta, who does just as good a job here as in the previous issues. Stefano Landini does a great job with the flashbacks which help make it feel like it could have been a comic released back in the day. My previous reviews I commented on how much I liked the distinction between time periods and artists and if anything this has been the best of the three one-shots.
These three one-shots have left me intrigued to see where the Ravencroft series is going. The line-up of characters seems a bit random at time and hopefully an explanation will be forthcoming in the ongoing Ravencroft series. The art has been good throughout. If the goal of these one-shots has been to get people excited for the Ravencroft series then they’ve succeeded.
Artist (Modern Day): Angel Unzueta
Artist (Flashback): Stefano Landini
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letters: VC’s Travis Lanham
Like the previous two issues this one is divided into two parts, the modern day story and flashbacks to Ravencrofts horrific history.
The modern day storyline has been the weakest part of the previous issues, and it isn’t great here either. It feels like it’s setting things up for the ongoing Ravencroft series but hasn’t gripped me the same way the previous stories have. Equally they've been important in explaining the flashback stories and why we're getting them, as well as tying them into the larger Ravencroft mythos.
It starts off with a return to the basement below Ravencroft with a new lineup of heroes as backup. No sign of Fisk this time either. It’s a bit of a random assortment of heroes and there isn’t any real explanation for why each character is here. And one character in particular feels like he’s only here so he can say he was there in the flashback scene. Perhaps these characters are going to be regulars in the ongoing series but I would have liked a bit more of an explanation for what they’re all doing here.
Onto the flashbacks. We jump back to where the previous issue left off and skip forward a few years, detailing some of the encounters inbetween, until we reach the Second World War. This is where the majority of the story is focused. Ravencroft asylum is being used to experiment on the inmates, in an attempt to develop weapons for the war. I’ll not say anymore so I don't give away any spoilers.
Captain America and Bucky find themselves there to look for an old friend of theirs. It was great seeing the pair of them in their old costumes and felt like reading an old school comic.
The horror elements are carried out well here, we have some explanations for events that have transpired before and some new mysteries that are still waiting to be explored. How important these events are for the ongoing Ravencroft series isn’t clear but I’m definitely intrigued to what comes next.
The modern day art duties once more falls to Angel Unzueta, who does just as good a job here as in the previous issues. Stefano Landini does a great job with the flashbacks which help make it feel like it could have been a comic released back in the day. My previous reviews I commented on how much I liked the distinction between time periods and artists and if anything this has been the best of the three one-shots.
These three one-shots have left me intrigued to see where the Ravencroft series is going. The line-up of characters seems a bit random at time and hopefully an explanation will be forthcoming in the ongoing Ravencroft series. The art has been good throughout. If the goal of these one-shots has been to get people excited for the Ravencroft series then they’ve succeeded.
A Look Inside
