Skybound Entertainment, the company founded by David Alpert and The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, recently teamed up with Universal Pictures for the Dracula comedy Renfield, which starred Nicolas Cage as the legendary bloodsucker and Nicholas Hoult as his titular lackey. Now Skybound and Universal are continuing to tell monster stories together with the four-issue comic book limited series Universal Monsters: Dracula – the first issue of which is scheduled to reach store shelves on October 25th.
Coming our way from the team of James Tynion IV (Something is Killing the Children) and Martin Simmonds (Swan Songs), Universal Monsters: Dracula will unfold over four suspenseful issues, with the first installment plunging readers into the eerie world of Dr. John Seward after he admits a seemingly delusional new patient to his asylum. Recounting chilling tales of a demonic entity residing next door, the skeptical doctor attempts to rationalize the unexplainable, but his adopted daughter Lucy mysteriously succumbs to the malevolent influence of the enigmatic Count Dracula.
Tynion provided the following statement: “A few times in my life I’ve had the pleasure of writing about one of the great pop culture icons, but there is something singular about Dracula that made this opportunity too good to pass up. The challenge in front of Martin and I is to take the bloody heart of the Universal Pictures classic and find a bold new way to bring the character to life. It’s been one of the most exciting creative challenges of my life, and I am phenomenally excited for you to see the horrors we have in store for you.“
Simmonds added: “Dracula has always been a horror favorite of mine, so to get the chance to work on an exciting new interpretation of this character alongside my Department of Truth co-creator, James Tynion IV, was one I couldn’t pass up. I’m so excited for readers to experience our version of Universal’s classic monster–and I hope you enjoy the direction we take the story.“
Joshua Middleton, Francis Manapul, Julian Totino-Tedesco, and Jenny Frison are the artists creating the covers for the limited series.
A press release promises the series will include popular Dracula characters like R.M. Renfield, Mina Seward, Doctor John Seward, Van Helsing, and others. It also notes that readers should “expect fresh twists, chilling encounters, and a dive into the dark corners of these timeless villains’ narratives.”
As you might have guessed from the title, Universal Monsters: Dracula is meant to be the first in a series of Skybound comics that will spotlight Universal’s iconic monsters.
Will you be collecting Universal Monsters: Dracula? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and check out these covers for issue #1 while you’re scrolling down: