Dracula vs Capone

    (Silent Devil, 2006)
™ and ©2002–2006 Jim Krueger, Chris Moreno and Silent Devil Productions

Blood, gore, and explosive street side violence—so begins the opening pages of Silent Devil’s Dracula vs. Capone, a campy title that understands its own over-the-top premise without becoming over-burdened by the extravagance of the story. Dracula vs. Capone thrives on its pages of splattered blood and the incongruity of well-dressed men in suits parading maniacal violence on the streets.

Jim Krueger’s script really hams it up, but walks a fine balance the tough-guy Chicago gangster persona of the narrator Al Capone, and a more philosophical, reflective “businessman” Capone who genuinely seems to care about, in a tough-guy territorial way, the welfare of his city. Chris Moreno’s inky and thickly stylish art is fitting, emphasizing the dark colors and shadowy lines of the underworld that the two titular characters move in.

Dracula vs. Capone plays cleverly upon the illicit connection between the social tension that the outlawing of alcohol created in the Prohibition era and the ever bloodthirsty Dracula’s less-than-socially-acceptable drinking habits. It shamelessly relishes the idea of pitting a ruthless historical crime lord against an equally bloodthirsty creature of pure fiction, yet somehow never seems to get completely, absurdly silly.

For those without a taste for blood, this title may be a little too much. The Warren Ellis and Steve Niles crowd, however, may have something new to look for on their comic store shelves.

— Shiaw-Ling Lai
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