Brothers Dracul #3, created by Cullen Bunn, opens up with vampires attacking a mother holding her baby. The mother dies protecting her baby, but before the vampires can snatch up the child, Vlad, Radu, and Mehmed arrive. What ensues is a massive bloodbath in favor of Vlad and Radu, as they kill off as many vampires as they can. Nevertheless, in the middle of the fight, one vampire seizes Radu and tries to kill him. As Radu fights for his life, Vlad begs Mehmed to help save his brother as he is not only closer to his brother, but also carrying a sword. However, instead of helping, Mehmed freezes in horror and does nothing. In desperation, Vlad throws silver dust at the vampire in an effort to save Radu. As the vampire is writhing in pain, Vlad kills him. Turning on Mehmed, he calls him a coward and asks him why he didn’t help Radu. Mehmed reminds him that he and Radu are supposed to be his bodyguards and protect him, not the other way around. Will Vlad be able to hold back his frustration and anger? What will happen to the baby boy? And what awaits them once they arrive home?
I appreciate seeing how the characters become more developed with each issue. My favorite character in this issue was Vlad. I enjoyed seeing him become more of a leader and take the initiative with the slaying of the vampires. It was also nice to see his sensitive caring side as he fought so hard to save his brother. While Mehmed continued to show his cowardice, especially by not saving Radu when he had the chance, he did slay one vampire, which was more than he had done before. I’m curious to see if the courage and strength that flows from Vlad and Radu will eventually reflect onto him.
I particularly enjoyed the graphics in this issue. The artwork by Mirko Colak and colors by Maria Santaolalla are perfect. I love the detail Colak uses on the characters as well as the vampires. Their facial expressions and movements look as though they came right out of a horror movie. This is especially true for the fighting scenes, as Santaolalla’s use of color really makes the images pop. It was thrilling to see all the blood and gore from the very beginning of the comic. This is my favorite issue so far. If you are a fan of vampire stories, I highly recommend picking this up. Brothers Dracul #3 is available for purchase June 27th, 2018.
-Amy Walker-LaFollette