Something Epic #16 // Review

The insurance adjustor has a few questions for the wife of the late Count Dracula. He’s there to discuss the life insurance policy that had een taken out on her husband. He has some questions for her. She has some questions for him. The insurance policy only covers death from natural causes. The thing isL Dracula is a vampire. He can’t die of natural causes. The insurance company had to know about that. The mystery continues in Something Epic #16. Writer/artist Szymon Kudranski continues a compelling monster mash-up in which a few investigators get a bit closer to finding the killer of a dead vampire.

There's a reason to believe that Bigfoot might have been involved in the murder. It's not exactly easy to track this guy down to route even the grainy black-and-white photographs that there had been of him hadn't all been what they appeared. They're going to be able to investigate the Sasquatch, they're going to have to set a trap for it. That trap is going to involve an anthropomorphize duck in a trenchcoat and fedora. It's also going to involve a single apple on his head. As ridiculous as it sounds, it just might work.

Kudranski continues to have a lot of fun with the lore of classic monsters. Given just how much has been explored with respect to all of the classic monsters, it’s actually kind of miraculous that he’s able to come-up with a murder/mystery story that feels even remotely original. More than that...it’s funny, inventive and entertaining on a few different levels. It’s impressive stuff that mixes various classic horror elements in with wit and a crisp sense of style. There’s a sharp sense of execution with clever pacing that continues to find numerous twists and turns in a cleverly-constructed mystery.

There’s quite a bit of darkness in the rendering of the visuals. Kudranski’s ink dominates the page with plenty of shadows. Kudranski also graces the page with the golden light of twilight throughout the issue. There’s a fiery warmth amidst the cool shades and shadows that lurk around the edges of everything. The tight dramatic close-ups have a tendency to ratchet-up the tension even when the close-up in question is that of the moody eye of an anthropomorphized duck in a trench coat. It’s a hugely entertaining visual world that Kudranski is bringing to the page.

Kudranski’s explorations into classic horror tropes continues to find new and novel insight into old characters. It might not necessarily appeal to every fan of all of the characters. There’s a major plot point involving the late Dracula’s blood. In Stoker’s original novel, there’s strong suggestion that he didn’t have any blood of his own. Likewise, Kudranski’s interpretation of Van Helsing might not mesh terribly well with every fan of the character. The important thing is that Kudranski is taking popular horro tropes and weaving them into a contemporary story that’s a great deal of fun.

Grade: A