Dark Shadows: The Comic Strip Book

Rating:
Summary: At some variance with the show, but wonderful nonetheless!
Review: March 14, 1971, a new comic strip appeared from the Newspaper Enterprise Association, a comic strip entitled, Dark Shadows. Patterned on the successful (though doomed) American television show of the same name, the comics featured the vampire Barnabas Collins returning to his ancestral home in Maine and protecting his last living relatives, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and her daughter Carolyn. Expertly illustrated by Kenneth Bruce Bald, the black-and-white drawings wonderfully compliment the Gothic setting of the story, and illustrator did an excellent job of capturing Jonathan Frid's likeness.

The comic only ran for 52 week before it too was cancelled, and all of the comics are reproduced in this book. The comics cover six storylines: 1) Barnabas faces an ancient warlock who cannot die until he has killed the last of the Collins; 2) the goddess Isis has found all that she needs to restore her husband Osiris to life, except for his soul which is in the body of a certain vampire; 3) when a werewolf begins stalking the town of Collinsport, Barnabas acts; 4) the master of darkness, Mr. Sinestra, is angered that he never gained control of Barnabas Collins, and he sets out correct that; 5) when the daughter of an old college rival of Elizabeth arrives at Collinwood, people begin to die, and Barnabas needs to stop it; and 6) Barnabas sets out to change history and right a two hundred year wrong. Along the way, Barnabas uses his vampiric powers, but defeats his enemies with his wits and (more often) with his heart.

First of all, it must be said that these comics were written independently of the television show, and does *not* maintain continuity with it. That said, though, the stories are wonderful, the illustrations are excellent, and the book makes a wonderful purchase for anyone who fondly remembers the show. I loved this book, and highly recommend it!