5 of the Count's Best Crossovers

 

Photo via the BBC.

Over the 123 years he’s been with us, Dracula has encountered all sorts of other characters, some more memorable than others. Here are some of my favourite Count crossovers…

Dracula vs. King Arthur

After making a deal with Lucifer to become a vampire, Lucifer then decides to send Dracula back to Arthurian times to take over the world. Hi-jinks ensue over the course of this comic book’s four-issue run. It’s maybe not the best-executed crossover (Lucifer wants to send Dracula back in time to before vampires existed so the Count can start turning humans and spreading evil– so why send him back to the time of legendary heroes? Why not to, I don’t know, any other time in history that wasn’t legendary?), but the concept of Dracula vs. King Arthur is a good one, and Camelot fighting Dracula is a fun idea (Merlin as sinister anti-hero doesn’t hurt, either).

Dracula vs. Frankenstein

As two of the most popular monsters, it’s no surprise that Dracula has faced off against Frankenstein*. In fact, the two have met many times over the years in movies like Dracula vs. Frankenstein and Les expériences érotiques de Frankenstein (ooh la la); pulp novels like Frankenstein Meets Dracula; and comic books, including The Frankenstein-Dracula War and A Story of Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein, which came with a corresponding LP so you could listen to the story as you looked through the book. Whether you root for the undead or the reanimated, these stories have you covered.

*Yes, Frankenstein is the doctor, not the monster. It’s been over 200 years of people calling the monster Frankenstein– can we just accept it?

Dracula vs. Zorro

Zorro and Dracula meet on a ship heading to Europe and become instant enemies. Although it’s hate at first sight, the fight doesn’t get serious until they meet up in the catacombs of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (as one does). As a fan of both Zorro and the Count I’m not sure who to root for in this mashup, although I am slightly disappointed that (spoiler) Dracula doesn’t turn Zorro. Now that would be an interesting story…

Dracula vs. Sherlock Holmes

I don’t know why I was surprised that Dracula has met up with Sherlock Holmes, but he has– and numerous times, too. I haven’t seen or read any of the existing versions (yet), but there’s one Dracula/Sherlock crossover I would love to see, and that’s one put together by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, creators of the BBC’s Sherlock and Dracula (2020). It’s true I didn’t really enjoy their Dracula miniseries earlier this year, and the last season of Sherlock left a lot to be desired, but if the two of them were inspired and brought their A game, they could make a crossover for the ages with their versions of these characters. Dare we hope?

Dracula vs. Batman

It’s definitely worth seeking out the animated The Batman vs. Dracula if you’re a fan of either character. Based on The Batman TV series, the story brings Dracula to Gotham, while also featuring some of the typical characters you’d expect, like Penguin and Joker. The movie touches on the influence of Dracula on Batman, which I appreciate. The animation is fantastic, especially for Dracula and the other vampires. I actually reviewed this movie years ago, if you feel like taking a look (I have since come to appreciate Dracula more as a character). I don’t think there are any plans for a sequel, but I would love to see more Dracula-Batman stories.

There are other great Dracula crossovers, but I’m going to save those for another post. In the meantime, which is your favourite (including those not mentioned here)? Who would you like to see Dracula go up against? Share in the comments…

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Dracula 2020

Have you had a chance yet to watch the new Netflix/BBC Dracula? I was pretty excited to watch it, especially given the involvement of Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. These two have done some amazing work on shows like Sherlock and Doctor Who (Moffat in particular is responsible for some of the best episodes of Doctor Who, ever, and is the writer of the brilliant episode "Blink," which introduced the nightmare-inducing Weeping Angels).

So, yes, excited for Dracula.

And it was...meh. Some great moments that didn't seem to go anywhere. Weird pacing. Pointless scenes. And I wasn't enthralled by Claes Bang's portrayal of the Count. I mean it was okay, but just okay...much like the rest of the show.

As a reminder of how scary (and fun) Dracula can be, here are some of my favourite portrayals of this most classic of all vampires...

I have to start with the original, Stoker's Count. Although Stoker wasn't the first to write about vampires, his character (and book) started an ongoing obsession with vampires, inspiring countless variations over the decades. Many of what we now consider essential characteristics of vampires: aversion to sunlight and garlic, lack of reflection, supernatural powers, vulnerable to a stake through the heart-- all came from Dracula. A few have been discarded over the years too-- how many modern vampires have hairy palms or need to keep the soil of their homeland handy? If you're a vampire fan and you haven't read Dracula yet--drop everything and get yourself a copy.



Nosferatu is an early, unauthorized, movie based on Dracula. The names were changed (Dracula became Count Orlok, for example) but that wasn't enough to keep Stoker's widow from suing (and eventually giving up after the film company went bankrupt and copies of the movie got out anyway). You can't beat Nosferatu, or Max Schreck's Count, for atmosphere, dramatic visuals, and general creepiness.

Count Orlok, Nosferatu

Although Bela Lugosi may be the definitive Count Dracula (and no one is disputing that he did a great job), Christopher Lee gets my vote for best film Dracula. Imposing and intense, it's hard not to agree that Lee is pretty awesome in this role (I'm not sure he really needs hypnotic powers-- he'd do fine all on his own).



I have to admit I'm not a fan of Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (although after watching Gatiss and Moffat's version, Coppola's ranks a little higher now), but I do enjoy Gary Oldman's performance in it. He seems to embrace the character, especially when he surreptitiously licks Harker's bloody razor, which is my favourite moment of the entire film:




Here's the entire scene if you want some context:



One of my absolute favourite portrayals of Dracula is in Buffy in the episode "Buffy vs. Dracula." It's a great episode overall (who doesn't love Xander as Renfield?) and Rudolf Martin does a fantastic job as Dracula. Aside from the show, Dracula makes an appearance in several Buffyverse comic books (scroll down the link to "Appearances" for the full list). It's well worth tracking them down (if for no other reason than to find out whether Spike ever gets the eleven pounds Dracula owes him).





And lastly (on what is by no means a comprehensive list), what's not to like about Community's Troy attempting to put together a cool Halloween costume by becoming a "sexy Dracula"? ;)



What did you think of Netflix's Dracula? Who's your favourite version of the Count?  Share in the comments...

Cheers,
Aspasía S. Bissas

[Reblogged from AspasiaSBissas.com]