Reprint of the first two issues of Marvel's long-running (1972-79) Tomb of Dracula, written by Gerry Conway--who jumped ship before issue #3--and beautifully drawn by Gene Colan. The stories are engaging, laying a solid foundation for the series, but the most interesting thing here is the art. Colan's approach varies considerably from the first issue to the second: the debut story is drawn in a dark, moody style closely resembling the DC and Charlton horror titles of the same period, while its followup is illustrated in the standard Marvel superhero mode. It was the former style which better suited the subject matter and to which Colan soon returned, making it more and more his own until he became one of the most distinctive artists in the comics industry. You might also notice Drac's death-white face; eventually they gave him normal flesh tones, but in these early issues he had the pallor of the grave. ( )