Tomb of Dracula (1972) #28 page 31

Gene Colan and Tom Palmer's Tomb of Dracula #28 (Marvel, 1975). "Five came to kill a vampire--" and they include Blade, Quincy Harker, Rachel Van Helsing, Frank Drake, and Taj Nitall. Dracula seems to be getting the point on these pages created in ink over graphite on Bristol board with an image area of 10" x 15".

Gene Colan's work was instantly identifiable, his uniquely loose style was energetic while also lending a noirish feel to both hero strips and war titles alike. Colan's best-known work was his unbroken run on Tomb of Dracula. Possibly the single best horror comic ever published, Dracula was a masterpiece of characterization, mood, and long-form storytelling, with Colan providing, arguably, the definitive comics portrait of Bram Stoker's legendary icon of dread. His defiantly ragged style was perfectly complemented by the inks of Tom Palmer, whose rough and fearless pen both bolstered Colan's vibrant lines and brought out all the menace and atmosphere of the artist's sketchy background work which is exemplified in this splash. Colan's work is ripe for rediscovery amongst hero-besotted art collectors who are tiring of photorealism and are hungry for this giant talent's aggressively dynamic works. Marvel collectors who have been deep in the wilds of Spider-hood and Avenger-ville will find this a perfect gateway piece and a true masterwork from a legendary series.