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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
VLAD THE IMPALER, October 16, 2009
This review is from: Vlad the Impaler (Hardcover)
VLAD THE IMPALER is a historical piece about Vlad Dracula. A fifteenth century prince of Wallachia--Southern Romania--known for his brutal and cruel reign; he was called "the Impaler" because of his propensity to impale his enemies and showcase the victims to the public.
Vlad Dracula's modern legend is one that is much more literary than factual. His name was borrowed by Bram Stoker for his legendary vampire Dracula; probably a case of the man more evil than his literary counterpart. Vlad sat upon the throne of Wallachia no less than three times. As a boy he was a captive of the Ottoman Empire and as an adult his overriding concern was power.
VLAD THE IMPALER covers the terrain of Vlad's life with a powerful simplicity. He is portrayed as a monster. The language is simple and the dialogue competent. The artwork runs from colorful and bold to dark and muted depending on the deeds of the characters.
Vlad Dracula is neither antagonist nor protagonist. He is simply the story, and the people around him--a faithful friend and advisor, a wife, a brother--serve as the humanity. He is a monster filled with rage, lust, hatred, and paranoia. A man with great boldness, but a man burdened with a lack of decency.
VLAD THE IMPALER is a disturbing yet intriguing story. It only grazes the man's life, but it is startling. It tells a story of barbarity, love, faith, and betrayal. It is told with style, but it creates more questions than it answers. It is a story that will entertain, but also lead the reader into a deeper survey of a man whose name is known, but who--as a man--is mostly unknown.
-Gravetapping
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly accurate in the historical sense, June 10, 2011
This review is from: Vlad the Impaler (Hardcover)
The man that bears the closest historical resemblance to the well known-mythical creature of Count Dracula is Vlad III Prince of Wallachia, more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler. He ruled the Duchy of Wallachia, nominally under Turkish control from 1456 to 1462. He was given the subtitle "The Impaler" as a consequence of his favored method of executing his "enemies", driving a sharp stake through their bodies, generally starting at the anus and protruding from their mouth. It was similar to crucifixion in the sense that the victim often lived for some time after being impaled. Vlad's father's surname was "Dracul" and so a son of Dracul would be "Dracula."
This comic is a surprisingly accurate historical rendition of the life of the real Dracula, starting with his boyhood years as a hostage in the Ottoman court to ensure his father's loyalty to the Ottoman Empire. Vlad was very well educated in the court, he was fluent in the court languages as well as his own. While the stories about the numbers of people he had killed are probably exaggerated, there is no question that tens of thousands were killed at his command.
The scenes of killing are depicted in all their graphic horror in this book. Blood, body parts and other nasty consequences of Vlad's actions are presented in visual form; this is not a book for young people. Ironically, Vlad the Impaler is a national hero in Rumanian culture for his opposition to the Ottomans, proving once again the modern phrase, "One person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter."
While history is often mangled into an unrecognizable form by any combination of comics and the horror genre of entertainment, the history presented in this book is surprisingly accurate, nearly reaching the level of a biography.
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7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
There is no hero running through the book's pages, November 17, 2009
This review is from: Vlad the Impaler (Hardcover)
Vlad the Impaler was real. Also known as Vlad Dracula, he was a ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century and became famous for his use of impalement as a form of execution. A controversial person, he is even today still considered by some to be an example of leadership. However, most everyone else considers him nothing less than a terror. And of course, the name he used for himself, Dracula, is more famous as a fictional vampire.
This slim graphic novel, which has colored pictures on every page, starts in Vlad's childhood and goes on to his death. He is definitely not shown in a positive light. There is no hero running through the book's pages. Vlad is a vengeful, murderous, raping, depraved psychopath. He finds no redemption by the end. It's basically a no-frills story of his life, and it's gory...yes, it's gory. This book is not for the sensitive reader. To be fair, it's not as gory as it could be, considering what Vlad did, but it still has more than enough to turn a reader's stomach.
As a child, Vlad lives with his good-looking brother Radu as hostages in the Ottoman Empire. Radu takes to this new culture like a duck to water, converting to Islam and becoming lovers with the sultan's son. He's a gentle spirit and tries to reason with Vlad's dangerous anger. It's no use. Vlad resents where he lives, hates people who aren't Christian, and wants revenge against anyone who's wronged him, or whom he believes has wronged him. He watches people get tortured and he kills animals because he can. During this time, his father and other brother are murdered by their enemies, which only makes Vlad more ferocious and raging.
In adulthood, Vlad takes over Wallachia. Being in power only lets him take his depravity to new heights. He slaughters men, women, and children to show people that his rule is absolute. Sometimes he kills for revenge, sometimes as a matter-of-fact business, and sometimes out of pure enjoyment. It's his enjoying the torture and death that's the most disturbing. Throughout the book, he becomes progressively worse. One of the most brutal and stark images comes about halfway through the story, when one of Vlad's helpers looks up in horror at all the impaled people. There aren't any words and there don't have to be.
Vlad eventually dies in battle, his head held up. After this, the fictional Count Dracula makes a cameo, complaining, "Frankly, I'm ashamed of my accomplishments compared to those of this so-called human being...." Count Dracula lets readers know the real Dracula was far more evil than the fictional one.
-- Danica Davidson
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