Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} vs. Dracula by Ian Edginton Victorian Undead Ii TP Sherlock Holmes Vs Dracula. Written by IAN EDGINTON Art by Cover by RYAN SOOK Collected from the six-issue miniseries! A year after the defeat of Professor Moriarty’s horde and the fire-bombing of London, restoration is well under way. Yet, from across the sea, ancient eyes cast their hungry gaze upon the still vulnerable capital. Dracula is coming. "synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title. About the Author : Ian Edginton is a New York Times bestselling author and multiple Eisner Award nominee. His recent titles include the green apocalypse saga Hinterkind for DC/Vertigo. Steed and Mrs Peel for BOOM, The steam and clock-punk series , Ampney Crucis Investigates and Brass Sun for 2000 AD . Game properties, Dead Space: Liberation and The Evil Within for Titan Books and the audio adventure : Army of One for the BBC. He has adapted books by bestselling novelists Robert Muchamore ( CHERUBS ) and Children’s Laureate, Malorie Blackman ( NOUGHTS & CROSSES ). In addition he has adapted the complete canon of Sherlock Holmes novels into a series of graphic novels for Self Made Hero, as well writing several volumes of Holmes apocrypha entitled The Victorian Undead . He lives and works in England. D’Israeli : Under the pen name D’Israeli, Matt Brooker has been a comic artist since 1988. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with writer Ian Edginton, including Leviathan, Kingdom of the Wicked, The War of the Worlds, , Leviathan and . Other career highlights include work on Sandman , collaborations with , including Lazarus Churchyard and the cryptic SVK , and his colouring on the later Miracleman stories, to which he’ll be returning in 2015. Since 2003, he’s been a regular contributor to 2000 AD , mostly as series artist on Stickleback with Ian Edginton and Low Life with Rob Williams. His and Rob’s creator owned series, Ordinary , was published in the Megazine and will be available as a in Autumn 2014. He lives in Nottingham, UK and wishes he had a cat. Edginton Unleashes Holmes vs. Zombies. Written by Ian Edginton, Wildstorm's "Victorian Undead" features Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in a foggier than usual London, confronting the most extraordinary case of their career - why are the dead returning to life? Ian Edginton ("Stormwatch: Post Human Division") is no stranger to the world of Sherlock Holmes. So when WildStorm senior editor Ben Abernathy offered the British writer a crack at telling a tale showcasing the good detective's consulting talents in a zombiefied London, Edginton didn't hesitate. In fact, he jumped in faster than Moriarty's infamous plunge over Reichenbach Falls. Featuring art by Italian illustrator Davide Fabbri ("Star Wars: Empire"), "Victorian Undead" features Holmes and Dr. Watson in a foggier than usual London confronting the most extraordinary case of their career - the dead are returning to life. Holmes' arch nemesis Professor Moriarty has been dead for years, and yet, could he somehow be involved in this Victorian resurrection? CBR News checked in with Edginton to see what we could unearth, and we found a writer who is about to unleash a Holmes that is equal parts Jeremy Brett, Gene Wilder and Gil Grissom. First off, how did this project come about? Was it your pitch, or did WildStorm bring it to you? It was sort of six-of-one and half-a-dozen of the other. I'd just finished my last issue of "Stormwatch: PHD" and was part way through putting together some new pitches, when Ben Abernathy got in touch. Having done "Scarlet Traces" for Dark Horse and "Stickleback" and "Leviathan" for 2000AD here in the UK, he knew I had a thing for , detective type stories. He asked me if I wanted to work up something that involved Sherlock Holmes, but was a horror book that involved zombies. Let me tell you, it felt like Christmas had come early. Coincidentally, it also helps that I'm part way through a fairly epic program to adapt the entire Holmes canon into a series of graphic novels, so it wasn't exactly a tough choice. Obviously then, you're well familiar with Sherlock Holmes and very comfortable working in his world. He's a legendary character, even more so in Britain. What was your first exposure to character? I am a big Holmes fan. When I was in my mid 'teens, I came down with glandular fever and was laid up for months. It wasn't an especially bad bout, but it just left me feeling wiped out all the time. It was also very, very boring. I read a lot back then anyway, but with not much else to do, I began to plough through books with a vengeance. I worked my way through a whole raft of titles, including one huge doorstop of a book that contained the entire Holmes canon. I remember reading it in just under a week, then going back and reading it again. The books I read during that time pretty much formed the bedrock of material that's inspired me to do what I do now, and Sherlock Holmes plays a big part in that. What is it about Holmes that makes him such terrific subject matter? His stories have been told for more than 100 years, and The Guinness World Records lists him as the 'most portrayed movie character,' with more than 70 actors playing the part in over 200 films. The thing that makes us buy into Sherlock Holmes. is Doctor Watson. If we weren't seeing their adventures through Watson's eyes, I think Holmes would be a lot harder to like. His intellect, arrogance and addictions are all filtered through Watson's perception of this flawed genius. He marvels at Holmes observations and deductions, but is disturbed, especially as a doctor, by Holmes' descent into dark moods and his need for the needle when he doesn't have the mental stimulation that he thrives on. When writing Holmes opposite Dr. Watson, how do you find their voices? Did you go back and watch old films, or read Doyle's original stories again? Or maybe you watched some new episodes of "House" to watch Hugh Laurie and Robert Sean Leonard interact? I've re-read the Holmes books several times recently, as well as watching some of the better movies, but it's the Granada TV series, with Jeremy Brett as Holmes and Edward Hardwicke and David Burke as Watson, which is really the benchmark. It's the little nuances of character that stand out. In the episode 'The Three Gables,' there's a small, almost insignificant moment, when Watson has taken quite beating and is sitting, bruised and battered, on the stairs of their client. As Holmes passes him by, he doesn't gush with concern but simply gently pats him on the shoulder and says, "Physician, heal thyself." It's only a minor moment, but it speaks volumes about their characters and how they interact with each other. Funnily enough, I didn't think of watching "House." I might go back and do that now. I did watch a lot of "CSI," especially the one's that heavily feature Gil Grissom. He and Holmes have a lot in common. What can you tell us about the story you are going to tell? From the solicitations, it's certainly not traditional Holmesian fare. Well, it is traditionally Holmesian in the way he deals with the situation he's confronted with. It's just that the situation is like nothing he's ever encountered before. I've woven into the plot a number of real-world events that happened at the time and do have a direct bearing on the story. Some are to do with the wretched, squalid conditions that existed in London back then, and one in particular is to do with a strange celestial event that became a matter of public record. One thing I have deliberately done, is to make sure that this doesn't come over as "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" light. With perhaps just one or two minor exceptions, the series is set solely in the world of Sherlock Holmes with no guest appearances from other, external literary characters and so on. If they've appeared in the Holmes books and certain of Conan Doyle's other works, then they're fair game. The solicitation teases, so I have to ask. Who - or what - is behind the resurrection of these ravenous revenants? Because, isn't Professor Moriarty dead? Or at least a zombie? You're right, I can't say and the story's set in 1898, some years after Moriarty's death at the Reichenbach Falls, so there's no way he could be involved. is there? Are there any basic rules to follow when you're writing zombie tales? I often wonder if the powers, strengths, abilities and weaknesses of zombies are universal, or do writers do whatever they like when they're writing the "Undead?" I've kind of tried to rationalize the zombies' physiology. If you're pretty much intact when you die, no arms or legs missing, then you can move as fast as a normal person. Rigor mortis sets in after about three hours, and ceases somewhere around 72, so there's some stiff-legged shambling about for a while, but after that, you're as fast as normal. More so in fact, since you don't have to worry about injury or exhaustion. The only drawback is maggots and rot. Dead bodies decay, so the further along you are, the more you slow up as tendons and ligaments rot and snap and bits of you fall off and so on, then you're back to shambling around again. I think it's a natural way of incorporating the 'fast' zombies from Zach Snyder's "Dawn of the Dead" and the classic George Romero ambulatory cadavers. What does Davide Fabbri bring to this project? What about your first issue cover artist, Tony Moore? Davide's art is just amazing. He's given the stories a wonderful period feel and imbued Holmes and Watson with an energy and dynamism that people don't normally associate with them. If you're not all that familiar with the books, there's a tendency to view them as being a little cerebral and fusty, where Holmes just smokes his pipe, plays his violin, shoots up on occasion and solves mysteries as if they were crossword puzzles. However, there's a great physicality to the characters that's often overlooked, and that I've been determined to put back in. For example, in "Hound of the Baskervilles," Holmes chases down a cab on foot through central London, weaving in and out of the traffic, which is no mean feat. Also, in the case, "The Speckled Band," after being threatened by Sir Grimesby Roylott, who bends a poker into a loop just to show what a hard case he is, Holmes then proceeds to unbend the thing. Then there's Watson who not only fought and was wounded in the battle of Maiwand, one of the bloodiest battles of the second Afghan war, but on one occasion he slugged it out with the prize-fighter Steve Dixie. Watson's a scrapper, a real little terrier of a man. As For Tony's cover, what's not to love? When Ben mentioned that Tony was going to be doing the alternate cover, I was over-the-moon. I think his work on "The Walking Dead" is excellent, and that's no reflection on Charlie [Adlard], who, coincidentally, I worked with on "The Establishment," also for WildStorm a few years ago. When I heard that Tony's Holmes was going to be wearing the Deerstalker and Inverness cape, my heart did sink a bit. I really wanted to steer clear of that visual cliche. In Conan Doyle's time, that kind of get-up was only ever worn in the country, never the town. It simply wasn't the done thing. However, when I saw the cover, there was no way I could complain. I mean, come on, it's grisly and grotesque and hilarious. As soon as you see it, you go, "Whoa, what the Hell's this?" Which is a good thing. This release coincides with the upcoming release of Robert Downey Jr.'s "Sherlock Holmes" movie. What are your thoughts on that project? Do you think Iron Man can deliver? When I first saw the trailer, I couldn't quite take it in. It seemed so absurd and over-the-top that you couldn't take it seriously, but then I thought, "So what." If you want to see Holmes played straight, there's the exemplary Granda TV adaptations and then Robert Stephens in Billy Wilders classic, "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" and Christopher Plummer in "Murder by Decree." It's not the first extreme take on Holmes either. There's the Russian version that springs to mind, and a bizarre, Hong Kong, martial arts take, where he conducts a very odd battle with, I think Moriarty, using his violin in a way it most certainty wasn't designed for. The Guy Ritchie film just seems as if he taken the characters and set-up and turned them up to a Nigel Tufnel-style 11. Is it going to be a good film? Who knows? Is it going to be a laugh? Stands a chance. My personal favorite Holmes-pastiche movie is "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother," starring Gene Wilder as Sherlock's younger brother Sigerson and Marty Feldman as Sergeant Cheeseman, who's unique gift is that he has photographic hearing. There's a great scene where Sigerson and one of Moriarty's men are standing on top of a pair of runaway cabs, slugging it out, except one of them is using a giant boot and the other a giant glove. Now if you could get Robert Downey Jr. doing that, I'd be impressed. If sales are strong and readers are clamoring for more, would you consider doing more Holmes miniseries? Or even an ongoing? I have stories blocked out for at least another two mini-series, but it all depends on how this one is received first. The end of the first series leaves it wide open for more adventures. It's just down to economics after that. I like the idea of doing an on-going, monthly Holmes title, but a series of mini-series would probably be more accessible. What else are you working on these days? As I mentioned earlier, I'm adapting the entire Sherlock Holmes canon into a series of graphic novels for a company over here in the UK called Self Made Hero. I'm working with a friend of mine, Ian Culbard, who I adapted the "Picture of Dorian Gray" with recently. We've got the okay from the Conan Doyle estate and are working with Daniel Stashower, who's a Holmes scholar and has written a couple of 'Further Adventures of. ' novels, where Holmes joins forces with Harry Houdini. We're tackling the four novels first as 130-page graphic novels, and then moving onto the short stories. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is already out. "" is out this month, "The Sign of Four," next Spring, and "The Valley of Fear," late Autumn. I'm also writing "Stickleback," "The Red Seas" and "Ampney Crucis Investigates" for 2000AD, and my own take on "Aladdin" for Radical. "Victorian Undead," written by Ian Edginton with art by Davide Fabbri and covers by Tony Moore and Simon Coleby, goes on sale November 18. Sherlock Holmes: A Comic Comparison. The past year has seen an unusually large number of Sherlock Holmes adaptations, both in comics and on the screen, but not all Holmeses are created equal. Last night, British viewers got to see the last episode of Season 2 of the BBC’s wildly popular series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (we Americans will get it this spring), and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows starring Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law is still doing well in theaters a month after it opened. So if you’re in a Holmesian mood and wondering what to read next, here’s run down on the Holmes adaptations which have come out or had new installments in the past year. Varying from inspiredly odd to unreadably awful, don’t go to the comic store without reading this first! First, for the sake of context, let’s start with the live action adaptations. Not Jam Watson, despite appearances. Sherlock (BBC television series), created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. Variation on the theme: The characters are transplanted to modern Britain. Holmes is still in his early 30’s and a bit emotionally immature, as well as possibly Aspergers. Watson is highly capable and dangerous, but obfuscates cuddly harmlessness. Sherlock and Mycroft have Mommy issues. Holmes/Watson relationship: Very, very close and more equal than usual. Not only do they work cases together, they sit around their apartment joking and watching ridiculous television during down time. And apparently in the second season, John is officially Sherlock’s partner in the detecting business, providing publicity through his blog. Typical case: What do these mysterious symbols terrorizing a young woman mean? Could it be an international crime ring? Bad CSI villain to Napoleon of Crime Moriarty villain scale: 1 for performance, 7 for setup. In person, Moriarty is a brilliant but murderous lunatic who can’t keep his accent straight and just really, really wants to destroy Sherlock Holmes. Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 6. Sherlock rarely expresses emotions beyond anger, boredom or excitement over a case – these, however, are done with an eccentric dramatic flair. He does let down his guard around John when they’re goofing around together. Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 5, About on par with Doyle’s work, except for a certain crime lord going to ridiculous lengths to destroy Sherlock. Verdict: If you’re okay with a slightly gorier modern sensibility and you’re not looking for costume drama, watch this! Sherlock Holmes with copious explosions. Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows , directed by Guy Ritchie. Variation on the theme: Sherlock Holmes is an enormous ham, a complete brat, usually on drugs and an emotional mess, practically chewing on the scenery with his histrionic emoting. He’s also extremely charming and genuinely socially capable when he feels like it. This is the kind of Sherlock Holmes who gets into bareknuckle boxing matches and bad drag pretty much for the hell of it. Watson is rakish, capable and dangerous and he makes absolutely no secret of it. Holmes/Watson relationship: Holmes and Watson are friends, but are having relationship problems. Holmes is wildly emotionally dependant on Watson and is coping very badly with Watson’s new marriage. Watson is getting a bit tired of Holmes’s brattiness and is happy to move out and marry Mary, though he still cares about Holmes and enjoys their cases together. The word partner does not come up – they are Holmes’s cases, Watson is just an extremely useful and beloved friend who helps out. Typical case: Someone evil wants to Take Over Britain! Scooby doo plot ensues. Bad CSI villain to Napoleon of Crime Moriarty villain scale: 9, Moriarty and Lord Blackwood are both genuinely terrifying and capable of outsmarting Sherlock on several occasions. Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 10, Wacky Bohemian. Prone to extravagant (if deeply weird) displays of emotion. Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 10, a villain wants to blow up Parliament and declare himself the Witch King of Britain. Wait what? Verdict: A humorous take on Holmes, heavy on explosions and Holmes/Watson banter. The least heartbreaking Reichenbach Falls story ever. If you want Wacky Bohemian Holmes with bonus cross-dressing, this is the Holmes for you. And now for the comics: Do not tell me this man is not Sherlock Holmes. Ruse: The Victorian Guide to Murder by Mark Waid and Mirco Pierfederici, published by Marvel. Variation on the theme: “Holmes” is named Simon Archard, and is more rich and famous for his successes than in Conan Doyle, but otherwise he’s Holmes. “Watson” is a woman named Emma Bishop. Holmes/Watson relationship: Emma Bishop considers herself Archard’s partner, although she does recieve a paycheck, and she’s not shy about giving him a piece of her mind when he gets a little too outrageous, or keeps her out of the loop. Archard frequently reminds her that he could hire someone else for her job. But he also trusts Emma implicitly to drive a runaway carriage, win in a fist fight he drops her into and keep up with his spur of the moment schemes and improvisations, and eventually he refers to her as his partner. Typical case: Lightbourne (apparently a combo of Moriarty and Charles Augustus Milverton) has set out to blackmail pretty much the entire upper class, including the heir to the throne, in order to secretly control the WORLD! Or possibly just win India in a bet. Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 4. Cranky banter and shouting at villains. Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 9. Betting India. Verdict: Good solid fun and worth a read. The original incarnation of this comic, which came out from Crossgen, is even better, if slightly weirder. Emma has secret magical powers in it. The most truly Holmesian of all the Holmes comics listed, even if Holmes is called Simon Archard. The one with the eyepatch is Watson and the puppy is Holmes, yes. Sherlock Holmes (manga) by Toya Ataka, available onJmanga.com. Variation on theme: Holmes is has magical powers that assist his detection. Also, he’s naive, adorable and about 14. Watson is an adult with an eyepatch and is slyly world weary. Holmes/Watson relationship: Watson is Holmes’s amused but caring mentor figure, young Sherlock looks up to him. Typical case: Someone murdered an operatic soprano using magic while she was onstage in the middle of an opera. Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 8. Cheerful but eerie child. Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 7. Small scale murder, but using magic. Verdict: An amusing but deeply odd read. Let me guess, you like jam? Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula by Ian Edginton and Davide Fabbri, published by DC Comics. Variation on the theme: Sherlock Holmes fights the undead, as well as solving crimes. Watson appears to be a fat old buffer, twenty to thirty years older than Holmes, and not terribly bright. Holmes/Watson relationship: Holmes and Watson seem fond of each other, but Watson’s contribution to casework consists of occasionally saying things like “By Jove!” Aside from minor medical skill, he resembles Kate Beaton‘s Jam Watson. Typical case: Dracula will give Britain bubonic plague if he is not allowed to take over the nation. Bad CSI villain to Napoleon of Crime Moriarty villain scale: N/A. Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 3, Very restrained, but recognizably human Holmes. Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 9, Dracula wants to take over Britain! Verdict: Not awful, but not worth buying. I was not making the stalker thing up. Sherlock Holmes: Year One by Scott Beatty and Daniel Indro, published by . Variation on theme: Sherlock Holmes and Watson are younger and meet in an entirely different way. Holmes has all the personality of a rock. Watson apparently was a cavalry soldier in Afghanistan, instead of a military doctor, and does anachronistic CSI work for the police. No actual detecting gets done, but there are fights. Many, many fights. Holmes/Watson relationship: Watson meets Holmes by chance, is impressed by his detective skills and… decides to stalk him. Holmes is uninterested in Watson. Typical case: A serial killer is basing his crimes on the Emperors of Rome. Bad CSI villain to Napoleon of Crime Moriarty villain scale: 2, Math professor with a stupid, nonsensical plan to take over England. Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 7, Shouty Holmes hits people he gets in arguments with. Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 8, a mansion is staffed entirely by criminals. Verdict: Run, do not walk, in the opposite direction. Almost as awful as the Syfy original movie in which Sherlock’s real name is inexplicably Robert. Ian Edginton. Princess Tersia has a vision of the future and the shape of things to come. She’s married to Jon Hobb and carrying his baby. Oh, and there’s a dragon! Is it a dream or a nightmare? Jon and Prosper become embroiled in an ogre murder mystery, even as the Vampire Nation’s expedition to America continues its search for blood, conquest and a hot lunch! Intrigue in the Sidhe Palace gets nasty as Princess Tersia makes a grab for power. A Vertigo “Defy Covers” issue! The second story arc comes to an end with big changes for The Hinterkind: After plotting to murder her mother, Tersia is queen – for a day! After being rescued from death’s door by the Ogrekin, Prosper and Jon Hobb find themselves drawn into a murder investigation as the hand of the Vampire Nation moves across the land. There’s no place to hide for Jon and Prosper when the Graf Orlock and the Vampire Nation are hot for their blood. Meanwhile, there’s a seismic shift of power amongst the Sidhe. These stories from issues #7-12 begin with Princess Tersia, who has a vision of the future and the shape of things to come. In this vision she’s married to Jon Hobb and carrying his. Step back in time to before the deadly plague that almost wiped out mankind took hold in “A Diary of the Plague Years” part 1. DC Comics. Sites. All Site Content TM and © 2020 DC Entertainment, unless otherwise noted here. All rights reserved.