Dracula - A Ben Caldwell Cartoon Comic

Dracula - A Ben Caldwell Cartoon Comic
Adapted by Michael Mucci. Drawn by Ben Caldwell. Published by Sterling.

This is an excellent adaptation of Stoker's Dracula. All of the important parts of the book remain intact. The graphics rock. They're hip, modern, and thoroughly charming. Best of all, I think it would equally appeal to both girls and boys. I would love to teach this to my kids. My only complaint is the lack of page numbering. It's a pretty significant size, and if I were to use this in the classroom, it would need page numbers.

This graphic novel did bring up the following thought: How enhanced is my enjoyment of this story because I have read the original? I can only assume that I get greater satisfaction from this version because of my familiarity with Stoker's book. But if that is the case, how well would someone who has never read the original (or seen a movie version) assess the comic version? Would there be gaps in their comprehension of the story line?

Grade: A+

(Photo courtesy of www.barnesandnoble.com)