Dracula vs. King Arthur is a four-issue indie comic book mini series by Adam and Christian Beranek with art by Chris Moreno
Vlad Dracula, having made a pact with Lucifer to turn himself into a vampire, is in the final days of the Turkish war. Knowing he can't win, he waits at his castle for his enemies to slay him. But Lucifer changes his mind with a plan to send him back in time to the days of Camelot where vampirism is unknown and he can easily take over the land and soon the world along with it.
Indeed once Dracula arrive in the medieval times he begins turning the subjects of the land. King Arthur and his knights soon become aware of this and prepare to defend the kingdom, but against such an unknown enemy that can subjugate their forces. Do they even have a chance of stopping him?
Dracula vs. King Arthur provides examples of:
- Anti-Hero: Merlin; he's loyal to Arthur and the kingdom but his methods are rather questionable.
- Anyone Can Die: Even though it features many notable characters, the book's not shy about offing people. By the time the final battle has ended, Bedivere, Merlin, Lancelot, and the Lady of the Lake are the only survivors.
- Better to Die than Be Killed: Before the final battle, Arthur speaks with Merlin, who ask him if Camelot is worth dying for.Arthur: Pray it doesn't come to that.
Merlin: Pray it only comes to that. Our enemies promise far worse. - Bittersweet Ending: Dracula is killed and his forces defeated. But Arthur dies in the process as do many of his knights either having been turned, killed beforehand or killed in the final battle. The era of Camelot is ended but at the least, a hopeful new future is on the horizon for its surviving subjects.
- Bond Villain Stupidity: What ultimately defeats Dracula as he doesn't kill Arthur after he's captured him. Just draining his blood then throwing him into the ocean. Arthur recovers thanks to Percival, gains new weapons from the Lady of the Lake, and regroups his remaining forces for a final stand with more then enough knowledge on how to beat him now. Dracula's subjects even lampshade why they don't just finish him with Drac responding he finds it better to break Arthur's will then outright death.
- Clever Crows: Merlin's motif, he even has a pet raven by his side.
- Cool Versus Awesome: The title is self-explanatory.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Merlin is depicted here as a dark-clad, Rasputin-like shaman with wild hair, heavy association with Creepy Crows, and a skull-topped magic staff, but he's still a noble servant of Camelot, if slightly unhinged.
- Demonic Vampires: Vlad was transformed into a vampire by Lucifer. Befitting someone turned by the devil, he is very vulnerable to holy items. Vampires can be burned by the Cross, weapons marked with the Cross will kill them, and drinking from the Holy Grail doesn't cure them of vampirism, but makes them explode!
- Driven to Suicide: Percival after inadvertently killing his turned sister, Amide, by having her drink from the Holy Grail hoping it would cure her.
- End of an Age: In the final battle, Camelot and all her knights fall, and with them goes the brotherhood of the round table. Merlin and Lancelot are the only survivors.
- Fate Worse than Death: Lancelot is the only one who survives the final battle and is found by Merlin. Who, upon seeing the vampirism still holds even though Dracula is dead, goes to use Lancelot for experiments on the effects of vampires.
- From Bad to Worse: The moment Dracula arrives in Camelot, it pretty much goes on a downhill slope ending in a disastrous battle where Excalibur is stolen and Arthur is captured.
- Genre Blindness: Percival thinks that the Holy Grail could restore his sister from vampirism, but since Holy Burns Evil, she dies instead.
- Heroic BSoD: Arthur gets a brief one after surviving being thrown from Dracula's castle into the ocean.
- The Hero Dies: Arthur doesn't survive the final battle.
- Holy Burns Evil: Taken to previously unseen extremes. Vampires who drink from the Holy Grail don't just die, they explode.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Being set in the era of swords and shields, this is a given.
- Ludicrous Gibs: What happens to vampires who drink from the Holy Grail.
- Mad Scientist: Merlin to an extent.
- Public Domain Character: Basically everyone.
- Off with His Head!: How Guinevere and Dracula meet their ends.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: How Mordred feels to Arthur.
- Our Vampires Are Different: Some look like typical vampires while other bear the likeness of Nosferatu. Also it's the "share your blood" type which allows for turning. Simply being bitten won't do a thing.
- Rousing Speech: Arthur gives one before the final battle.
- Shout-Out:
- The story takes a few cues from Bram Stoker's Dracula considering Dracula's origins.
- To a lesser extent, King Arthur and his knights fighting the undead seems to be inspired by Ghosts 'n Goblins.
- Storming the Castle: Lancelot does this when Guinevere is captured Doesn't end well.
- Sole Survivor: Bedivere, last of the Knights of the Round Table.
- Taught by Experience: Initially most of the Knights have trouble against the vampires as this is their first time dealing with such creatures. The surviving ones however quickly learn what can kill them (Merlin's experiments also helping). Come the final battle, they're on an equal playing field with Dracula's forces.
- Transhuman Treachery: Many of those turned including Bors, Galahad, Guinevere, and especially Lancelot.
- You Have Failed Me: Drac does this to one of his mook both for this reason and to demonstrate what can harm a vampire.
- Vampires Are Sex Gods: Dracula comes off this way when he turns Guinevere. Likewise Guinevere to Lancelot.
- Versus Title: See above.
