#DRCL: Midnight’s Children vol. 1

I hope everyone enjoyed reading lots of words about a manga from Shin’ichi Sakamoto last week, because I’ve got more to say about another series of his that also launched last year.  “#DRCL” is arguably the more successful, as it managed to snag an Eisner Award nomination for “Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material – Asia,” while “Innocent” did not.  Is it the better of the two?  I wouldn’t go quite that far as this series has Sakamoto applying his considerable talents to a familiar tale, hammered into a recognizable manga storytelling mold, and presented in a format that’s in excess of its value.

“#DRCL” is another adaptation of the famous Bram Stoker tale that has already fostered multiple film, television, comics, and manga adaptations before this one.  While I haven’t read the original story, what I do know about it lets me know that Sakamoto isn’t going for a strict adaptation of it here.  It starts off conventionally yet promisingly with two chapters devoted to the strange goings-on aboard the Demeter, the ship that transported Dracula’s (dismembered) body to England.

The mangaka’s considerable skills are on full display in  these opening chapters as they boast the detail and style that were evident from the start of “Innocent.”  He gives the ship a moody, sickened look to it that lets you know nothing is right here.  Even if that’s an obvious stance to take, there are additional touches, like the moss growing out of one man’s back, the Slenderman-esque look to Dracula’s initial presence on the ship, and the manifestation of the monster that resembles a straight-up horror version of “The Little Shop of Horrors,” that hold your interest as they creep you out.

This is only the start of the story, with things shifting to its primary setting by the end of its third chapter.  So where in England will the rest of “#DRCL” be taking place?  Why at Whitby School, where the finest future leaders of England receive their instruction on being great men.  That’s right, this story is going to be about a bunch of high schoolers teaming up to fight the Prince of Darkness.  You may be forgiven for thinking that with Sakamoto’s skills, you’re going to be getting the most handsomely staged season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” ever put to the page.

The thing is that there’s not a lot about vol. 1 to suggest that line of thinking is wrong here.  Mind you, the time and setting isn’t one that we see a lot in manga, even as the mangaka embraces some familiar elements as he incorporates and tweaks elements of “Dracula” lore.  Young lordling Arthur Holmwood is now the ringleader of a circle of friends that includes Quincy Morris, the son of a rich African American man, Joe Suwa, a promising student of psychology, and Luke Westerna, the frail, effeminate, and beautiful young man that they’ve each sworn to protect.  Then there’s young Wilhemina “Mina” Murray, the first girl to be admitted to Whitby School; though, there may be a bit more to the story there.

Oh, and Renfield is here as well.  Chained to Jo’s bed in a nun’s habit and performing occasional puppet plays with dead animals.  He still eats bugs, though, because if he didn’t he wouldn’t be Renfield.  Right?

Even before Dracula makes his appearance at the school, there’s tension between these characters.  Arthur and the rest of his friends resent Mina’s presence and take no small amount of joy in teasing and reminding the girl that her presence is not appreciated or wanted here.  While Mina’s determination to not let this get the best of her is expected, her hobby of wrestling expressed as a Catch-as-Catch-Can-style that also extends to how she approaches life isn’t and is appreciated here.  She does have a friend in “Lucy” Westerna, Luke’s other female self who only manifests at night.

While the story essentially states that these teenagers will come together to fight against Dracula’s influence, that appears to be a ways off at this point.  Sakamoto takes his time in this first volume establishing the characters and their setting while trying to infuse a lot of dread into the overall mood.  Sometimes that’s done in a subtle manner, such as seeing Lucy’s midnight escapades with and without Mina.  Other times he goes full-on horror spectacle, best seen in the Count’s few appearances here.  While none of this struck me as being particularly scary, it’s still stylish enough to hold my interest and add to my appreciation of Sakamoto’s considerable artistic skills.  Anyone coming to this without having read “Innocent” first is likely to come away even more impressed.

Assuming that they think this volume represents a good value for their money.  While most manga volumes still compare quite favorably to American comics in terms of price-to-page-count, “#DRCL” represents a rare case of sticker shock here.  Vol. 1 of this series, which is being released in hardcover, will set you back $27 for just over 250 pages here.  For comparison, publisher Viz Media’s current release of other hardcover manga like “Fist of the North Star” and “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure” cost $25 for just north of 300 pages per volume.  If you were willing to shell out $3 more, you could get more than twice the amount of content from an omnibus of “Innocent” from Dark Horse.

I don’t usually bring up pricing in my reviews because I like to think that a good comic will justify its cover price, no questions asked.  I don’t think that’s the case in “#DRCL” as it’s not priced in a way that suggests it’s being targeted at the general manga reading audience.  The implication here is that Viz assumes people looking for more mature, adult-oriented manga that’s outside the conventions of shonen and shojo manga will pay a premium for such an experience.  I’m not saying they’re wrong, I just don’t think we’re getting that premium experience with this first volume.

(In case anyone is wondering, I got my copy on sale from Amazon for $18 before tax.  I think that’s a much more reasonable price for this volume considering its quality.)

Still, the jury is very much out at this point as to whether or not the mangaka’s style will be able to sustain your interest in the story until things come together.  There’s no denying Sakamoto’s considerable artistic talent, but it’s all being directed in service of a story where a bunch of English high schoolers (will eventually) team up to take on Dracula.  While I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, the hope is that it’ll get its act together sooner rather than later in order to justify its significant cover price.