(*PAGE EXAMPLES - reply #31*) "Dark Shadows" Returns in October (in new comic form)

Looks like we all share the same complaints.  That is telling...

But Laura has to figure in somewhere.  The [spoiler]rampant pyromania [/spoiler] thing was probably the best teaser in the whole series.  And it hasn't come to anything yet.  Like I said before and michael c said, there are three characters here in search of a story.  If they have one, this could be terrific. 

i'm not sure but there might be issues of royalties and legalities in using a living person's likeness.

obviously joan, louis and grayson are deceased. jonathan, lara, nancy and david selby are all actively involved in continued DS related activity so they might have granted their permission to use their likenesses and might be receiving some compensation for that.

in terms of someone like kate or alexandra being depicted, who are not really involved in current DS related projects, who knows if they'd grant the publishers permission to use their likenesses. still it would be nice to see them as well as laura in future issues.

even though maggie had been sent off to windcliff at the end of the series i'm rather surprised, given KLS's shall we say "enthusiasm" for maximizing her association with the series, that the character has not turned up. we'll see.

I hadn't recognized that from the Sumerian text, so I'm glad for the tipoff.  Unfortunately, that is about the only interesting thing in this issue.  They seem to have really captured the character of Carolyn well, but everything else is typical comic book fare and not really very beleivable as a continuation of the series.
[spoiler] If Angelique has to depend on putting most of the Collins family into a trance and running around as a PT-esque sucubus then obviously she shouldn't have bothered because she won't last very long.  But I resented hearing the cartoonish "hero/villian" banter between Barnabas and Angelique.  An obvious and predictable outcome doesn't really compel me to keep reading.   [/spoiler]

While I share the interest in a Laura story, I definitely don't want it told in the bombastic, adolescent style that the return of Angelique is being couched in.  But anyway, from what I've read they have a bent towards the characters that are in the Depp film, so it would seem that Viki would be the most likely to be brought in, though  she might look like Bella Heathcote if Alexandra says no.

Hi Tragic Bat,  I totally agree.  For me, the most disappointing episode in the latest installment was the scene between Angelique and Julia.  There were only a few of those in the original series and they were always exceptionally sharp and well-written.  This one was a really deflating non-event. 

G.

Yes, their scene together was really flat and empty, despite all they could have said given their past experiences.  It occured to me today that this is exactly the type of storyline that Lara Parker and Jonathan Frid averted when they demanded new characters, and thus the 1841 PT story came about which forced the show into a different direction. 

Possibly, tragic bat.  But, after Angelique's life changed, I always envisioned the two of them becoming allies and helping each other in their missions.  Yes, there would still be tension, but with KLS gone, I'd imagine that they would have less to quibble about.  Sure there will always be another Roxanne or something, but I think the writers would have been wise to realize that the Angelique/Barnabas battle needed a rest, at least for a year...  Then again, you are probably right, and they wouldn't have come to that realization at all.    

I was also disappointed in the latest issue.  Angelique's dialogue and interactions struck me as particularly out of character. 

The first issue was promising so I'll try to keep an open mind and see how the next few issues pan out.   

Time for Classic Vampires! Dark Shadows #7 Cover

Time for Classic Vampires! Dark Shadows #7 Cover

Beautiful.

i guess barnabas is the very official "face" of this series.

is no one else to get a cover?

If you mean will anyone ever get a cover without Barnabas somehow also represented on it, probably not considering the way the covers for this series seem to be going. Though the cover for #6 seems to simply feature his eyes with another, presumably new character primarily featured. But I suppose that featuring a new character rather than one that's already well established, like Julia, Quentin, Carolyn, etc., could seem like a slap in the face to any fans hoping to see them get their due on a cover.

Interestingly, the covers for the comics based on the '91 Series didn't always feature Barnabas. But of course that's a totally different comic series with totally different artists, writers and stories, and from a totally different company...

I may be in the minority here but I quite enjoyed this issue. This Angelique is not the same as Mrs. Rumson or the Angelique that we saw in 1840. She's changed. A century or so in hell may have done that. Perhaps that will be explained later on. Loved the depiction of Carolyn. Earlier it seemed that she was the victim. Neat twist that she--not Julia--was the only one who attempted to resist Angelique.

There is a large cast of characters right now but I hope that future story arcs show what happened to the Jennings family, Vicki, Hallie and Maggie. I would especially welcome a Maggie story. Even though Nicholas didn't complete the black mass that he was performing, what, if any, were the consequences for Maggie?

Loved the depiction of Carolyn. Earlier it seemed that she was the victim. Neat twist that she--not Julia--was the only one who attempted to resist Angelique.

You're definitely not alone in enjoying Carolyn's part in the plot because I've been finding it quite engaging. It's too bad, though, that[spoiler]the bartender guy got killed off. But then Carolyn doesn't have a good track record with men who seem to like her. Then again, she doesn't have a good track record with any men.  [/spoiler]

I enjoyed it too -- hey, it's Angelique!  I'm always glad to see her! -- I just feel like it's moving SUPER quickly.  How about we get to know [spoiler]the bartender guy a bit before they kill him off?[/spoiler]

True. And I would have liked that because I was enjoying[spoiler]his interaction with Carolyn. But I suppose he was only conceived as a slightly more glorified character than characters like Nelle Gunston, Aldon Wicks, Fred, Hortense, and Stella of the original series whose sole purpose seems to have been to be introduced and then killed off quickly without ever really learning much about them.[/spoiler]