In Review: Operation: Iron Coffin #2 – The Deal

Synopsis: Discover the deal Dracula made with Quincy Harker that led to him assisting the Allied forces in stopping the deadly Nazi train that contains a deadly vampire virus! Dracula continues to fight his way through the train and now must face down the three augmented soldiers who follow Hazel and Ivy’s every command. He has a great deal of power, but can he combat the power of the Spear, the Gunner, and the Bell?! And how much more of Dracula’s history is about to catch up to him?

The Story

In this second instalment of Operation Iron Coffin, Dracula continues to make his way through the train, seeing off wave after wave of augmented Nazi soldiers created by the demons Hazel and Ivy, whom he has just learned are his offspring.

In a brief flashback to 1897, we learn of a deal Count Dracula made with Quincey Harker, the son of Jonathan and Mina Harker. Dracula went to see Mina in the hope of making amends for the misdeeds of his previous life. Mina, now a widow, isn’t having any of it. She fills him full of bullets and slams the door in his face. Young Quincey, who is probably around 10 or 12 at this point, shows no fear of Dracula and asks the reformed monster what he had intended to do for his mother. A deal is made.

Meanwhile, back in 1945—the present day as far as this book is concerned—Dracula calls upon Quincey for help in disposing of one of the augmented soldiers he has lured into the open. Dracula is badly injured internally but pushes on after the assist. However, in that moment, Ivy and Hazel make themselves known to Quincey when they interrupt his communications with Dracula, letting both men know that they are aware of them.

To make matters worse, Dracula is given even less time to stop the train when Hazel uses an experimental device to triple its speed. And if that isn’t enough, the next augmented monster Dracula must face is the biggest and baddest yet.

The Artwork

Tyrell Cannon continues to knock it out of the park with his artwork on this book. I’m loving the train’s gothic 1940s styling and the sense of movement he manages to conjure through his mix of pencils and inks.

The character work is equally impressive. Cannon’s depiction of Dracula is somewhat reminiscent of the younger version seen in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1990s film, particularly the gangly frame and long hair. One especially fun image sees Dracula standing atop the moving train with his hand raised, signalling Quincy to target the augmented monster he has just dragged onto the roof.

Overall

I continue to enjoy this series and loved the reveal of how Dracula came to work with the British Allied Forces. I also enjoyed the dialogue between Dracula and the various monsters he faces. Hazel and Ivy make for fantastic villains, and I hope we learn more about them as the story unfolds. That said, we do find out a little more about them in this issue.