"Death Ship: The Last Voyage of the Demeter" and Movie Aspirations: A Graphic Novel Review

Aficionados of Bram Stoker's Dracula will be in for a double treat. Discounting a similarly titled Death Ship (1980), which bears no relation to the recent graphic novel of the same name, at least this tale may be the inspiration for a coming film, Last Voyage of the Demeter. News of this film broke early 2011 and as of late, David Slate (30 Days of Night) is to direct, and Bragi F. Schut (Season of the Witch) to write the screenplay. Until this film goes into production, UK residents have the treat of BBC Radio 4's version to tide them over. They provided a chilling version that was last broadcasted in '09, which is now hard to come by.

At least the graphic novel compilation of "Death Ship: The Last Voyage of the Demeter," is more current. IDW Publishing released this title Sept 28 and this tale explores the last few days of the Russian schooner, the Demeter, a sailing vessel which brought the king of all vampires to England. Madness and forlorn is explored as Dracula slowly ravages the crew. And as they disappear, only the captain becomes the last to navigate the doomed boat towards safe harbour.

But in Bram's Stoker's tale, the boat was washed up on the shore near Whitby, England and Dracula escaped to the wild countryside to meet the lovely Lucy. Perhaps a page was lost in the graphic novel to describe the fact that it was found and later towed to harbour? For some reason, in the comic, the boat looked like it made harbour and that was the captain's last gasping act. While the carcass of that man is accurately depicted as tied to the wheel, the other detail about how the boat arrived may irk continuity snobs.

At least that single page does not disturb the rest of the tale. Written by Gary Gerani (co-creator of Pumpkinhead!) and illustrated by Stuart Sayger (creator of Shiver in the Dark), the two are a great team who can read in between the lines of each other's work. In what is described, Sayger brings an ominous tone to the illustrations when the tale gets dark. The tale succeeds in chronicling the journey the Demeter just like in Stoker’s novel. A few lines are even borrowed and used in the graphic novel to hint at what‘s lurking from within the bowels of the ship.

The tale even emulates a little bit of the charm of a Samuel Taylor Coleridge's own frightening narrative, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." The theme of seeking salvation is explored. The Captain may be a simple man, but he depends on the crucifix that he desperately clings onto let him see the light. In this case, all he sees is despair as his crew disappears. But when the last few survivors happen to be Yuri, a cabin boy, and Constantine, a crew mate, their smitten lives drive the hardened sea dog to the brink.

The reading of this graphic novel can not be any better, and it can be savoured time and time again because of the artwork. The watercolors bring a certain level of expressionism out of the illustrations Sayger provides. He brings out even more depth in his artwork whenever he caricaturizes the emotionally wrought characters. And colourist Dom Regan does a great job in enhancing Sayger's work.

While some readers will opt for the graphic novel, the comic books are still worth tracking down; cover artist Cliff Nielsen and Sayger also provides for some great-looking covers for art collectors to appreciate.

If this team is ever to reunite, Coleridge's tale is still up for reinterpretation. There still has not been a decent adaptation of his classic poem of where the Mariner has survived the curse of the seven seas. So what if he is still stark raving mad? At least he's still alive.

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