Vlad the Impaler: The Man Who Was Dracula Book

Vlad the Impaler: the Man Who Was Dracula is a biographical graphic novel written by Sid Jacobson and illustrated by Ernie Colón and is an attempt to relate the story of Vlad's amazingly short career as ruler of Wallachia.

Vlad III Dracula was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania.

The early portion of the story relates Vlad's sojourn with his brother Radu in Istanbul as a hostage. Vlad was not a cooperative young man, unlike Radu, and was regularly beaten, while Radu, who had caught the eye of the young Mustafa, son of the Sultan, was taken into the court. Vlad was sent back to Wallachia at the head of an army on the death of his father and older brother at the hands of the White Knight, and thus begins the seesaw of the rest of his life, as he loses and regains this throne, now in league with the Ottomans, now the Hungarians, leading ultimately to his death in battle. The story also details his amorous adventures, a series of exploits almost as numerous as his various tortures and executions. He wasn't a very nice man, at least in this telling.

Vlad the Impaler: the Man Who Was Dracula is written and constructed somewhat well. Jacobson tries to provide some basis for Vlad's character being the result of his captivity by the Ottomans, but the narrative devolved from there without meaningful reflection. Colón's drawing is very clean, clear and expressive and depicted the meager, choppy, and dry text rather well and was perhaps the saving grace of the graphic novel.

All in all, Vlad the Impaler: the Man Who Was Dracula is a somewhat good, albeit cursory look at the inspiration of Dracula - Vlad the Impaler.