Issue(s): Tomb of Dracula #16, Tomb of Dracula #17
Cover Date: Jan-Feb 74
Title: "Return from the grave!" / "Death rides the rails!"
Credits:
Marv Wolfman - Writer
Gene Colan - Penciler
Tom Palmer - Inker

Review/plot:
An undead skeleton that wishes only to be returned to its proper grave.

That's a standard horror plot. Nothing really to do with Dracula except that he's the protagonist of this book so he fights it.

In a subplot, we start seeing the machinations of a Doctor Sun and his rather vast organization.

The next story is more directly about Dracula. Blade has destroyed four of Dracula's coffins...

...but there is a fifth in Versailles, and Dracula heads there after defeating Blade and seemingly killing him with a bite to the neck. From Versailles, Dracula travels to Transylvania by train. The train also happens to be occupied by two German stereotypes that are fleeing from Doctor Sun...

... plus Rachel Van Helsing and Frank Drake, and Jack Russell.

Dracula draws the attention of Rachel and Frank after preying on a woman.

During the battle, Dracula runs into the German guy, who thinks that Dracula is an agent of Dr. Sun...

...and kills himself when he finds that "they have the vampire at last".

Dracula then flees Rachel's crossbow, and the case that the German was carrying is retrieved by an agent of Dr. Sun.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - introducing Doctor Sun

Chronological Placement Considerations: Jack Russel appears here after Werewolf By Night #14. I've got Dracula Lives #1-3 between this arc and the previous one, with the idea that Dracula was in America for Dracula Lives #-2, then took a boat to Paris for Dracula Lives #3, and is now on the train back to Transylvania. Dracula Lives #4 takes place concurrently with Werewolf By Night #16-19, but before that Jack Russell has to have his confrontation with Dracula in Tomb of Dracula #17 /Werewolf By Night #15 / Tomb of Dracula #18.

References:

• Doctor Sun's organization has captured the vampire Brand that was seen previously in Tomb of Dracula #11-14. Frank Drake also tells Dracula he wants revenge for things that happened during that run, including Edith's death and an injury to Rachel.
  
• Rachel convinced Frank not to kill himself in Tomb of Dracula #3

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Essential Tomb of Dracula vol. 1

I always thought it was kind of interesting that Dracula ultimately decides the dead man is right to be angry at having his body disinterred and moved. He's evil, but there are still some things he believes in.