Issue(s): Tomb of Dracula #47
Cover Date: Aug 76
Title: "Birthrite: Death!"
Credits:
Marv Wolfman - Writer
Tom Palmer - Penciler
Gene Colan - Inker

Review/plot:
Dracula is still coming to terms with the fact that he's in love with his wife, Domini.

His love sonnets could use some work ("How easy it would be / to crush you like / an over-ripe melon") but he does seem to actually love her, which surprises even him and which he half-blames on the fact that they are residing in a church.

The major event in this issue occurs during an attack on the Satanic church by an unnamed man.

The event is the impregnation of Domini.

And the unnamed man turns out to be Domini's father.

Domini is happy because her father died praying to the portrait of Jesus that the Satanists mockingly keep in their church, and because he was permanently killed, not turned into a vampire.

We also check in with our supporting cast. Rachel has had enough of the new Macho Frank. "Out of crackers" is right. What did Brother Voodoo do to this guy?

Also in this issue, Harold H. Harold has convinced Aurora Rabinowitz to go on a date with him, but starts bungling it immediately...

...and Blade and Hannibal King's quest for Deacon Frost gets put on hold when Blade's girlfriend Safron comes to town. First lovin', then vampire hunting.

I've said that i understand that Wolfman added Harold and Aurora to the cast to lighten the heavy tone of the series, but that i think he went too far in the other direction with them. The Blade/King relationship is actually a much better example of how the tone could be lightened without disrupting the book.

Overall this is a non-action downtime issue (unless you count Domini's father's brief attack) but it continues the weird mystery of Dracula's relationship with the Satanists.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• Dracula says he has more questions now about Domini and his own purpose for existing than he did when Dr. Sun stole his powers. No footnote, but Sun stole his powers in Tomb of Dracula #21, beginning a long running storyline that was resolved in Tomb of Dracula #42.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Essential Tomb of Dracula vol. #2

The interplay, bickering and chemistry between Blade and Hannibal King has lasted long past the end of this series, and hopefully will continue in future presentations.