I can’t say I’ve even seen an episode of the original Dark Shadows, the soap opera that featured a truly Gothic line up with Jonathan Frid as Barnabus Collins the vampire. Why Gold Key, a producer of comic books for children thought the soap would make a good title for their line is hard for me to grasp. The comic must have been successful on some level since it ran for five years after the show.
August 1975 saw Issue #33 of the Gold Key Dark Shadows take its werewolves and vampires to the frozen North. Written by Arnold Drake and drawn by Joe Certa, this comic follows the adventures of Quentin Collins and his werewolf curse. Barnabus will show up occasionally to save the day.
Part One opens in the lab of Dr. Hoffman, female scientist, who has found a cure to Quentin’s werewolfism (Dr H’s words, not mine!). The only problem is Hoffman needs vast amounts of wolf blood for a new batch of serum. Quentin agrees to get it for her. Barnabus doesn’t like the idea of his brother going to the Canadian backwoods. Dr. Hoffman tells Quentin to take the last of the old serum. It is imperative he find that blood for if he runs out he might never change back again.
Quentin arrives at Eskimo Point on Hudson’s Bay with a letter saying he is a professor studying wolves. Upon entering the trading post he encounters Gwen having a Me Too moment with Barkley. Quentin interferes but changes his mind, not wanting to get involved. This enrages Barkley who attacks him for being a coward. Quentin defends himself then Barkley ups the ante with a ski pole. Quentin knocks him out.
This exchange wins Quentin the attention of Wataka, local native, who agrees to take him out into the wilderness to find wolves. The next morning the dog sled is ready. Barkley shows up to bad-mouth wolves in general. Wataka rides away but explains to Quentin that wolves are honest and only kill for food, unlike men. They camp. Wataka explains to Quentin that the wolves talk and have their own vocabulary.
They press on and Quentin shoots a wolf with a tranc gun. He gathers his first sample of blood. They are interrupted by an airplane that is herding deer into a canyon before a massacre for trophies. Quentin gets the drop on the hunters and forces them to leave, but not before their guide, Lomax, swears they will meet again.
Part Two begins with Wataka dead, his throat torn open by wolves. It is at this point that the serum runs out and Quentin becomes a wolfman. The wolves come and Quentin is prepared to die fighting. Only the wolves bow down to him. He is king of the wolves. Feeling truly free, Quentin takes the wolves out for a run. Meanwhile back at home, Barnabus knows something is wrong so he turns into a bat and flies away…
A plane is flying and inside are Barkley and the other hunters. Lomax is worried about killing Quentin. Barkley says the killing of Wataka and making it look like wolves won’t work. The other hunter spots the wolf pack and see Quentin. Barkley grabs a gun and tries shooting Quentin. He realizes he is a werewolf. Barkley fills him with slugs.
They land the plane to get their prey. The wolves are surrounding Quentin’s prone body. The beasts carefully drag his body to safety. When Barkley and his pals arrive they see a blood trail. Lomax wants to follow but Barkley knows a thing or two about werewolves. Like only a silver bullet can kill it. He has some silver jewelry and they start melting it down.
Quentin wakes in a cave. He has reverted to his human form. The wolves show up with a rabbit for him to eat. They still serve him faithfully. Barkley and his men find the cave and are about to use their one silver bullet when a bat appears. Barnabus takes human form and starts swinging. There is a good old fashioned punch up but Quentin gets knocked out. The baddies pin Barnabus and Barkley is about to use that silver bullet…. when the wolves show up.
The wolves scare off the hunters. Barnabus doesn’t know the wolves follow Quentin and is about to shoot them when his brother tells him to stop. The wolves chase the bad guys away but Quentin wishes only to get justice for Wataka. Back at home, Quentin apologizes to Dr. Hoffman for failing to get the blood she needed. She swears she won’t give up until Quentin is saved from his curse.
Not the worst comic book version of a Northern, though it features a typical anti-hunting message and mystical portrayal of a First Nations man. Oh the 1970s!
