GIANT-SIZE DRACULA - #5 1ST JOHN BYRNE ARTWORK @ MARVEL (1974 - VF+)

💥 FIRST JOHN BYRNE ARTWORK PUBLISHED AT MARVEL (8-PAGE STORY "DARK ASYLUM")! 

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“The Art of Dying” – (30-page Dracula story) – France, the 1930's. An unnamed government agent lives in fear as he is being stalked by the vampire lord As he prepares himself for what will be his final conflict with Dracula, he recalls back to the events that brought him to this moment. Working national security, the man would travel from France to England and happen upon one of his superiors agreeing to work with the vampire. The agent would then kill the traitor and try to flee, Dracula would catch him and begin to feed. He would avoid death by shooting Dracula in the face. Knowing that the vampire would not rest until he was dead, the agent would travel to Switzerland and attempt to lose Dracula. However, one night Dracula would find him and attempt to get revenge …

"Dark Asylum!" – (8-page story) – This story takes place within the hallucinations of a man within an asylum suffering mental imbalance. He meets two characters in his dream world that are based upon the asylum's doctor and nurse who encourage him to fight the 'wizard' that is 'denying his freedom' with his 'mind'. When he confronts the robed wizard and pulls back his cowl, the man finds himself staring at himself. He sends the wizard hurling to his doom, as the man lying in a cot straight-jacketed at asylum relaxes with a smile on his face. Watching him, the nurse comments that it is almost like he has triumphed over himself.

"The Hidden Vampire" – (5-page story, reprinted from Journey Into Mystery #21, Jan. 1955).

"They Fly By Night" – (5-page story, reprinted from Adventures into Terror #30, Apr. 1954).