- "They must be discouraged in their search! I must throw them off the track! The secrets which are mine must remain buried within me!"
- ―Barnabas Collins
| "The Vampire's Prey" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dark Shadows | |
| Title: | "The Vampire's Prey" |
| Volume: | 1 |
| Number: | 1 |
| Cover price: | .25 |
| Cover date: | March, 1969 |
| Publisher: | Gold Key Comics |
| Credits | |
| Writers: | D.J. Arneson |
| Pencilers: | Joe Certa |
| Inkers: | Joe Certa |
| Cover artists: | Jonathan Frid |
| Cover inker: | Jonathan Frid |
| Cover colorist: | Jonathan Frid |
| Letterers: | John Duffy |
| Editors: | Wally Green |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | — |
| Next: | Dark Shadows #2 |
"The Vampire's Prey" is the first issue of the first Dark Shadows ongoing comic book series published by Gold Key Comics - a division of the Western Publishing Company. It was written by D.J. Arneson with artwork and inks by Joe Certa, and lettering by John Duffy. The cover art is a photographic still of actor Jonathan Frid in the role of Barnabas Collins. The story was edited by Wally Green. This issue shipped with an March, 1969 cover date and carries a special cover price of .25 cents per copy.
"The Vampire's Prey"[]
Part I[]
A man named Dave and his friend Ed take a sail boat to Collinsport, Maine. Ever since discovering a family album, Dave has become intrigued about the disappearance of his great-great uncle, the noted Reverend Trask. He intends on conducting an investigation as to what really happened to his great-great uncle as part of a thesis term paper. They stop at the Blue Whale and begin discussing their plans. One of the bar patrons, Willie Loomis overhears them. Knowing that his employer, the vampire Barnabas Collins was responsible for Reverend Trask's death in the late 1700s, he rushes back to his master's estate at the Old House to warn him. Upon hearing this, Barnabas decides to go to the Blue Whale and meet with the men, if only to provide them with false information and send them in a different direction. Barnabas tells the men that Reverend Trask's final resting place was actually in Boston. The boys are grateful for the information, and make plans to return to their boat.
As Barnabas leaves, he transforms into a bat, unaware that he is being witnessed by a young nurse named Jane Willow. Jane shrieks at the site and faints. Dave and Ed overhear her cries and come running to help her. They revive Jane who tells them about the man who "shrank... and flew away". They don't believe her, but invite her back to their boat so she can rest. As she describes the man she saw, the boys recognize that it sounds like she is describing Barnabas Collins.
Back at the Old House, Barnabas' former wife and current tormenter Angelique (going by the name Cassandra), who is also a witch, tells him that she is aware of the two inquisitive young men and further notes that they have come into contact with a girl that saw him transform from a man into a bat. Barnabas races off into the night to deal with the girl.
Angelique makes contact with Dave and Tom and arranges for them to come to the Old House. She meets with them and tells them that Reverend Trask died when his ship sank off Collinsport Harbor. She even provides them with maps that show the spot where his ship went down. The men are grateful and leave to make plans to explore that section of the sea. This is all part of Angelique's plan to do away with the troublesome youths, for she has no desire to see any harm come to Barnabas. That particular distinction is reserved only for herself.
Barnabas meanwhile flies into Jane's room, but she awakens as he leans over her and begins to scream. This drives Barnabas away and two men burst into the room to console Jane.
The next day, Jane goes down to the harbor to meet up with Dave and Ed. She wants to accompany them on their scuba-diving search for Reverend Trask's ship. Ed goes down first and finds an old trunk, leaving Dave topside to flirt with Jane. As he opens the trunk, a ghostly image of Angelique emerges and attacks him. When Ed takes too long to surface, Dave dives in after him. Ed dies and Dave witnesses the ghostly keening of Angelique. He scrambles up to the surface with a wild story.
Dave and Jane are admitted to the Collinsport Hospital where they are diagnosed as suffering from hallucinations and are observed as "jabbering like idiots". One of the doctors theorizes that they might suffering from sunstroke.
Part II[]
Ed swears vengeance.
Back at the Old House, Barnabas confides in his ally, the physician Doctor Julia Hoffman. He knows that he must kill Jane to protect his secret, but Julia offers up an alternative. She can create a serum that will cause her to forget ever seeing him. Julia goes to the hospital, but Jane is too week to administer the drug just yet. After she leaves, the ghost of Ed materializes by Jane's bedside. As a spirit, he is now aware of the actions of both Barnabas and Angelique and how they led to his demise. Swearing vengeance against both of them, he likewise vows to protect both Jane and David.
Ed concocts a plan to use Jane to bait Barnabas into a trap. Reviving her, he ushers her to go to the docks. He then contacts the police and eerily warns them that someone is going to die tonight. His belief is that Barnabas will come for Jane, at which point the police will arrive to arrest him.
In bat form, Barnabas flies to the hospital, but Jane is gone. He finds a note on Dave's unconscious body, purportedly from Jane (but actually left by Ed), indicating where she can be found. He then begins making his way towards the docks, unaware that Angelique is mystically spying on the scene. She has no intention of leaving Barnabas' fate up to anyone other than herself. Angelique possesses Jane and waits for Barnabas. When he arrives, she screams aloud, thus alerting Barnabas to the presence of danger. Jane's body collapses onto the dock in a death-like state. Barnabas flees before the police arrive.
An ambulance is summoned which carries Jane away. Angelique leaves Jane's body, at which point it suddenly arrives, much to the surprise of the attending physician and the driver. She is taken back to the hospital, where Julia now has the opportunity to inject both Dave and she with her serum to make them forget. The following day, Dave and Jane are discharged and they sail off in Dave's boat to make their fortunes.
Epilogue[]
Midnight strikes at the Great House at Collinwood. While the matriarch of the house Elizabeth Collins Stoddard sleeps, a flower vase flies off a dresser and smashes against a mirror. She awakens with a start and examines the broken pieces of the vase. Then the dresser suddenly titles over, nearly crushing her. Suspecting supernatural forces are at play, she telephones occultist Professor Timothy Eliot Stokes. Barnabas arrives at the house as well and the three of them consult with one another over Liz's claims. The ghost of Ed lingers hauntingly in the back. He flails a photo album at the group, and photographs spill out across the table.
Using astral projection, Angelique continues to spy on events and perceives Ed's presence. She believes that the possible discovery of Ed's ghost might point Professor Stokes towards learning about her own secrets, as well as that of Barnabas. This is something Angelique refuses to let happen.
Through the flash of a crack of lightning, Barnabas sees the visage of Ed. Elizabeth takes note of the figure outside and the three of them run out into the rain towards Widows' Hill. As they get closer, the figure collapses and they examine the body. He is weak, but very much alive. Barnabas suspects Angelique's witchcraft is responsible for returning Ed back to life. Ed is taken to the hospital where he has no memory of anything relating to either Barnabas or Angelique.
Featured characters
Supporting characters
Villains
Minor characters
- Charley
- Julius
- Reverend Orville Vilorus Trask (In flashback only)
- Sims
Organizations
- Collins family
- Collinsport Police Department
- United States Coast Guard (Behind the scenes only)
Races & Animals
Locations
-
- Blue Whale
- Collinsport Harbor
- Collinsport Hospital
- Collinsport Inn (Unconfirmed)
- Collinsport Police Station
- Collinwood
- Elizabeth Collins Stoddard's bedroom
- Massachusetts (Referenced only)
Items
Vehicles
Powers
Miscellaneous
- 1795
- 18th century
- Amnesia
- Bondage (In flashback only)
- Curse
- Execution (In flashback only)
- Full moon
- Hangings (In flashback only)
- Hospital
- Incantations
- Immurement (In flashback only)
Notes & Trivia[]
- Dark Shadows was created by executive producer and showrunner Dan Curtis. Major storylines were developed by writers Art Wallace and Sam Hall. The original daytime Gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows aired on ABC from June of 1966 to April of 1971 spanning a total of 1,245 episodes. Two spin-off films House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows were released in theaters in 1970 and 1971. A remake series of Dark Shadows was produced in 1991 and ran for thirteen episodes on NBC. In 2012, director Tim Burton crafted a comical reboot of Dark Shadows as a high-budget feature film.
- The tagline to this issue is "Barnabas Collins - Vampire! Will he be forced to destroy the girl who stumbles on his unearthly secret?"
- According to the Copyright Office at the Library of Congress relating to books and pamphlets, this issue shipped to retailers on December 5th, 1968.
- This issue is Gold Key Comics job number 30039-903.
- While this issue boasts a .25 cents cover price, following issues carry a standard .15 cents cover price per copy.
- This issue includes two photograph pin-ups of actor Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins from the TV series.
- Dark Shadows episode 639 aired on ABC on the day this issue shipped to retailers.
- On the TV series, Reverend Trask was walled up in the basement of the Old House in episode 442.
- Dave's surname is never revealed in this issue. Given his relationship to Reverend Trask however, it is reasonable to assume that he is a paternal descendent who likewise carries the Trask name.
- It appears that Jane Willow resides at a place that is not her own. Context clues given by the men who enter her room imply that she is staying at a hostel of sorts. In all likelihood, this would be the Collinsport Inn, which is pretty much the only place to stay in Collinsport.
- The sergeant indicates that the enforcement of law in Collinsport is governed by the Collinsport Police Department. In the television series, we have only ever seen sheriffs and deputies, indicating that police jurisdiction falls to the county, not the city.
Bloopers[]
- The Dark Shadows television series was known for its bloopers. Apparently, the comic book series is no different. Elizabeth Collins Stoddard refers to Barnabas as "Barnaby" in this issue.