Dracula's Domain

Dracula’s Domain was actually the first of this series that I was able to locate and by all accounts seems to be the most prevalent. I think this is probably my second favorite of the three available, behind The Creature’s Lair, but ahead of Frankenstein’s Laboratory. It now carries the same $12.99 price tag as the Creature’s Lair, marked down at TJ Maxx and Home Goods stores.

The faux stone masonry looks fantastic and really pulls off the old world gothic look quite well. It’s the sort of scenery that just invites the addition of a gargoyle or two along the sides, but I’m glad that they didn’t go that route. It would’ve been too obvious and cliche. Instead, there are some cobwebs molded into the bottom sides of the entrance and in the background. Nice idea, but I look forward to letting this thing sit for a long time and letting some real spiders spin some real webs on it!

Where this piece fails for me is in the sculpt of both Dracula and his victim. The sculpt of both characters does not quite live up to the quality of the rest of the piece. The generic look of each character doesn’t bother me so much as the fact that it looks more like Dracula is rescuing a damsel in distress or carrying a Bride over the threshold of their new home more than he looks like an evil creature of the night looking to drain the blood from the living. Furthermore, notice anything odd? For some reason, Dracula is wearing a cross! A CROSS!!!

Where this one has the Creature’s Lair beat is with the lights. The bulbs are still visible on the floor, but when lit up, it is easier here to imagine that they are just fallen torches or some other form of fire. Plus the red gives it a more hellish appearance overall and looks quite nice shining against the stone background.

So, this one definitely has it’s pluses and minuses. If you’re a monster fanatic, by all means, you’ll want to grab it, if for no other reason than it’s so cheap right now. But all others will likely pass.