If you were Count Dracula's little girl, all grown up and living in Eastern Europe around the time of, say World War I, who might you have the hots for?

If you guessed the Red Baron, then you are thinking along the same lines as talented writer/artist duo Ron Fortier and Rob Davis in their 108-page graphic novel opus, Daughter of Dracula .

Fortier and Davis, who have worked on a variety of projects together over the years, spent several years putting this book together. After getting the initial inspiration for this unholy team-up, Fortier (writer, with Alex Ross on art chores, for Terminator: The Burning Earth)shopped the story around for a time, first as a comic book script and then as a movie script, before turning to Davis (illustrator for a variety of pulp and comics projects, notably at Now Comics). Davis stepped up to the plate but could promise only a page a week -- and he delivered exactly that. And so, two years later, the 108-page saga stands completed.

The premise is simple but brilliant: Marya, the titular offspring of a certain Transylvanian of some repute, encounters the Baron Von Richthofen in the woods near her castle, while he's out on a hunting expedition with his relatives. There is a mutual attraction from the start, but war calls the Baron away, where he of course does what he is best known for -- flying planes and shooting down scores of British and French pilots.

Meanwhile, Marya also does what her family is best known for -- plots to seduce the object of her desire and eventually bring him over to her way of existence, whether he likes it or not.

What follows is, given the nature of the two "heroes" of this story, a remarkably touching love story, albeit one shrouded in vampirism and war, and hung all about with touches of the macabre. Each of the two lead characters, whom a reasonable reader might well expect would be portrayed in a stilted, contrived manner, instead resonates with depth and even warmth -- with loving compassion as well as simple, murderous passion.

This is where the pacing matters so much to the story, and Fortier and Davis absolutely nail it. Fortier takes us ever closer into this gothic waltz, this surely-doomed romance, adding touches of tenderness and beauty here and there; but he deftly reminds us every step of the way that we are watching a courtship between two strong, powerful, and very atypical individuals who routinely and almost casually deal in death, and are masters of the dispensing of it.

We like the protagonists, and we dislike them. We root for them, and we root for each to be exposed, captured, ended. Yet as the story progresses, Fortier's carefully-woven storyline and Davis's art, so perfect for this story, inexorably bend the reader over to the side of the two leads. It's Dracula's daughter and the Red Baron, and yet it is also a beautiful woman with a tragic past and a devoted soldier prone to deep introspection and utter devotion. As such, we want them to succeed, to win, to survive and to be together, somehow. If they have a chance to make it somehow, don't we all?

Fortier's writing in this book is his best work to date. I've read some of his pulp novels and short stories, and there's no question he's a master of the slam-bang action prose form. But his writing here stands out. In every way, pacing, tension, mood, and dialogue, he hits the right notes, time after time. He simply outdoes himself.

The artist Davis possesses many strengths, but I think the three most outstanding in this book are his period details and backgrounds, his clever page layouts and panels, and above all his exceptional skills with facial expressions and body movement reactions. Within the space of three panels, Davis takes Marya from "beautiful young woman" to "horrifying vampire monster" to "sorrowful lady." He conveys a full range of different emotions with each image, and at the same makes it utterly clear, and believable, that all three are the same person. Much easier said than done!

Be warned. There's nudity aplenty and a good bit of violence, too. But it's the Daughter of Dracula and the Red Baron, for crying out loud! Why wouldn't there be nudity and violence? And in all seriousness, such things are used within the confines of the story. They are not gratuitous. They occur as the relationship between the two semi-hero/ semi-villain characters grows and intensifies, and serve to visually demonstrate for the reader just how powerful this union becomes.

As strong as Fortier's script is, as beautiful as some of his narration might be, I honestly believe this book could work with no dialogue or captions at all, given both the strength of the story itself and the skill of Davis's renderings.

Any review of this work cannot be considered complete without a mention of the frankly eye-popping cover painting by Mark Maddox. It has to be seen to be fully appreciated. Let's go down the list of what it includes: Dracula's daughter? Check. Corset? Check. Blue Max medal? Check. Big . . . teeth? Check. Oh yeah, check. Aaaaand that's pretty much it. No text, no logos, no anything else. Stark, simple, powerful. It's hard to imagine anyone seeing this book on a store shelf and not at least picking the thing up to find out more about it. That puts it ahead of ninety percent of its competitors on the shelves, at minimum.

In sum, Daughter of Dracula is at turns thrilling, shocking, violent, exciting, and compelling, yes. But it is also surprisingly touching and emotional. It is a simple but very clear and powerful statement on the overarching power of love to overcome time, fear, and even death. As such, it should appeal to anyone with a heart -- be they living or undead.