Missing Nosferatu? If So, I Know the Perfect Vampire Tale For Gothic Romance Lovers

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Nosferatu (2024).For Gothic horror fans, 2024 ended with a bang thanks to Robert Eggers' Nosferatu, and for fans looking for more Gothic romance, look no further than DSTLRY'sSomna. The Eisner-winning comic/graphic novel is the perfect follow-up for horror fans looking for another woman-focused story.

Nosferatu has been a massive success, entering the highest-grossing horror movie charts.

For those who loved the film, there are a few comics to turn to. While there is a literal adaptation of Universal Monsters' Dracula by the creative team behind The Department of Truth (James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds) that is phenomenal, for those in need of a steamier Gothic romance, look no further than DSTLRY's Eisner Award-winning series Somna by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay.

Both Nosferatu and Somna Center a Woman Seduced by the Darkness

Somna by Becky Cloonan, Tula Lotay, Lee Loughridge, Dee Cunniffe, and Lucas Gattoni

Somna 1 Main Cover Woman with Long Hair Submerged in Water

Delivering a remake of the 1920s classic horror film, Eggers and company's adaptation of the original Nosferatu won critics and audiences over. Eggers' film is about Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), a vampire, plotting to move to Germany in hopes of satisfying his infatuation with Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), a recently married, young woman who has a history of repressing her darker feelings and desires prior to her marriage to Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult).

Somna, on the other hand, is about a young woman, Ingrid, who is married to a witch finder in 17th century England. She is unsatisfied with her marriage in many ways. As a result, a dark, mysterious entity visits her in her dreams to satisfy her and provide her with an erotic escape; however, if this relationship is discovered, she risks suffering the same fate as the other women accused of witchcraft. Both Somna and Nosferatu center women who, at some point in their lives, have turned to a dark force for companionship, and this desire is often brought on by the fact that these women feel alone and unsatisfied in some way.

However, Ellen eventually finds support and love in her eventual husband, Thomas. Meanwhile, Ingrid's husband is not a supportive force, further denying her pleasure, isolating her, and making her feel compelled to repress her feelings. As a result, Ingrid welcomes the dark force enticing her while Ellen wants to put a stop to the nightmares - real and imagined - caused by Count Orlok.

Nosferatu Fights Against Darkness While Somna Embraces It

Somna #3 Variant Cover by Anwita Citriya

Somna 3 Citriya Variant Cover: a white woman with dark hair laying in red flowers with a shadowy hand on her face. — Somna 3 Citriya Variant Cover

While both Ingrid and Ellen have been seduced by their respective monstrous entities, Ellen - thanks to the support and love she now has in her life - wants to combat the darkness, as seen in Ellen and Orlok's final encounter. She knows she can be satisfied in her marriage if they were free from Orlok, and she knows what Orlok promises, while tempting at first, comes at the cost of unjust pain, like the death of her friend, Anna (Emma Corrin).

The darkness does not shame her, nor does it deny her.

Ingrid, however, lacks that support. She is further pushed toward the darkness by those who supposedly love her. The darkness does not shame her, nor does it deny her. As a result, Ingrid is more compelled to embrace it and live a life for herself, one free of the loneliness, judgment, and hate she endures in a "civilized" society.

For those who wanted to see Ellen embrace the darkness instead of fight it, Somna delivers just that. It's a Gothic romance that lets its leading woman embrace her "sin" and eventually be herself, her husband and society's judgments be damned. On top of that, it is a gorgeous comic, bouncing between two distinct art styles to compliment Ingrid's dark fantasy and tragic reality. DSTLRY'sSomna is a must-read for Gothic romance and dark romance fans, as well as fans of Nosferatu.

Somna is available now from DSTLRY Media.

DSTLRY

Founded: May 1, 2023
Comic Series: Gone, Somna, Blasfamous, White Boat, Spectregraph, The Blood Brothers Mother

DSTLRY is a comic and collectibles publisher founded in 2023. Formed by former comiXology heads, DSTLRY is known for some more famous works such as "Gone" and "Spectregraph" and continues to expand to include a wide variety of genres and artists.