I love this, having followed it from the very start to its current form. It's the kind of story I keep thinking about, that's enjoyable both on a surface level and rewards deeper thinking when a subtle element like the meaning of a character name suddenly becomes clear.
The connection between What Manner of Man and Dracula is subtle yet clear for those who think to look, the parallels are truly parallels in that they don't intersect, this is its own narrative. What Manner of Man essentially asks, what if the dynamic of Dracula's first act was the entire story, what if the hints of homoeroticism were expanded on?
But again, What Manner of Man is a story that has its own things to say, it is not Dracula. And it says what it wants to loudly and clearly without fear, not neutering itself for some attempt at mainstream appeal like so many other works.
Also it's fun to make fun of Father Ardelian as he is in the first act and I have made many memes to that effect. But he undergoes quite the arc, and watching that transformation is a key part of the story's appeal.
Lastly, if you've read the newsletter version, I promise you there's more to this edition that you'll want to see. The new and refined scenes have some powerful lines that add greatly to the story.