Cruel Universe #1 and Epitaphs from the Abyss #1. Covers by Greg Smallwood and Andrea Sorrentino

EC Comics is back. In cooperation with Oni Press, the classic imprint that brought us Tales from the Crypt, The Haunt of Fear, Weird Science, Weird Fantasy, and other titles is back. The two new titles are called Cruel Universe and Epitaphs from the Abyss.

Cruel Universe #1 features four stories, “The Champion,” “Solid Shift,” “Drink Up,” and “Priceless.” The stories are each written and illustrated by a different team, and each has something exciting and different to offer.

Cruel Universe #1: “The Champion” by Matt Kindt and Kano,
and “Solo Shift” by Corinna Bechko and Caitlin Yarsky

Remember the old EC stories that grabbed you with their surprise endings and clever twists? Well, these are no different. These stories bring me back to the times of Wallace Wood, Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, and Harvey Kurtzman. Each story contains the kind of thought-provoking content that got EC Comics banned by the Comics Code Authority in the 1950s.

In fact, if I may digress, I actually met Mr Williamson at a Comicon in the mid-90s. It was during the height of the Image Comics boom. A line had formed up and down the rows of vendors as fans awaited autographs from Rob Liefeld. I saw Mr Williamson sitting by himself at a table, not a fan in sight.

So, I hurried about, perusing different booths until I found one of his EC Comics works: Weird Science-Fantasy #25. I had a short conversation with the legend and asked him to sign the book. I pitied the poor fools who failed to recognize true greatness in their presence, but art is subjective and prone to fads, just like anything else, I suppose.

Cruel Universe #1: “Drink Up” by Chris Condon and Jonathan Case,
and “Priceless” by Ben H. Winters and Artyom Topilin, and
introducing the Grave-Digger from Epitaphs from the Abyss

Back to Cruel Universe #1. This book is loaded with excellent storytelling and varied art, each story coupled with an artistic style that perfectly matches the content. One of the little things that I liked about this book, as simple as it seems, is the choice of fonts. They have that nostalgic EC look to them, always different from, say, DC, Marvel, and Gold Key. If you are looking for great storytelling, intriguing art, and nostalgic vibes from the era of moral panicking, then I would encourage you to try Cruel Universe.

Epitaphs from the Abyss is directly inspired by Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, and Tales from the Crypt; the latter being perhaps the most famous of the EC line of comics not only because of its controversial content, but also because of the incredible HBO horror anthology that ran for over five years and in fact drew inspiration from all the EC horror comics. I would also note that George Romero’s Creepshow was inspired by the EC tradition.

Epitaphs from the Abyss takes on the tradition of EC, although the stories are all new and present new fears, horrors, and deadly twists.

Epitaphs from the Abyss #1: “Killer Spec,” by J. Holtham, Jorge Fornés, and
Dan Jackdon, “Family Values,” by Stephanie Phillips, Phil Hester, Travis Hymel, and
Marissa Louise, and “Us vs. Us,” by Brian Azzarello, Vlad Legostaev, and Brittany Peer

This is not easy to pull off, yet each team does it masterfully:

– “Killer Spec,” by J. Holtham, Jorge Fornés, and Dan Jackdon
– “Senator, Senator,” by Chris Condon, Peter Krause, and Michelle Madson
– “Family Values,” by Stephanie Phillips, Phil Hester, Travis Hymel, and Marissa Louise
– “Us vs. Us,” by Brian Azzarello, Vlad Legostaev, and Brittany Peer

These stories are brutal, violent, mysterious, thought-provoking, weird, and exhilarating. Great storytelling, incredible art. One of the little things that I really enjoyed about this book was the introduction by Grave-Digger. Of course, it’s hard to beat the original Crypt Keeper, but this is fantastic stuff.

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Jeffrey P. Talanian’s last article for Black Gate was a review of Dawnward Spire, Lonely Hill: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. He is the creator and publisher of the Hyperborea sword-and-sorcery and weird science-fantasy RPG from North Wind Adventures. He was the co-author, with E. Gary Gygax, of the Castle Zagyg releases, including several Yggsburgh city supplements, Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer, and Castle Zagyg: The Upper Works. Read Gabe Gybing’s interview with Jeffrey here, and follow his latest projects on Facebook and at www.hyperborea.tv.