Dark Horse Forum

my review:
 
 this didnt let me down. if felt completely take back and immersed in the horror comics of old. dark and twisted tales about how persons sins, wishes and more come to them, just not as they expect, snd almsot always in the worst way possible. like the books of old, it follows the formula.multiple short stories in  succession , with a guide between stories, here being Uncle Creepy, reminiscant of the Crypt and Vault Keepers. takes the reader from one storie into the next with
a ghoulish narration and dry dead humor....literally. the entire book is black and white, inked, and this really helps to set the tone of the stories your reading and pull you into the scene, at the
same time overlaying the feel of watching an old horror movie. heavy flat black shadows are present in every tale, a classic method used to pronounce what is important for the reader to be focusing
on and at the same time pulling of a very well three-dee effect. each tale is done by different talent,
another trait of the old horror books, and by some of the more renowned in the craft. added is the bonus mock letter pages, filled with more of Uncle Creepy's ghastly digressives, and a hat-tip to the original series, plus a guest appearance by a new character, Uncle Creepy's morbid goth girl relative, Sister Creepy. heres some short breakdowns of the treacherous tales (now he's got me doing it)....

-The Curse written by Joe Harris and illustrated by Jason Shawn Alexander

something readers affiliated with super powers might feel at home in, the main character Jude lives
a hard life, being treated like dirt and slaving his days away, until he comes to a strange discovery. that he is not exactly like anyone he's ever met, in fact, his thoughts come true. Jude is a reality
warper. he begins slowly to get ground on his power, which seems to work on its own and in a way
he cant totally comprehend, but enough so that he can make his wishes come true, and others do what he wants just by thinking of it. but Jude's gift comes with a curse, that he finds having ones
thoughts come true, may not be exactly what one would want in reality. and worse, he comes
to find why he is the way he is, and nothing he ever knew was exactly what it was. the art in this
book is very gritty and the characters ugly giving off a really nasty feel, and the stories tone almost
desolate and hopeless from start to finish.

- Hell Hound Blues written by Dan Braun and illustrated by Angelo Torres

tells the tale of two greedy, slimy, mean, rotten record store employs and blues collector enthusiast's willing to do anything, even sell their souls to make the blues record find of the
decade and become rich beyond their wildest dreams, and unfortunately for them, they find
the exact sound theyre looking for. the tone of this one is more modern and everyday, people being
people in their worst way. lots of detailed settings, so you can see the layout of each location, and get an understanding of its history. the story ends teaching us a valuable lesson about greed.

- Chemical 13! written by Micheal Woods and illustrated Saskia Gutekunst

takes place in WW2 in a concentration camp, where the nazi's are experimenting severely
malnourished and near dead prisoners with chemical warfare, and in this time they find success,
and penance all in one. as is with this kind of story, it takes itself very seriously, and doesnt make light of any of the facts in it. the story is very dark and moody, and by the end leaves the reader
feeling creeped but with a sense that justice was served. the art in this one is even darker than the mood, in fact you literally feel as if your standing in the night with very little to no light source, and
everything takes on a ghostly and haunting appearance.

- All The Help You Need written by Neil Kleid and illustrated by Brian Churilla

Delia Gold, a hard working woman struggling to get along in the world is bogged down by one problem. she's fat. she's fat, she's tried every method know to lose the weight, and she's at her wits end and willing to do anything to take it off, anything. so she enrolls in a camp that guarantee's to do just that. and it delivers. Camp Die-t, makes her, and many other seekers bite off more than they can chew by giving them one choice, run...or die. the now prisoners of the camp, spend evry night being chased by soldiers and starved vicious dogs through the woods, and those who fail dont live to see the next meal.will Delia make the grade, or the grave. the end is shocking, and maybe the most gruesome and twisted part of this book. the art here is the opposite the last, being very cartoony,
though still utilising the heavy shadow effect, and still comes off anything but cute. it more conveys
a sense of action and motion, much like the DC animated works do. the storytelling is pumped up and fast-paced, so the reader feels like there running for their lives as well.

- Loathsome Lore: " Faustian Deals " written by Haffner, Braun, and Gore, illustrated by Hilary Barta

Sister Creepy takes us through a short walk through pieces of history, that were influenced by the temptation of the devil, confirming some known superstition. quick and entertaining, this is more
of the commercial break in the program. the art however is my favorite in the book, richly detailed and almost painted looking, the inking complementing the pencils and shading with expertise and flair.

- Daddy And The Pie written by Bill Dubay and illustrated by Alex Toth

a boy and his dad in the south come across a very large and blue skinned injured stranger one night, and take him home to help him heal and get better. they come to find this strange visitor
is a peaceful intelligent alien from outer space who crash landed while observing our planet,
and began trying to find ways to relate to him, firstly, by giving him the name Pi, and breaking
the communication barrier. they come to love him and him in return and mom, dad and son accept him as part of their family. Pi and the family live throughout the year in cohabitation, Pi becoming
best friends to both the boy and father, and a helpful and caring brother, as well teaching them the whole time about the universe, his special powers, and his home and race, which he will never return to. but the townsfolk do not like the blue stranger, considering him a form of devil of witch, a taint of evil and magic to their town, and constantly harass to hurt Pi and the family, which
leads up to the stories climatic end. now the art here is the legendary Toth, not to much to add there. its brilliant and its classic. the story is the most compelling in the book. rather than
horror or loathsome, it takes a sci-fi crossed with old strong stories like To Kill A Mockingbird.
you really feel this one step by step and get the feel that you know and care for these characters
and care about theyre struggles. the finale her is just gold.

overall this book delivered the goods, in spades and so, so much more, and is worth far more than the cover price. looking for something unusual, or a refresh on the classic EC stories. youll find it in
this one. 10/10