Call me nostalgic, but when I see a horror comic with a cover depicting a rotting corpse carrying a woman across a graveyard under a full moon, I get all misty eyed. This illustration captures the true essence of the horror comic: misogynistic, sadistic, and fun.
Creepy has been the contemporary horror comic that features new stories from contemporary artists. Many other horror anthologies collect reprints. Because Creepy gives me modern people spinning their best scary yarns, I look forward to checking out this book monthly.
“Uncle Mangus” kicks off the collection with a tale of a reanimated corpse coming to exact revenge. Sure, there are hundreds of stories like this (watch Creepshow for one of the best versions), but one more doesn’t hurt. This story is fast, simple, and to the point. That makes it a perfect homage to the now growing canon of reanimated corpse tales.
“Fishing” deals with a monstrosity that lures young boys in like an angler fish attracts its prey. The illustrations make this a fantastic read. Richard Clark made excellent use of shadows and gore in this story told on black backgrounds.
“Local Talent follows the exploits of a television show that goes on with monstrous results.
Next, “The Spirit of the Thing” reprints an Archie Goodwin/Steve Ditko story. Yeah, I know I said that this was mostly contemporary talent. But you cannot turn down a story by that duo, especially when it features shadowy villains, astral projections, and reanimated corpses.
Ending out the volume is “Pack Leader,” a story similar to The Grey. Here, a flight crew deals with ravenous wolves. You may be ambivalent about some of the artistic discretion done with the story. I wasn’t too big on it, but I did admire the experimental nature of the art.
As always, one page comic relief episodes punctuate the issue.
Dark Horse does an excellent job with Creepy because they balance the old, the new, and the comic. This issue maintains that well, and I feel that this particular book would appeal to more than just the horror fan.
Score: 4/5
Writers: Various
Artists: Various
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: 5/8/13