THE
VAULT OF HORROR: THE EC ARCHIVES VOL. 3 (Dark Horse, 2014;
Hardcover)
Collects
The
Vault of Horror
#24-29 (cover dates April/ May, 1952- February/ March, 1953)
Writers:
Bill Gaines, Al Feldstein, Ray Bradbury, Johnny Craig, and Jerry De
Fuccio
Artists:
Johnny Craig, Graham Ingels, Joe Orlando, Jack Davis, Jack Kamen, Sid
Check, and George Evans
 |
| Artwork by Graham Ingels. |
My
EC Hallowe'en marathon continues! While I abhor coloring that is
unfaithful to the original color palette there are a handful of times
when the modern renderings do look mighty impressive. Even so, it is
like watching the Special Edition versions of the original
Star Wars Trilogy in my mind. It will never be real, which is
why I am dumping (have dumped by the time that you read
this) all of my EC Archives on eBay. I will keep my beloved EC
Annuals, which boast the original color palette coupled with the
clarity of then-modern '90s printing. No line bleed or off register
printing, which makes them superior to even the original issues in
terms of print quality.
 |
| Artwork by Graham Ingels. |
Coloring
issues aside, these remain fantastic reads on the reread. I will go
light on the commentary since I have read and reviewed these before
in Vault Of Horror Annual 3 (which has #24-26) and Vault Of Horror Annual #4 (#27-29).
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.
The
OCD zone- I can't wait for the day when someone, anyone,
produces EC Comics Archives in full color with the original color
palette, including the original cover color palette.
DVD-style
Extras included in this book: Introduction. (2 pages)
Foreword
by Mike Richardson. (2 pages)
Linework
and Color: The linework is superb, taken from photostats and
original artwork. The color is the killer for me. While based on
Marie Severin's original colors, there are too many liberties taken
with it in terms of gradient shades and other Photoshop effects for
my taste. Your mileage may vary.
Paper
stock: Thick coated stock with minimal sheen.
Binding:
Smyth sewn binding with eight stitches per signature.
Hardback
cover notes: This is the best of both worlds- a dustjacket
with the same image on the paper of the casewrap. Top it off with a
super thick lamination on the casewrap and you have the cherry on the
top of this sundae.
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