SHOCK
SUSPENSTORIES
ANNUAL VOL. 2 (Gemstone,
1994;
Softcover)
Collects
Shock
SuspenStories
#6-10 (cover
dates February/March, 1952- December, 1952/ January, 1953)
Writers:
Bill Gaines (co-plotter), Al Feldstein (co-plotter and script), and
Ray Bradbury
Artists:
Al Feldstein, Jack Kamen, Jack Davis, Joe Orlando, Graham Ingels, and
Wally Wood
Shock
SuspenStories was an
EC sampler series, giving readers an idea of what the entire EC line
was doing. Each issue has a Crime SuspenStory, a Shock SuspenStory, a
Science-Fiction SuspenStory, and a Horror SuspenStory.
Issue
6's Under Cover!
is a subversive tale about the Ku Klux Klan in all but name, pointing
out how its membership were really well-respected members of the
community. Sugar 'N
Spice 'N... has one of
those grand EC twist-ending Horror stories, borrowing from one of the
greatest fables of all time.
#7
starts out with Beauty
And The Beach!, a Jack
Kamen eye candy feast. Kamen has a knack for drawing beautiful people
doing horrible things to one another. Every story in #7 and 8 are
winners. #9's Came The
Dawn! is one of my
all-time favorite EC stories. I don't go into great details with the
whys of these tales because it would be like telling you the
punchline to a joke. You need to read these comic books for yourself.
The
Sacrifice kicks off
issue 10, and it is a sordid tale of murder, love triangles, and
double-crosses. Jack Kamen once again delivers a flawless portrayal
of the ugliness of the human condition wrapped up in a pretty
package.
While
it is extremely difficult for me to name a favorite EC title, SS is
certainly near the top of the pile. These comics hold up very well
with repeated readings, and it is crazy to think that these were
originally published 65 years ago.
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.
The
OCD zone-
This
is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials of
physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or
women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest
convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.
Gemstone
overprinted their single issue reprints in the '90s with an eye
toward selling their own back issues. They later repurposed this
overstock by trimming and gluing 5 entire issues into a cardstock
cover. While this is not technically a trade paperback since it has
no ISBN, it is squarebound and has the title on the spine. Close
enough for Rock and Roll in my book. The EC Annuals are the most
economical and efficient way of getting your EC collection while
offering the most authentic reading experience this side of the
original comics.
Linework
and Color restoration: Shot from the original artwork with a
color palette authentic to the original publication. If you want to
see EC Comics in full color then this is the best way to do so, as
these look superior to the originals in print quality. The only
drawback is that the covers to each issue are recolored. Marie
Severin redid them for the EC Library sets and those same versions
are used here.
Paper
stock: Standard pulp paper of the day. The pro is that this
looks and feels like a real comic book. The con, and it is a very
large one, is that this will age and yellow, just like real comic
book paper. I am admittedly less and less worried about this sort of
thing as time goes by, as I will likely be dead and gone before this
book deteriorates too badly.
Binding:
Perfect bound trade paperback. I am impressed by the quality of the
glue used in these Annuals, as many Marvel trades of this vintage
have fallen apart.
Cardstock
cover notes:
Thick
cardboard with minimal coating. There are signs of wear after years
but all in all very solid.
