Review- TALES FROM THE CRYPT (VOL. 1: THE STALKING DEAD)

TALES FROM THE CRYPT (VOL. 1: THE STALKING DEAD) (Super Genius, First Printing, 2017; Hardcover)

Collects Tales From The Crypt #1, 2, plus one new story, “Leather Or Not” (cover dates November, 2016- March, 2017)

Writers: Christina Blanch, Danica Davidson, David Anthony Kraft, Onrie Kompan, Scott Lobdell, Stefan Petrucha, and Bernie Wrightson

Artists: Kyle Baker, Bob Camp, Dean Haspel, Russ Heath, Miran Kim, Steve Mannion, John McCrea, Jolyon Yates, and Bernie Wrightson

Colorists: Laurie E. Smith, JayJay Jackson, Miran Kim, and Dee Cunniffe

Papercutz has mismanaged the Tales From The Crypt property for over a decade now. Their previous attempt at tween-friendly, Scholastic Book Fair level Horror was a disservice to the legacy of EC. This new series, released under their Super Genius “adult” imprint, is a step in the right direction but still comes up a day late and a dollar short.

The two Bernie Wrightson stories are from the early '70s and are reprinted here with modern computer coloring. The rest of the artwork is a mixed bag, with some of it good and some of it Bluewater Comics level bad. The writing is solid, with Undertow being the best example of how to incorporate the old school EC ironic twist ending with a modern day concept.

This is a quick read with a low MSRP. You could certainly do worse. This series is far from being a worthy successor to those legendary EC Comics. It's a shame that they can't get Stephen King, John Carpenter, and other legendary writers and artists to do these comics to give the series the high profile that it deserves. There are a few “names” attached to this series but it deserves better. I'm not giving up on this new series just yet. I'll hang around for the next book before making up my mind.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2.5 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.

The volume number and title are found nowhere on this book. Not on the cover, the spine, the title page, the indicia...nowhere. I listed it for ease of reference and web searches, but aside from Diamond's Previews and Amazon, this book is simply titled Tales From The Crypt.

Paper stock: Thick glossy coated stock with a slight sheen.

Binding: Sewn binding.

Hardback cover notes: Thick boards with a thick laminated casewrap. No dustjacket required.