“Epitaphs from the Abyss” Delivers EC Tales With Contemporary Flavor [Review]

When we think of EC Comics, often the karmic death stories come to mind. Bad actors get what they deserve in a fashion that fits their bad life choices of avarice or malevolence.

Epitaphs from the Abyss No. 1, the first new title from Oni Press bearing the EC imprint, brings the karmic death tale into a new era with a few twists.

Stephen King cited “Foul Play” as an exemplary EC tale in Danse Macabre (1981). In that tale from EC’s The Haunt of Fear, a conniving baseball player murders a rival team member via a spike with poisoned cleats, giving his team a championship. The defeated team lures him to a night baseball game and his grisly death that sees his body parts being used for a game of baseball. His head is the ball, his leg is bat. You get the picture.

Sometimes tales were more subtle, including the EC adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s grisly “The October Game” that got a more suggestive final panel. (Bradbury’s EC titles can be viewed in Home to Stay also reviewed here).

Perhaps one of the most innovative variations on the karmic death comes with the suspenseful “Family Values” in Epitaphs No. 1. That’s written by Stephanie Phillips with art by Phil Hester, inking by Travis Hymel, and colors by Marissa Louise.

Without spoiling too much, it perhaps most resembles Richard Matheson’s story “The Box.” In a tense standoff, a family man faces a countdown and horrendous choice. Kill a family member with the revolver in his hand or see the whole family killed. It’s a dark tale with an interesting twist that draws on contemporary practices.

J. Holtham in “Killer Spec” serves up a character-focused karmic tale, also drawing on our current era. The focal character is one of those narcissistic coffee shop screenwriters who plans to blow everyone away with the masterpiece on his laptop that he just needs to finish. All’s well with his personal delusions until his roommate asks him to read his completed script.

We’ll show the moment of his reading it here to illustrate a beautiful EC moment in the artwork. The team there is Jorge Fornés, artist, and Dan Jackson, colorist. There’s also some appropriate EC-level gore in the tale and an iconic panel that almost defines EC tales.

Two more tales also serve up requisite twists and gore, “Senator, Senator” written by Chris Condon and “US vs. US” by Brian Azzarello. That means a 40-page package in all with a couple devoted to William M. Gaines, M.C. “Max” Gaines and all of the contributors who made the original “Entertaining Comics” possible in the 1950s.

A highlight of the title is an all new host created by artist Dustin Weaver. The look is dark and eerie and conjures up the original EC with a modern flare.

At times the art may seem a little clean, for EC purists. In the routine panels, there’s an often crisp style that doesn’t quite evoke the heavy lines and overall EC atmosphere, say, the way Image’s recent Creepshow run managed.

To reiterate, though, there are some dark and brilliant panels and occasional Dutch angles with tales that ought to make the original Crypt Keeper cackle.

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