Edgar Allan Poe is back with another Snifter of Blood. Not only is he back, but so is Mark Russell and Peter Snejberg’s Monster Serials series. On top of that fan favorite return is the Snifter’s first ever black and white story with A Tipple of Amontillado, which harkens back to the classic horror comics of the ’70s. And it wouldn’t be AHOY if there weren’t any fantastic prose extras — this time from Tasha Lowe-Newsome and Bryce Ingman, with illustrations by Molly Stanard and Daniel Schoeneck respectively.
The Good
What more really needs to be said about Mark Russell’s work at this stage? For those that aren’t aware of his Monster Serials series with artist Peter Snejberg, it’s a Russell classic featuring his signature wit and characters based on the monsters from cereal boxes. Along with its fantastic artwork, it’s a series not to be missed. It’s not just humor, though, as this issue highlights some strong emotional beats… for a story about the monsters from cereal boxes no less.
As an anthology series, EAPSOB can boast more than one good story an issue. Devin Grayson’s A Tipple of Amontillado with artwork from Chris Giarrusso and Richard Williams is a true standout. The artwork is genuinely stunning and suits the book so well. The black and white coloring (with red highlights) is beautiful.
Each story so far is worth the price of admission alone so the fact that there are still another two prose pieces is amazing. Both of them are well worth the read. It’s one of the smaller aspects of EAPSOB, and AHOY in general, that makes the series such a hit — the amount of content readers get for their money is astounding. It may be a comedic horror anthology that pokes fun at Edgar Allan Poe, but this series is starting to punch ahead as one of the leading magazines for prose short stories, which is no mean feat for 2020.
The ‘Bad‘
You’d need a comically large magnifying glass to find anything to complain about here. As far as anthology comics go, this is simply one of the best.
Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Blood solidifies its position as the premier anthology comic with its second issue. Whether it’s humor or horror you’re looking for, this is the comic for you. Add in some unmissable comics like Russell and Snejberg’s Monster Serials, and you’ve got a hit.
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