Right in time for spooky season is Epitaphs From The Abyss #3, the ongoing anthology horror comic from Oni Press and EC Comics. Containing four tales of fright, this issue also introduces the second of three horror hosts, The Tormentor. She’ll torture you till the stories are over, but how are those tales? Are they scary?
Opening the issue is another full-page splash by Dustin Weaver, which has Grave-Digger introducing us to The Tormentor. Once again, the art is detailed, with an interesting point of view: we, the reader, are the ones being tortured. These horror hosts love to bring terror.
The first tale is titled “A Hand in It” by Jay Stephens and Leomacs, which follows a coroner who houses bodies of all kinds. Their commonality is that nobody wants to claim them. Fairly early on, it’s made clear she’s quite weird and has a unique relationship with the bodies. They’re like friends, and she even dances with them. Soon, she’s hauling out a serial killer’s body, and she almost seems to love it.
From there, we learn she’s in an unhappy marriage, but an idea strikes to get rid of her husband. It doesn’t work out; dead bodies are plentiful, and something a bit supernatural takes place.
Creepy mist!
Credit: Oni Press
Leomacs makes you believe this kooky lady is capable of losing her marbles. She’s got some crazy faces, and the art draws you into her crazy life or lack thereof.
Stephens takes an old-school approach to writing, with heavy captioning making each page feel like a storybook. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone were tricked into thinking this was a classic EC Comics tale.
Next up is “Bloodtype” by Corinna Bechko and Jonathan Case, following a vampire on the run. She ends up on a boat that gets lost at sea. Luckily, she has fresh meat to consume, but for how long? It’s a fun adventure putting a vampire in a unique position. There’s also some commentary on rich idiots being used and maybe even deserving it.
The story is laced with pinks and purples, creating a neon ’80s vibe that matches the main characters’ vibe. The storytelling moves briskly visually.
The issue wraps up with “A Crossroads Repetition” by Chris Condon and Charlie Adlard. Like the previous tales, The Tormentor is our storytelling, drawing us into a college classroom with the topic of Hell and the Devil. More specifically, it’s a lesson on how Hell is repetition. It uses the real-life jazz musician Robert Johnson in a deal-with-the-devil tale.
Adlard draws a strong tale, with a mysterious, spooky scene and a deal with the devil at a crossroads. The story seems to hinge on who is listening to the lecture and how something changes in the end. I can’t say I understood the repetition bit of this story, but it’s suitably creepy.
Three spine-tingling tales await you in Epitaphs From The Abyss #3. Tales range from classic creepy to vampire adventures in another good foray into horror comics.
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