There’s something to be said for nostalgia. That perfect blend of great memories and melancholy that transports you back in time to a better place. For horror fans, there’s nothing closer to the time of astonishing horror than Tales from the Crypt.
In Tales from the Crypt Volume 2, Dark Horse Comics gives readers a glimpse into the past, where horror was purer and cleaner. When horror relied on the shock value being carried by delicious twists and turns. The best era to return to for frights.
Tales from the Crypt Volume 2 does not seek to reinvent the classic horror wheel. It brings back from the comic crypt some of the best tales of old – a reprint of 24 stories from the original comic books #23-#28 (released in 1951 & 1952), recolored and enhanced for a new generation to enjoy. These stories come from an amazing group of writers and artists: Al Feldstein, Wally Wood, Jack Kamen, Johnny Craig, Joe Orlando, Graham Ingels, and Jack Davis. The reprint of this volume includes the original stories, messages from the Crypt Keeper, and a wonderful forward by Joe Dante (director of Gremlins), one of the many masters of horror who, growing up, was inspired by Tales from the Crypt.
There are not enough good things to say about this collection. These comics were the foundation for the HBO series of the same name, so they truly are the best of the best. My personal favorite as a child and the tale that resonated the most with me today was “Séance!” It is one that I have thought of many times over the years, and it was an absolute pleasure to read it again. The artwork was brilliantly recolored so that each story retained the feeling of the 1950s and the original comic. All of the stories were frightfully good, and The Crypt Keeper’s Corner sections made me smile with remembrance of how much fun the Crypt Keeper is! This collection has it all – even the original advertisements complete with the cut-out coupons to send in to purchase comics!
The entire volume is delightful and terrifying all in one. It is a volume that any true fan must include in their collection. What Dark Horse has done is brilliantly preserved an incredible part of the horror genre and re-introduced it for new generations of horror fanatics to appreciate and lose sleep over.
