Let me preface this by saying that I don't really think anyone other than me is actually a reader of Creepy Comics, nor its sister comic, Eerie. These are a continuation of the old series from Warren Comics. When I saw these comics on the stands, it brought back nostalgic memories from the early 80's, sitting down in my grandparents' basement, or reading them at my best friend's house at sleepovers, when we would read his older brother's copies. Those were the days, in my mind, of the Oakland A's, the Big Red Machine, Big Daddy Roth illustrations, and, of course, horror comics.

At this time, I would have been about 7 or 8 years old. I would NEVER hand these comics to a child that age, but then again, I think most kids that age are seeing this kind of thing a little more often than we would like, just like I did.

Also, at the time, I never realized I was looking at artwork by Bernie Wrightson, Richard Corben, Steve Ditko, Jack Davis, Tony DeZuniga, and John Severin. I just knew it was comic book art.

So a little part of this review/discussion (I get the feeling it won't last long, but I could be surprised...I know this board is known for its nostalgia factor) does come from childhood memories which now make me happy.

The new comics presented here are still black and white, and they also are still bookended by Uncle Creepy, which I love. And it is also still an anthology, which means you will get a variety of storytelling and artwork. This volume collects issues #5-9, but since it's an anthology, you won't miss anything by not having read #1-4 (which are also awesome, by the way...). I think it is a smart decision not to call this Creepy Vol. 2, for that very fact.

This volume's cover is by Sanjulian, and it is a painted piece featuring a crypt break-out of zombies and a hooded skeleton-faced naked woman (not graphic, as this is the cover and all you see is some cleavage...everything else is covered by the spooky mist.

Also, there is an illustration just inside the cover by Gene Colan. A masterful pencil sketch that must have been one of his final illustrations before he died. It is gorgeous. It features Uncle Creepy playing the fiddle surrounded by forest animals.

I'm going to do a separate response for each entry from here on out, for easier discussion.

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  • "Blood of the Sky"

    Benjamin and Timothy Truman

    This story features art by Tim Truman, which should tell you that it is visually stunning. There is a mix of bare pencils and some inked work throughout this story. If you are familiar with Truman's art, you know this is par for the course.

    The story gives you no background into this world, which I also love. It just drops you into this tribal world where there is some magic and some danger. A woman returns from being called away and she finds her son dead for several days at that point. The only way to bring him back is for her to be killed herself, where she embarks on a journey through the world of the dead, where she must battle monster beasts with a little guidance by a talking crow (reminds me a lot of Matthew the Raven from Sandman).

    I like this mostly for the art. The story isn't bad, it's just not my bag. But it is totally in Truman's wheelhouse. Not sure if Benjamin (the writer) is Tim's son, brother, cousin, or what, but he does a pretty good job with the script here.

  • "The Field"

    Story and Art: David Lapham

    Fans of Stray Bullets and Kill Me Dead are already familiar with the work of David Lapham. He uses a slightly lighter line here, but with a bit more detail than most of his work on his own titles.

    A writer is willed his grandmother's house after she dies. He works his grandmother's disappearance/death into one of his books, but gets carried away. His friendly country neighbors, meanwhile, have been getting some blue ribbons at the county fair. Night after night, he sees a mysterious figure digging in his neighbor's vast backyard, and decides to go investigate. He finds nothing, no sign or any digging, but there is an enormously tall sunflower growing there.

    It's a story like so many of Lapham's others: a story of greed and the price you pay for money, with a supernatural twist.

  • "Murdercide"

    Story by Doug Moench, art by Mike Vosburg

    This reminds me in some ways of Doug Moench's classic Batman stories. I had never seen Mike Vosburg's artwork before, at least not to my knowledge, but I like it a lot. I like the way this story was crafted. It's a nice little story involving two men who died fighting each other in a struggle that led them both off the roof of a building. One died, the other lived. But now both souls are inhabiting the same body.

    I like how simple, yet complex, this story is. It focuses in on what it must be like to have a guy you just murdered in your brain with you, and the lengths you would go to to get rid of it.

  • "Loathsome Lore"

    Written by Dan Braun, artwork by Lucas Maragnon

    This is a "story" narrated by Uncle Creepy himself. Creepy tells the reader about various cult leaders throughout history. Among the cult leaders are the leaders of Heaven's Gate, the Branch Davidians, Jonestown, and Charles Manson. The writer also indicates cult-hood to "Scientology", but mentions that he doesn't really go into it, because when they want you gone, you stay gone. At the end, the writer indicates that Jesus Christ is also a cult leader.

    This was more of an "informative history" story meant to scare the reader. Gotta admit, it is pretty chilling.

    **This wraps up issue one in this volume. More later...

  • ...I - semi?? - am , and on my last LCS visit almost bought the new EERIE.........The lack of a color section (Tho' I suppose DH's versions colors are 100% reprints ???) helped push me away...

  • "Mine"

    Story by Joe R. Landsdale; art by Nathan Fox

    A man stumbles against a corpse in the old west desert. He steals the man's prized boots, but this leads the ghost of the dead man to haunt the man, with a desire to take them back. This is a nice little ghost story that features incredible art by Nathan Fox, which is the real treat of this story. Nothing against Landsdale who turns in a perfectly crafted story of ghostly greed, which really creeps a person out.

    This is pretty much another perfectly crafted tale of Western terror.

  • No, these aren't reprints. At least not the ones captured in this volume. I do think the ones in the original floppies contain one reprint from ye olden in each issue...but I could be wrong.

    These are all new stories, of the same quality of the originals.

    Emerkeith Davyjack said:

    ...I - semi?? - am , and on my last LCS visit almost bought the new EERIE.........The lack of a color section (Tho' I suppose DH's versions colors are 100% reprints ???) helped push me away...

  • "Commedia dell'Morte"

    Story: Christopher Taylor

    Art: Jason Alexander

    This is by far the most terrifying story in this whole volume. It's the story of a birthday clown who sees himself as a servant of the Lord, and is thereby justified in his murderous attitudes toward certain people. This reminds me a little bit of Image's Bedlam, but more for the Joker-esque protagonist than for anything else.

    Haunting work by Taylor and Alexander.

  • "The Wreck"

    Story by Alice Henderson

    Art by Kevin Ferrera

    This story was about a train wreck, a past train wreck, and the aliens who took over their bodies. This is an artistic accomplishment, and a storytelling work of art. To tell much more would provide way too many spoilers.

  • "Loathsome Lore"

    Story by Dan Braun and Craig Haffner

    Art by Garry Braun

    This edition of "Loathsome Lore" shows the ladies of Adolf Hitler's life, from his niece to Eva Braun. This shows just another facet of Hitler's dark life, and puts on display the appalling world he established not only for himself, but also for the country of Germany and the Third Reich.

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