Epitaphs from the Abyss vol. 1

Published by Oni Press on May 6, 2025

Older readers who were captivated by comic books in their younger years may have fond (or chilling) memories of EC Comics, particularly the Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror series. While the original comics were a bit before my time, enthusiasts of the comic book form sought them out, either as originals (if they could afford them) or in reprint editions.

In the 1950s, Tales from the Crypt and similar titles were cited by legislators and do-gooders who wanted to censor comic books because they featured gruesome horror and crime stories. Also, the artists who drew for the series tended to notice that women have breasts and shared that discovery with happy readers. (The censors’ certainty that Batman was gay and doing God-knows-what with Robin is another story. It was a dark time, as are most times in America’s history.)

Oni Press has revived the EC Comics concept with new stories that follow the tradition and artistic style of the original Tales from the Crypt. The first four issues of Epitaphs from the Abyss are collected in this volume, including reproductions of the alternative covers for each issue.

While the stories in Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror were introduced by the Crypt-Keeper and the Vault-Keeper respectively, the new host (or ghouLunatic, as they were known back in the day) is the Grave-Digger, who promises that every tombstone tells a tale. My favorite stories in the volume are:

“Killer Spec,” written by J. Holtham, art by Jorge Fornes. A broke screenwriter living in LA discovers that his roommate has written a perfect script. He slashes his roommate into a bloody mess and steals his script but pays a predictable price for the crime. The pedestrian story is noteworthy for its art, which fits nicely into the gory, detailed realism of the original series.

“Senator, Senator,” written by Chris Condon, art by Peter Krause. A GOP senator who once believed in a woman’s right to control her own body is forced to change her views by grim enforcers of conservative doctrine.

“Family Values,” written by Stephanie Phillips, art by Phil Hester. A man is forced to kill one member of his family to prevent intruders from killing them all. The reason the dilemma is forced upon him sets up a neatly twisted ending.

“A Hand In It,” written by Jay Stephens, art by Leomacs. A morgue attendant plots to use a serial killer’s dead body to murder her husband until her plan backfires.

“Dead from Exposure,” written by Jay Stephens, art by David Lapham. Legends of a “bog ape” that bears a remarkable resemblance to Swamp Thing attract a man who exposes hoaxes on television. The exposure of the fake monster doesn’t go as planned.

I admired the ghoulish art in “Gray Green Memories” (story and art by Tyler Cook); the story, not so much. On the other hand, I enjoyed the vampire story told in “Blood Type” (written by Corinna Bechko) and the story of blues musician Robert Johnson’s deal with the devil in “The Crossroads Repetition” (written by Chris Condon); the art, not so much.

Other stories have interesting takes on anti-vaxxers and people who text while driving and racists who argue that hating members of other groups is natural.

The featured cover art for each of the four collected issues is sensational. The macabre art captures the horror that exuded from the EC covers of the original series. The alternate covers are an uneven mix.

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