There’s an obvious question to be asked when considering Epitaphs from the Abyss, Oni Press’s first foray into reviving the classic EC brand. EC Comics, the game-changing line of genre fiction anthologies that hit its creative peak in the 1950s, was more than a style of storytelling. It was a specific point of history inextricably bound up in the social changes of the era, on which it often gave powerful commentary. It was a defined group of individuals and creative voices. And it was also a product of, and a reaction to, the pop cultural zeitgeist of a decades-gone publishing landscape. Can that really be replicated, reproduced or re-imagined with true authenticity? Or is any attempt to recapture that spirit always going to be classified as homage rather than revitalisation?
Cover Art by Lee Bermejo
Time will tell on that but what can’t be denied is that as a debut Epitaphs from the Abyss #1 is undoubtedly a strong collection of horror comics. With the ever excellent Rian Hughes involved in the design and logo duties it echoes the visual feel of its long-gone predecessors but without ever being slavish to it. That reflects the approach elsewhere in this issue given that there were, of course, a number of key ingredients to EC’s original horror output, and we will consider how tribute has been paid to the past in #1 as we look at each story.
The issue kicks off with ‘Killer Spec’ (above and below) written by J. Holtham, illustrated by Jorge Fornés and with suitably atmospheric colouring by Dan Jackson. This meta take on writer’s block and artistic theft between roommates plays heavily with that original EC idea of poetic justice and protagonists getting an appropriately grisly comeuppance. Fornés’ pacing really adds to the intensity of the piece here. In ‘Senator, Senator’ writer Chris Condon, artist Peter Krause and colourist Michelle Madsen centre on a pro-choice Republican senator in a thriller soaked in social commentary wherein individual conscience is considered an infection to be excised from the political body. Krause’s shifts in visual characterisation are particularly effective here.
The pick of the crop is ‘Family Values’, written by Stephanie Phillips, illustrated by Phil Hester and Tavis Hymel, with colors from Marissa Louise, a story of home invasion that is as brutal psychologically as it is visually. There’s a cracking EC twist ending here that is not telegraphed which makes it all the more dramatic in the reveal. This tale is all the more impactful because it exposes flaws in one of the things we value and depend on the most – the family unit. Phillips and Hester are in perfect synch with Hester’s layouts really leaning into the thematic time-sensitive desperation of events. Finally we have ‘Us Vs. Us’ written by Brian Azzarello, art from Vlad Legostaev and with the claustrophobic colouring of Brittany Peer. Predictable hillbilly freak-type tropes are turned on their head in a short that also has pandemic-related relevance and resonance. But it’s let down by an ending that just lets the story fizzle out.
Echoing the EC of yesteryear we have a new horror host in the form of the Grave-Digger who debuts in a frontispiece by Dustin Weaver. His presence is a little half-hearted though and he introduces just one story, meaning that familiar EC connection/interaction with the readers is largely lost. If you’re looking for the verbosity of the original EC books you’re going to be disappointed. That’s an understandable choice, though, as it’s not a style that would be well-received by the majority of readers today. That said, there’s plenty of use of storytelling tools like captioned narration that we rarely see in contemporary monthly comics so there are much-missed traditional elements involved. Sometimes old school is more than fond nostalgia.
We need more accessible and complete-in-one comics like Epitaphs from the Abyss on the shelves. Books that readers know they can dip into and get a satisfying and self-contained reading experience. Perhaps whether or not we think Epitaphs is a good re-creation of an EC-style comic for a modern audience isn’t really the relevant thing. It’s a rock solid horror comic and, ultimately, that’s more than enough.
J. Holtham, Chris Condon, Stephanie Phillips, Brian Azzarello (W), Jorge Fornés, Peter Krause, Phil Hester & Travis Hymel, Vlad Legostaev (A), Dan Jackson, Michelle Madsen, Marissa Louise, Brittany Peer (C), Richard Starkings, Comicraft’s Tyler Smith (L), Rian Hughes (D) Lee Bermejo (CA) • Oni Press, $3.99
Review by Andy Oliver
