Review: Shadows on the Grave #6
Another anthology issue, pretty much entirely created by Richard Corben. For those who don’t know, Corben contributed to the gamut of Warren Publications Magazines (Eerie, Creepy and Vampirella.) From there he went on to Heavy Metal Magazine. And now, he’s back! And Dark Horse has him!
This collection begins with the Mike Shields scripted The Grifter. These stories are twisted little tales of revenge and comeuppance. They are narrated, in similar fashion to HBO’s Tales from the Crypt, by a creepy little host that looks like a cross between Marvel Comics Mole Man and DC’s Penguin.
The Creative Team:
It’s all Corben except for the first story: The Grifter written by Mike Shields. Here’s a story of a low life con man that can’t decide if he wants to pretend to be a traveling preacher or a salesperson of a miracle elixir as he enters what he thinks is a gullible tiny town of simple folks. Then there’s Trapped, which features a trapper who crosses a very big line and finds out why the woods he’s trapping bear in are illegal. Following that is Birthday, where the main character is visiting his psychiatrist to find out why he has the same nightmare on his birthday every year. So far, all the stories are self-contained shorts meant to teach a moral lesson while also giving us the chills. Then we come to the final tale in Black and White called Target Practice. This one’s a little more complex as it deals with the 6th part of the story of Deneaus, this chapter opens with King Akrokos, who is in a state of depression. Deneaus returns and informs the king that he was wrong about his loyalties. He had been a loyal subject but the King threw that away. The writing is top notch in this issue and it’s good to see a classic comic story teller like Corben back in action.
Corben’s art is as spot on as ever. Even though he’s in his seventies his art is just as sharp as it was in his Warren days and he compliments his own stories, as well as Shields story, quite well. His characters still have a prominent proboscis and this lends to the creepy feel of the art. All in all it’s good to see Corben back in action.
In Conclusion:
I’m always looking for classic comic book creators and it’s good to have Corben writing, drawing and creating once again. I love this collection and can’t wait for the next one. Older fans will thrill to his work once again and a younger generation is going to discover what true horror comics are all about. Thank you Dark Horse for bringing him back.
Shadows on the Grave #6
Writer – Richard Corben, Mike Shields
Art – Richard Corben
Grey tone – Beth Corben Reed
Letters – Richard Corben
Publisher – Dark Horse Comics
Publication date July 2017
About the Author
Kevin Given Kevin Given has studied with "Longridge Writers Group" and "Writer's Boot Camp" a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the "Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter" franchise which includes 2 novels and 8 comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of "Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter" #1 and "Files of Karl Vincent" #1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series "Dracula Rising" (working title) and developing "Foul Blood" into comic book form.
