The world of pre-code comics, especially in the late 1940s and into the 1950s, was a wild, wild west of uncontrolled concepts and outlandish stories, and nowhere was this more evident than in the mother-disapproved horror comics. These comics were filled with ghastly tales, gory art, and a never-ending parade of chilling hosts from countless small publishers. The Haunted Horror series from IDW reprints a selection of these stories pulled from comics with such irresistible names as Weird Terror, This Magazine is Haunted, Worlds of Fear, and Web of Evil. Volume 1 here specifically collects the first three issues of Haunted Horror.
For those that may not be familiar this era’s horror comics outside of EC Comics, this is a lovingly put together collection that really showcases the range of macabre unleashed on the masses at the time and that EC in no way held the corner on the market. Featuring ghouls, ghosts, monsters, murder, mysticism, and revenge, there’s a new horror lurking behind the turn of each page.
Moon Girl #1-5 Created by Gardner Fox & Sheldon Moldoff
Written by Tony Trov & Johnny Zito
Illustrated by The Rahzzah
Lettered by Troy Peteri Red 5 Comics
Release Date: May 2011–October 2012
Price: Digital $1.99/issue | TPB: $11.96
Reviving a Golden Age comic is tough. Doing it with style is even tougher. And yet we find that this new incarnation of Moon Girl does just that. I had the pleasure of reading all five issues back-to-back and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Amazingly enough, Tony Trov and Johnny Zito created a 1950’s New York with a combination noir and pulp ambiance. Drawing upon all the best elements of those two genres, they really bring this comic to life for the reader. I must say that it created a near perfect background for this story to be told. And what a story it is…displaced princess becomes avenging badass. And it’s accomplished through expert storytelling that takes me back to my youth and all those summers spent reading old pulp novels and golden age comics.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press