Comic Books

Is It Good? Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and the Red Death Review

October 30, 2013

Richard Corben draws large tits and larger noses. Let’s see if his newest Edgar Allan Poe adaptation can stir within us a dread so profound, and lift the malaise found within our dreary hearts.

Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and The Red Death (Dark Horse Comics)

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Mag the Hag is back, and yet again, for an old broad, she does quite a lot of traveling. She introduces us to the protagonist of The Raven adaptation, and she meets a mysterious hooded man who tells her the adaptation of The Masque of the Red Death.

Things feel incredibly rushed, and while sometimes this manic pacing works for one shots, it doesn’t in this case. Two adaptations in the same roughly 30 page span is setting up for neither to really be of much substance. Neither really has the time to pack much of a punch; all jabs and no uppercut. The adaptation of The Red Death is pretty good, but The Raven brings nothing new. It’s too bad this wasn’t just a Masque of the Red Death adaptation. Then it might have hit a little harder.

That clock really wants to get high.

Corben’s art style is very distinct, and it lends itself well to these adaptations. However, things do get very cartoony, which is of course Corben’s style, but if you aren’t into that, perhaps these pictures won’t do it for you. However, it’s very colorful, so good job Nate Piekos of Blambot.

6.5

Decent Red Death adaptation in art and in words.
Good colors, Blambot!
Has a very 50s horror comic vibe to it.

Two adaptations in one book feels excessive.
Seems like a rush job.

Is it Good?

The images were the best part of this book. If not for the Red Death adaptation, I’d say to not bother with this comic at all. The reds of the plague really pop (pun intended), and introducing Mag the Hag to a mysterious stranger at the beginning of The Red Death adaptation telling her the tale is a fun way to play around with the established setup of: Mag shows up at a place, Mag begins to tell the tale, Mag ends the tale with a snappy one-liner, ala every horror comic EC ever made. Still, the colors are nice, the art is just as fun as ever, and it’s a good thing to read if you’re in the mood for a throwback spooky comic, like something you’d find in a child’s room in the 50s.