Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven And The Red Death One Shot Review


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Great fun at Halloween is what Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and the Red Death One Shot offers. It’s cool spooky stories with great artwork to boot.

Official Description from DARK HORSE:
Unwelcome and bloodthirsty guests are on the move in these two terrifying Poe stories presented by Eisner Hall of Fame inductee Richard Corben.

Writer and artist Richard Corben was a perfect match for these adaptations of Edgar All Poe stories. His history with underground comics and fanzines as well as his love for the bizarre and the macabre brings these two Poe tales to creepy horrifying life in this Dark Horse one shot. While the stories themselves are creepy enough Corben adds a twist with the insertion of Mag the Hag and the term hag is being used very loosely. She’s more of a nightmare.

RavenRedDeathCVR300pxThe Raven is short and to the point with classic Poe verses. What really stood out was Corben’s art and his dramatic angles, distorted facial features and dark color palette. That alone was enough to sell the story but it rises much higher level in Corben’s hands. The Raven wraps up with horrific gruesome detail and you’ll never look at a raven the same way after reading this tale. It was pure unabashed scares and gore in the end but beautifully crafted by Corben.

The second story, The Red Death, based on Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, inserts Mag the Hag more prominently here and with some comedic relief for this tale of the wealthy shunning the plague ridden commoners with a massive costumed celebration of wealth and decadence. When the King’s people need him the most to provide food to the poor and sanitary living conditions at the expense of depleting the royal treasury the King decides to throw a party with his riches instead. Living it up in his good fortune. That’s where the horror really lies and like most Poe stories ends in a cruel twist of fate.

Corben’s art really shines here and it’s as much a celebration as it is a condemnation. The goofy cartoonish look of the King and the costumes the party guests revel in are similarly outlandish and gaudy. Still it’s befitting such self-indulgence and gluttony. The Red Death will have it’s vengeance and the fallout is another masterpiece of horror and grotesque revenge on the King and his followers. This is a perfect Halloween treat this time of year and I highly recommend seeking out more of Corben’s work and enjoy his unique style he possesses and that his work showcases. If you like gruesome dark horror incased in Poe’s tales I highly recommend picking this book up.

4/5

fourstar

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