david_agranoff's review
5.0
Super awesome-ness. Horror comics from a wide span of a century. Must have for horror comic fans.
bloodravenlib's review
4.0
I liked this one. It is a pretty big collection of old comic books from the mid-40s to today. Though they are in black and white, the quality is still good. The stories are an interesting blend of monsters, horror, scary situations, and things reminiscent of an episode from "The Twilight Zone." TO be honest, as a reader today, I did find it kind of amusing to see what some people considered "shocking" back then. They worried kids would go insane if they read some of those comics. Then again, I probably would have been the kid back then sneaking these comics into their house. Overall, the publisher did a good job of bringing these together in one volume. It also looks like they put out similar volumes on other topics, which I may seek out. Anyhow, if you want a look at older comics, or you want something to read for Halloween, this is certainly a good choice. And it lends itself to browsing and skipping too if that is more your style.
I borrowed it through Interlibrary Loan at my workplace, but this would be something I could see myself buying.
* * * *
I first read it in October 2008. Reread it in September 2010 after I got in the mood for some horror (and hey, just in time for Halloween). I finally bought a copy (it was pretty cheap, so I said why not). I had forgotten that this book, as other reviewers mentioned, seems to have shipped out with a couple of defective pages (basically a couple of pages in a couple of the comics are duplicated, and I noticed one incorrect cover in an introduction), which can be a bit of a nuisance. However this is still a pretty good collection.
The best part is definitely the chapter with the comics from the 1950s and 1960s. I think not only are the comics entertaining (certainly some are cheesy by today's standards), but you get a glimpse at what people thought was a "big deal" back then. The 70s and 80s was ok, a bit of hit and miss. The 1990s was ok, better than the previous decade. The new stuff was interesting. Clearly, you get to see a variety in the genre. It is a pretty good time to read horror and horror comics/graphic novels, even if you do have to put a bit of effort to find some since it seems the best work is being done by smaller publishers.
So, the anthology is not perfect, but it is pretty good. And I think a lot of readers will enjoy it.
*******
Reread again starting in October 2020 (had picked up for Halloween) and kept on in and out til June 2021. I did write a formal review on my blog.
I borrowed it through Interlibrary Loan at my workplace, but this would be something I could see myself buying.
* * * *
I first read it in October 2008. Reread it in September 2010 after I got in the mood for some horror (and hey, just in time for Halloween). I finally bought a copy (it was pretty cheap, so I said why not). I had forgotten that this book, as other reviewers mentioned, seems to have shipped out with a couple of defective pages (basically a couple of pages in a couple of the comics are duplicated, and I noticed one incorrect cover in an introduction), which can be a bit of a nuisance. However this is still a pretty good collection.
The best part is definitely the chapter with the comics from the 1950s and 1960s. I think not only are the comics entertaining (certainly some are cheesy by today's standards), but you get a glimpse at what people thought was a "big deal" back then. The 70s and 80s was ok, a bit of hit and miss. The 1990s was ok, better than the previous decade. The new stuff was interesting. Clearly, you get to see a variety in the genre. It is a pretty good time to read horror and horror comics/graphic novels, even if you do have to put a bit of effort to find some since it seems the best work is being done by smaller publishers.
So, the anthology is not perfect, but it is pretty good. And I think a lot of readers will enjoy it.
*******
Reread again starting in October 2020 (had picked up for Halloween) and kept on in and out til June 2021. I did write a formal review on my blog.
booksandbosox's review
4.0
Nice collection with a few duds. Of course, only my opinion. I liked seeing comics from way back in the day and how styles have morphed through the years. Very cool.
bhalpin's review
3.0
I dunno--started this years ago and never picked it back up. Probably there's a reason for that. Thought it wa.s time to get it out of my "currently reading" list
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