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EC Comics’ Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 kicks off some classic horror

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Epitaphs From the Abyss #1

From the publisher that drove Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, and many more into the depraved hearts of an unsuspecting world, the immortal EC Comics returns! Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 kicks off the first ALL-NEW series in nearly 70 years! But, in this age of gore-porn and brutal, scary, horror, does the classic still deliver chills and thrills? It’s a whole new era of terror!

Featuring four tales to keep you up at night, Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 is a fun return to classic horror. It’s twists and turns that’ll get you to think more than make you afraid of unknown noises, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

Kicking off with “Killer Spec” from J. Holtham, Jorge Fornes, and Dan Jackson, Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 is predictable at times, but still has more than enough to surprise readers. It’s pretty easy to see where the debut story goes but it’s the ending and twists and turns that entertain in an unexpected way. I have no fond memories of EC Comics and remember HBO’s Tales From the Crypt at times scaring the shit out of me as a kid, but I appreciated the “lessons” one would learn at the end. While The Twilight Zone delivered parables with a sci-fi twist, EC to me was the horror cousin of that. Here we get to see where jealousy takes a wannabe writer and makes readers wonder how meta this tale is…

“Senator, Senator” is perfect for this election year. Chris Condon, Peter Krause, and Michelle Madsen explore why an elected official flip-flops on a key issue. Again, like the opening story, it’s not hard to guess where the story is going but it’s the details that stand out. It delivers a nice jab at the current political climate.

“Family Values” by Stephanie Phillips, Phil Hester, Travis Hymel, and Marissa Louise feels like something we’d see in a modern day horror film. Hell, we might have. But, the ending is damn near perfect in multiple ways. A father must choose which family member to kill, or himself, while they’re taken hostage by unknown individuals. Why and for what purpose? You’ll need to read and find out!

Finally, “US vs. US” is another fantastic jab, pun intended, at the current state of the United States. Two individuals must take on a group of freaks and things aren’t what they appear. Brian Azzarello, Vlad Legostaev, and Brittany Peery deliver a story that is very unexpected in the direction it goes and what’s revealed.

Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 might feel tame compared to today’s horror, it’s much more comedic and less about scares, but it mines the classic concept of EC Comics perfectly delivering four tales that’ll entertain and get you to think. Each is varied in story, art, and tone, and each delivers unexpected moments that’ll keep readers guessing. It’s rare when there’s no weak stories in an anthology, and Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 has none. It’s a fantastic start to the classic brand that’ll hopefully breathe new life into this type of horror.

Story: J. Holtham, Chris Condon, Stephanie Phillips, Brian Azzarello
Art: Jorge Fornes, Peter Krause, Phil Hester, Vlad Legostaev
Ink: Travis Hymel Color: Dan Jackson, Michelle Madsen, Marissa Louise, Brittany Peer
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Tyler Smith
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Get a look at the terrifying return of EC Comics with Epitaphs From the Abyss #1

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EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #1 (of 5)

WRITTEN BY BRIAN AZZARELLO, CHRIS CONDON, J. HOLTHAM & STEPHANIE PHILLIPS
ART BY JORGE FORNES, PHIL HESTER, PETER KRAUSE & VLAD LEGOSTAEV
COVER A BY LEE BERMEJO
COVER B BY ANDREA SORRENTINO WITH DAVE STEWART
EC HOMAGE VARIANT (1:10) BY JAY STEPHENS
B&W ARTIST EDITION VARIANT (1:50) BY RIAN HUGHES
HORROR HOST VARIANT (1:100) BY DUSTIN WEAVER
FOIL COVER (GOLD) BY LEE BERMEJO
FOIL COVER (SILVER) BY ANDREA SORRENTINO WITH DAVE STEWART
BLANK COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
ON SALE JULY 24TH | $4.99 (STANDARD) | $7.99 (FOIL) | 40 PGS | FC
IOC: 05/30/2024
FOC: 07/01/2024

Debuting July 24th in a double-sized, 40-page testament of terror, EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #1 ushers in the full-scale resurrection of comics’ most infamous and influential publishing house with four all-new tales of torment and tension: “KILLER SPEC” by J. Holtham & Jorge Fornés, “SENATOR, SENATOR” by Chris Condon & Peter Krause, ”FAMILY VALUES” by Stephanie Phillips & Phil Hester, and “US VS. US” by Brian Azzarello & Vlad Legostaev.

Epitaphs From the Abyss #1

Oni has announced that Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 and Cruel Universe #1 will receive no second printings

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In advance of initial orders for this summer’s relentless resurrection of EC Comics – due this week for Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 in advance of the double-sized, 40-page debut’s July 24th street date – Oni Press is advising retailers and comic shop customers that Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 and the first issue of its science-fiction companion title, Cruel Universe #1, will be limited to FIRST PRINTINGS ONLY with no second or subsequent printings to follow. 

In tandem with this policy, Oni will be producing a sizable overprint for both issues in order to ensure adequate supply to meet retailer re-orders for both titles as the infamous and influential EC Comics line returns to shelves with its first new stories in nearly 70 years. 

In addition, Oni reaffirms its previous announcement that all non-incentive A cover and B covers for the first three issues of both series – spanning Epitaphs From the Abyss #1-3 and Cruel Universe #1-3 – are returnable with no qualification for all orders placed through both Diamond Comic Distributors and Lunar Distribution. 

In addition, Oni is proud to present the very first look ahead at the very first interior artwork from EC’s star-studded, jugular-pumping return from a glorious cast of “all-slaughter” comics talents primed to reaffirm the power and potency of EC’s trademark styles in horror and science fiction in the weeks ahead: 

EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #1

Cover A by Lee Bermejo
On Sale July 24th

HE MOST NOTORIOUS NAME IN TERROR IS BACK – WITH A VENGEANCE! From the publisher that drove Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, and many more into the depraved hearts of an unsuspecting world, the immortal EC COMICS returns . . . with its first ALL-NEW series in nearly 70 years!

In our first extra-sized, 40-page dose of fear, witness shocking tales of torment and tension in the undying EC tradition-as wrenched from the grave by the vile intentions of acclaimed writers Brian Azzarello (Batman: Damned, 100 Bullets), Chris Condon (That Texas Blood, Night People), J. Holtham (Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale), and Stephanie Phillips (Harley Quinn, Grim) and realized into bloody reality by “all-slaughter” artists Jorge Fornes (Rorschach, Danger Street), Phil Hester (Family Tree), Peter Krause (Irredeemable), and more!

What the Comics Code Authority couldn’t kill has only made it stronger . . . EC COMICS LIVES AGAIN IN EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS!

Featuring:

“INTRODUCTION” by Dustin Weaver 
“US VS. US” by Brian Azzarello & Vlad Legostaev 
“KILLER SPEC” by J. Holtham & Jorge Fornés
“FAMILY VALUES” by Stephanie Phillips & Phil Hester 
“SENATOR, SENATOR” by Chris Condon & Peter Krause

CRUEL UNIVERSE #1

Cover A by Greg Smallwood
On Sale August 7th

Compelled to OBLIVION, driven to ENTROPY, all life in our cosmos can only end in one place: COMPLETE ANNIHILATION! For the first time in 70 years, the limitless fury of EC Comics rages back to life to shred the very fabric of the universe itself-and wrench bizarre tales of time and space into our dimensional plane!

Our guides across this double-sized, 40-page introduction to a cosmic maelstrom of strange extraterrestrial entities, malevolent scientists, and terrifying technological catastrophes? Learn to fear the void with the irradiated imaginations of Hugo Award nominee Corinna Bechko (Invisible Republic), rising star Chris Condon (That Texas Blood), Eisner Award nominee Matt Kindt (BRZRKR, Mind MGMT), and Edgar Award winner Ben H. Winters (The Last Policeman) as they collide with the wondrously destructive visions of artists Jonathan Case (Green River Killer), Kano (Immortal Iron Fist), Artyom Topilin (I Hate This Place), and Caitlin Yarsky (Black Hammer: Reborn)!

The unpredictable return of EC Comics continues here with the quantum comics event of the millennium! Galaxies will collapse. Space-time will be distorted. And your very will to exist, too, shall be broken . . . Just remember: it’s all in the name of SCIENCE!

Featuring: 

“THE CHAMPION” by Matt Kindt & Kano 
“SOLO SHIFT”  by Corinna Bechko & Caitlin Yarsky 
“DRINK UP!” by Chris Condon & Jonathan Case 
“PRICELESS”  by Ben H. Winters & Artyom Topilin 

EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS #2

Cover A by Lee Bermejo
On Sale August 21st

EC COMICS PROUDLY PRESENTS . . . ANOTHER EPITAPH THAT’S GOOD UNTIL THE BALLOON POPS!

In this month’s terrifying festival of fright: Three ALL-NEW tales of depraved intention and traumatic tension-culled from the fingertips of death-addled writers Jason Aaron (Thor, Southern Bastards), Matt Kindt (BRZRKR, Mind MGMT), and writer/artist Tyler Crook (Harrow County), and forever wedded to the bloodstained brushstrokes of artists Klaus Janson (The Dark Knight Returns) and Jorge Fornes (Batman)!

THREE UNRELENTING NAIL-BITERS FROM FIVE MASTERS OF THE COMICS TRADE . . . You’d have to CRAZY to miss this-or DEAD!

Featuring:

“SOUNDS AND HAPTICS” by Jason Aaron & Jorge Fornes
“GRAY GREEN MEMORIES” by Tyler Crook 
“PATTERN RECOGNITION” by Matt Kindt & Klaus Janson 

Lettering legend Richard Starkings resurrects the iconic Leroy Style for EC Comics’ return!

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EC Comics pre-order

This Summer, EC Comics returns with a vengeance at Oni Press – and, though times may have changed, the lettering remains the same! Oni has announced that Eisner Award-nominated and legendary letterer Richard Starkings will be joining the groundbreaking publisher’s upcoming resurrection of the notorious EC Comics line in the pages of July’s Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 and August’s Cruel Universe #1 to redefine EC’s iconic “Leroy” lettering style for the new millennium. 

Starkings has been tasked with recapturing the regimented form, grit, and texture of one of EC Comics’ most instantly recognizable traits: the publisher’s iconic “Leroy” lettering style – so-named for the mechanical lettering apparatus utilized by EC in the publisher’s 1950s heydey in lieu of hand lettering.  

It all begins EC Comics surges out of the grave with a jugular-pounding, 40-page horror milestone on July 24th in Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 – featuring four self-contained exercises in adrenaline from Brian Azzarello and Vlad Legostaev, Chris Condon and Peter Krause, J. Holtham and Jorge Fornés, and Stephanie Phillips and Phil Hester, and more deadly surprises — including the first glimpse of EC’s new cast of horror hosts . . .!

And then . . . Two short weeks later on August 7th, bizarre tales of time and space enter our dimensional plane on Cruel Universe #1 – featuring 40, all-new pages of destructive wonder with cosmic implications from the irradiated imaginations of Hugo Award nominee Corinna Bechko and Caitlin Yarsky, Chris Condon and Jonathan Case, Eisner Award nominee Matt Kindt and Kano, and Edgar Award winner Ben H. Winters and Artyom Topilin!

In 2024, the most notorious name in terror is back! EC Comics lives again at Oni Press!

EC Comics is back with Epitaphs From the Abyss #1

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From the publisher that drove Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, and many more into the depraved hearts of an unsuspecting world, the immortal EC Comics returns on July 24th with its first bold and bloody new NEW series in nearly 70 years! In partnership with William M. Gaines Agent, Inc., Oni Press has revealed the complete line-up of “all-killer” writers, artists, and cover artists behind Epitaphs From the Abyss #1 – a 40-page testament to terror ushering in the full-scale resurrection of comics’ most infamous and influential publishing house…

In our first extra-sized, 40-page dose of fear, witness shocking tales of torment and tension in the immortal EC tradition—as wrenched from the grave by the vile intentions of acclaimed writers Brian Azzarello, Chris Condon, J. Holtham, and Stephanie Phillips and realized into bloody reality by “all-slaughter” artists Jorge Fornes, Phil Hester, Peter Krause, and Vlad Legostaev.

What the Comics Code Authority couldn’t kill has only made it stronger… EC Comics enters the 21st century with a jugular-pounding horror milestone that not only features four self-contained exercises in adrenaline from Brian Azzarello & Vlad Legostaev, Chris Condon & Peter Krause, J. Holtham & Jorge Fornes, and Stephanie Phillips & Phil Hester, and more — but also the first glimpse of EC’s new cast of horror hosts…and a razor-sharp gallery of covers inspired by the eternal artistry of the EC’s infernal legacy with talents including Lee Bermejo, Andrea Sorrentino with Dave Stewart, Jay Stephens, Rian Hughes, and Dustin Weaver.

Preview: Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1 (of 4)

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Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1 (of 4)

Written by ZAC THOMPSON
Art by DANIEL IRIZARRI
Cover A by DANIEL IRIZARRI
Cover B by DUSTIN WEAVER
Cover C by JAMES STOKOE
Cover D by VLAD LEGOSTAEV
Full art variant (1:20) by JAMES STOKOE
Full art variant (1:30) by DUSTIN WEAVER
ON SALE FEBRUARY 7, 2024 | $4.99 | 32 pgs | FC

The 21st century sucks hard, but it’s made somewhat tolerable by the latest and greatest media innovations. Enter the Dreamwave: the first gaming console played entirely while you sleep. The obsession of millions around the globe, it’s also the one point of solace for four friends known as the “Cemetery Kids,” who spend their nights roaming the endless maps of the most brutal horror game ever created as they seek to dethrone the “King of Sleep”—the Dreamwave’s biggest, baddest, and most mysterious boss.

Which was fun . . . until one of them doesn’t wake up and finds their consciousness locked inside a horror game that is anything but imaginary. Now, the three remaining Cemetery Kids must navigate a forbidden landscape to rescue their friend—and pray that the secret lurking at its center doesn’t follow them home.

Cemetery Kids Don't Die #1 (of 4)

Preview: Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1 (of 4)

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Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1 (of 4)

Written by ZAC THOMPSON
Art by DANIEL IRIZARRI
Cover A by DANIEL IRIZARRI
Cover B by DUSTIN WEAVER
Cover C by JAMES STOKOE
Cover D by VLAD LEGOSTAEV
Full art variant (1:20) by JAMES STOKOE
Full art variant (1:30) by DUSTIN WEAVER
ON SALE FEBRUARY 7, 2024 | $4.99 | 32 pgs | FC

The 21st century sucks hard, but it’s made somewhat tolerable by the latest and greatest media innovations. Enter the Dreamwave: the first gaming console played entirely while you sleep. The obsession of millions around the globe, it’s also the one point of solace for four friends known as the “Cemetery Kids,” who spend their nights roaming the endless maps of the most brutal horror game ever created as they seek to dethrone the “King of Sleep”—the Dreamwave’s biggest, baddest, and most mysterious boss.

Which was fun . . . until one of them doesn’t wake up and finds their consciousness locked inside a horror game that is anything but imaginary. Now, the three remaining Cemetery Kids must navigate a forbidden landscape to rescue their friend—and pray that the secret lurking at its center doesn’t follow them home.

Cemetery Kids Don't Die #1 (of 4)

The Game is Just Starting– Inside Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1!

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Oni Press has revealed the first fully colored preview from creators Zac Thompson and Daniel Irizarri’s genre-bending sci-fi-horror debut Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1. The first installment of the electrifying series arrives on February 7th, 2024 and will leave readers dying to reach level 2. 

The 21st century sucks hard, but it’s made somewhat tolerable by the latest and greatest media innovations. Enter the Dreamwave: the first gaming console played entirely while you sleep. The obsession of millions around the globe, it’s also the one point of solace for four friends known as the “Cemetery Kids,” who spend their nights roaming the endless maps of the most brutal horror game ever created as they seek to dethrone the “King of Sleep”—the Dreamwave’s biggest, baddest, and most mysterious boss. Which was fun . . . until one of them doesn’t wake up and finds their consciousness locked inside a horror game that is anything but imaginary. Now, the three remaining Cemetery Kids must navigate a forbidden landscape to rescue their friend—and pray that the secret lurking at its center doesn’t follow them home. 

Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1 features a collection of covers by Daniel Irizarri, Dustin Weaver, James Stokoe, and Vlad Legostaev .

Cemetery Kids Don't Die #1

Inside Zac Thompson and Daniel Irizarri’s New Sci-Fi/Horror Collision, Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1

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Oni Press has revealed the first look inside Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1 – a near-future descent into a terrifying digital world where each new level has killer consequences! Plunging deep into the uncanny borderlands between science fiction and horror, the next adrenaline-pumping Oni 2024 release arrives on shelves February 7 from acclaimed creators Zac Thompson and Daniel Irizarri!

The 21st century sucks hard, but it’s made somewhat tolerable by the latest and greatest media innovations. Enter the Dreamwave: the first gaming console played entirely while you sleep. The obsession of millions around the globe, it’s also the one point of solace for four friends known as the “Cemetery Kids,” who spend their nights roaming the endless maps of the most brutal horror game ever created as they seek to dethrone the “King of Sleep”—the Dreamwave’s biggest, baddest, and most mysterious boss. 

Which was fun . . . until one of them doesn’t wake up and finds their consciousness locked inside a horror game that is anything but imaginary. Now, the three remaining Cemetery Kids must navigate a forbidden landscape to rescue their friend—and pray that the secret lurking at its center doesn’t follow them home. 

Cemetery Kids Don’t Die #1 features a truly stunning line-up of covers from some of the industry’s most subversively minded talents – including Daniel Irizarri, Dustin Weaver, James Stokoe, and Vlad Legostaev.

Preview: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2023

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2023

(W) Michael Walsh (A) Vlad Legostaev (CA) Michael Walsh
In Shops: Jul 12, 2023
SRP: $6.99

The Ninja Turtles take to the streets for a simple patrol, but what they find will rock their shells! Realities collide in this oversized special issue where the Turtles come face to face with a threatening force from the future! Can the brothers band together to take down this mysterious foe?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2023
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