Graphic Novel Review: EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS, VOLUME ONE

EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS, VOLUME ONE by various creators (Oni Press / EC Comics, May 6, 2025. Paperback, 136 pages. ISBN # 9781637157534

The back story:  EC (Educational Comics, and later re-named as Entertaining Comics) published comics for nearly ten years, until censorship pressures in 1956 forced them into discontinuing all its' titles and transforming humor comic Mad into black-and-white Mad Magazine. In its' heyday EC was known not just for mature and often graphic stories of horror, war, science-fiction, fantasy, crime and other genres (Tales From The Crypt the most popular) but also because the stories were often socially conscious and contained underlying messages regarding racism, anti-war sentiment, nuclear danger, and environmentalism.

The mission of the new EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS and its' associated titles is to follow the same path. I’m happy to report that they have succeeded in bringing back those fond memories as well as maintaining the same flavor as the originals. Critical acclaim and word-of-mouth has made this one of the best comeback stories of this decade.  The audience for horror comics anthologies is out there, and this and so many other new titles (from various publishers) can attest to that. I consider EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS to be the flagship, the standard, the template - - from which all others can be compared and aspire to.

   I read these in the original single monthly issues. Each one features as many as four new stories all introduced by a creepy new horror host, The Grave-Digger, who in Tales From The Crypt tradition sets the tone and adds several puns and lots of alliteration: “Greeting, stranger . . . If you have found yourself here, it can only mean one thing - - you share my fiendish fascination with the forbidden and a predilection for the perverse.”

Rather than re-cap every story (and they are all worthwhile), I’m going to summarize my favorite story from each issue.  Also, since I previously reviewed each single issue and include an image of the standard cover - -  I’m going to feature some of the cooler variant covers this time.

ISSUE #1:                                                                                                                                          My favorite story is "Senator, Senator" by Chris Condon and Peter Krause. Yeah, they even included some underlying commentary on current events in true EC fashion: "Living in America can be a horror all its own. A fierce, independent journalist like Marguerite de Palma knows this more than most . . . . . . Recently, she's been witness to a truly unique Twenty-First Century phenomenon - - the strange decay of integrity."

      When Laura Smoltz, a pro-choice Republican conservative senator, abandons her core beliefs and votes for stricter laws curbing women's rights Marguerite decides to investigate and find out how and why it happened. Her editor reluctantly agrees to fund her exploration, exclaiming "good luck cracking the code on what makes politicians such miserable human beings."  Does she crack it? If you're apt to get sucked into conspiracy theories, please don't read this story. The final panel has a message, and it's a gut punch. 

ISSUE #2:                                                                                                                                                             “Sound & Haptics” by Jason Aaron and Jorge Fornes takes aim at those who text while driving and put everyone else on the highway at risk. Justice is served, and bluntly. 

ISSUE #3:                                                                                                                                       “A Hand In It” by Jay Stephens and Leomacs is so morbidly appalling and amusing at the same time that it gets my vote as favorite this issue. It also is the closest approximation to the look of a classic EC story with the art style of Leomacs, different sized panels, to the amount of story told through text boxes (and their shading) - - all the way down to the font selection.

     Patricia Millicent has communication problems with her abusive husband, but no issues with communicating with her subjects at her work as a city morgue technician. Because the city’s resources are swamped there is an overflow problem with unclaimed cadavers, which are placed in a mobile storage unit under her care. She speaks to the bodies, shares secrets, dances for them, and has kept one particular cadaver under wraps for six years: it’s the body of Craig Harrison Davis, the “sundown choker” / “handsome horror” / “mommy murderer”. 

Patricia takes obsessive true crime fan/serial killer groupie to the next level.  She comes up with a grisly plan to dispatch her nasty husband and pin the blame elsewhere. Moral: always recycle properly. 

ISSUE #4:

     Jay Stephen and David Lapham team up to tell “Dead From Exposure”, my favorite this issue. Ever get tired of the constant barrage of reality television shows exploring the paranormal, haunted sites, monster occurrences, the unknown, etc? Instead of concluding with scant evidence, ever wish the various explorers would make a real find, maybe even get attacked by the monster? Your wish may be granted, as the team behind “Exposure” investigates the bog-ape.

Horror comics fans, rejoice. EC Comics is back in a big way.