Customer Reviews

The Mammoth Book of Best Horror Comics

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I'm giving a positive review. I really think it's a swell anthology and I suggest you check this one out. Where else but a stack of old comics with crumbling pages or stored in plastic bags can one find Pete Morisi, Jack Cole, a John Stanley horror story, Mike Kaluta, Matt Baker all in one place??? This Mammoth pulp paperback is an anthology of well-selected stories that are both typical of their era and better than the run-of the mill. There's a cross-sampling of styles, an overview of the non-EC,DC,Atlas titles. The collection clearly demonstrates the mutation of comic horror storytelling over the last 60 years, and is a worthy purchase whether for socio-cultural purposes or for entertainment value.

The pages are reduced in size and in black and white, but that is true of many reprints of horror comics. There are some good pre-code stories not available in other anthologies. The newer stuff can't hold a candle to the old stuff, but it's still a decent book.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone interested in the history of horror comics. The omission of EC comics and Warren magazines is appropriate as they are archived and written about so many other places. All the other positive aspects of this book have been covered in other reviews and most of the negatives are slightly unfair or simply a matter of opinion.

My one complaint is this; for a book where the editor tells us how striking and brilliant the art work is, it is printed rather poorly. I did not expect, or want, the book in color. I DID expect the pages not to be shrunken to the point where the lettering and many panels are hard to make out. I would have happily shelled out and additional $10 to $15 for the same book with clearly printed pages.

I'm rather pleased with the whole concept. I found only one story rather hard to read and the rest were fine. The art translates well even in the smaller size. It's a bargain for its price and I don't have a problem with it been in black and white. I grew up on Black and white comics in Europe . You get selections from the lesser known Golden age books and also some newer stuff which isn't as good . But I bought it for the Golden age material and although some of the stuff is dated it works if you realize what you are reading. For about $12.00 it's a great deal and well worth checking out.

The Mammoth Book of Best Horror Comics is a steal when you compare pages (540+) and story selections (48) to the overall price. The comics are presented in black and white (as any good horror comic should be). Editor Peter Normanjon also does a nice job of dividing the tales up by decades guiding the reader along from the 50's through present day with a nice introduction page to each tale.

Some of my favorites in the bunch include:
*DREAD END - a nice giant monster tale and there's a bonus modernizing retelling with actual photographs substituting for artwork
*Fatal Scalpel and Dungeon of Doom - both have a Twilight Zone feel
*Sea of Graves - gave me goosebumps when I first read it as a child
*Home Lies - a simple story where the ending cathes you off guard
*Purgation - probably the best visual story in the lot, some of the artwork actually creeped me out...the people behind this should make movies
*Killer Planet - reads and looks like it could have been from an issue of Heavy Metal
*The Graveswellers - another story that uses actual photographs over illustrations

The only minor problem with this collection is the absence (and it is addressed) of more widespread comics from EC (Tales from the Crypt) or Eerie. As a child these were always my favorites. However this Mammoth collection does a great job of introducing readers to the wide variety of horror comics that have been published over the last 50 years. It's a great place to start your appreciation of Horror stories, and the price can't be beat for the amount of reading (and scares) that await you.

Having read some of the negative reviews before, I was almost sure that I would get what I hoped for - but now I see that this book offers so much more...!

Sure the book could have a bigger print in colour - and I would certainly be willing to pay a lot for this book in an edition comparable to the MARVEL OMNIBUSSES.
But as it is, the book is an affordable option to get a really wide perspective on horror comics from pre-code to postmodern.

So here are some words to the complainers:

Claiming that this is not "the best" in horror comics is kid stuff!
Sure, it's stupid to put a word like "best" on any kind of compilation or anthology - but it's actually more stupid to actually search for a concept like that.

The strong point about this book is that there is no E.C. and no MARVEL and no DC to be found in these pages.
I mean, if you are looking for those classics - go and get them from the countless sources that offer them. You can get a complete E.C. library, and if you are seriously interested in horror comics, you absolutely should.
MARVEL and DC are already busy reprinting their ESSENTIALS and SHOWCASES and OMNIBUSSES and whatnots - so there is a good chance that within the next years you can get a big lot of what they have ever published.

This mammoth book here fills the gap that really hurts - i.e. the countless comics by short-lived, small, independent or sold out publishers I have never even heard about.
That is really rare stuff, and it turns me on to get such a low-price opportunity to lay my eyes on titles like BLACK CAT MYSTERY or CHILLING TALES.
In fact I don't expect them to be "good" or (for god's sake) "the best".
I expect them to grant me a glimpse of the history of pop-culture, and this is what I get here.
And then even getting stories from the 80s and 90s, when I really lost horror comics out of sight - wow, what a treat...!!!

If you actually intend to buy only one book of horror comics in your life - or if you have so little money that you can only afford one book a year - well, I definitely say:
Go and buy any copy of HAUNT OF FEAR or VAULT OF HORROR instead of this book.
Just as I would advise you to watch SUSPIRIA or TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, if you want to watch just one horror movie this year.

But if you really dig Horror in all its forms - and if you spend a lot of dough on classics and new stuff, the good the bad and the ugly releases to broaden your horizon and to find the gems among the rubble - then this book is DEFINITELY one you should buy!!!

This book is one to devour and enjoy - not to ruminate over.
It's for lovers - not for calculators.

Maybe it's because I'm currently collecting/reading all of Dark Horse Creepy & Eerie Archives that I'm judging this book slightly lower in quality. Compared to Creepy/Eerie the writing and Art seem a little 'juvenile. As someone stated previously the print quality is not that good in places (pages are faded and hard to make out in a few spots. I would've also liked to know who scripted the story/drew the artwork and some of the story prefaces have this but many do not. I love a good Steve Ditko/Archie Goodwin tale that are often found in Creepy (warren) magazines. My major criticism is the print 'size'. Granted, they had to shrink everything down to fit a 5" X 7" book but stories like 'Hitler's Head' with a lot of text are really hard to make out. Let's just say I'm in my early 50's (which I think a major part of this books audience might be) and for the first time in my life I had to go to the store and purchase 'reading glasses'! Now that's Scary!!! But besides feeling old now I'm still reading this book & it's a good time filler. Just make sure you buy some glasses to go with it. The first night I got it I had to use a big magnifying glass to read it. No kidding. Anyway, 50 some stories, big thick book, and still worth the low price.

I am thoroughly enjoying this book. Maybe all of the stories aren't the scariest or best thing you've ever read but this so enjoyable and fun to see how the horror genre of comics have progressed through the decades. Some will knock it because it doesn't have EC or MARVEL or the more "famous" in here but that is exactly why I love it. You won't get a chance to see these anywhere. The others you can see in their own reprints. The price is right, the contents couldn't be better and I have no complaints. Have just ordered a couple others in this same vein and I can't wait for them!

I was thrilled when I saw this book listed and ordered it in a heartbeat! This tome of frightful and sadly forgotten creepy comics is sure to delight anyone who enjoyed Zombie Factory: 27 Tales of Bizarre Comix Madness from Beyond the Tomband The Monster of Frankenstein. Stop reading this review and order you copy now --- you will not be sorry.

"The Mammoth Book of Horror Comics" overall rates out as a disappointment due to the weakness of its compiled content. It does start off with great intentions though. For starters considering that it is a value purchase it is surprisingly a 'nice' book with a stiff and sturdy soft cover as well as better-then-average paper stock that looks like it will hold up well over time. The books editors also provide a helpful introduction to each of the 50 stories presented within and clocking in at 544 pages no one's gonna complain that you're not getting your money's worth in regards to content.

The problems that I have with this book is 2-fold. First off, was slightly disappointed that this book is entirely in black and white. Eliminating the use of color really gives readers a watered down experience and I would've gladly paid more for this book knowing that the original color palettes have been properly reproduced in this compilation. Secondly the actual material is mostly mediocre filler, especially the first 2/3's of the book that chronicles the 1950's through the 80's. The books best material is found toward the end when they delve into the 1990's and 2000's.

All in all, a fairly decent purchase for the price if you don't mind the B&W reproductions and mostly hum-drum horror vignettes.