Customer Reviews

Showcase Presents: House of Mystery, Vol. 1

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If I have one regret about my early days of comic collecting in the early 1970's it's that I completely ignored the many great horror and mystery titles that were coming out at the time. This 11 year old was plunking down his hard earned quarters on superhero titles only! As I've grown older I've developed a tremendous appreciation for titles like Tales of the Unexpected, Ghosts, The Witching Hour, and the subject of this latest Showcase edition from DC, House of Mystery. I will say categorically that this is the BEST Showcase edition released so far. What other title of the late 1960's and early 70's can boast a line-up of artists that included Neal Adams, Berni Wrightson, Jim Aparo, Wally Wood, Alex Toth, Russ Heath, Al Williamson, Gil Kane, Gray Morrow, and Sergio Aragones? The quick answer is NONE!

This collection reprints House of Mystery # 174 through 194. The stories are really light horror/mystery tales. These would not be as visceral as the EC stories of the 50's or the horror comics of the bronze age. They often has a Twilight Zone type feel to them in their ironic conclusions. We of course meet our host Cain who will greet readers at the start of each issue in a schlocky, horror host way with his own brand of wickedly sarcastic humor. One of the special treats throughout the book is the reprinting of the Page 13 and Cain's Game Room cartoons by legendary Mad Magazine cartoonist Sergio Aragones. Mad Magazine aside, Sergio's cartoons in this collection are some of the most deliciously evil work that he ever did. His morbid sense of humor is unrivaled. Another big selling point in this run is the outstanding cover art. The first issue, as well as the cover to the book features work by Nick Cardy one of the underappreciated artists of the Silver Age. The covers for issues 175 through 192 are by Neal Adams and represent some of his best comic book work, generally depicting a trio of young children facing an ominous danger. The last two covers are by yet another all-time great, Berni Wrightson.

The massive book contains dozens of stories that run in length from three to ten pages. The first few issues are themselves mostly reprints of stories that appeared in earlier issues of House of Mystery or its sister title House of Secrets. You can definitely see the change in tone and mood as the stories become more horrific in the latter stages. In "The Game" written and illustrated by Neal Adams. A young boy on the way home from a birthday party takes refuge in an old house to get out of a rain storm and encounters the mysterious residents inside. "Widows Walk" is written by Joe Orlando with art by Neal Adams and tells the story of a spurned wife who cursed her husband for marrying her for her money by never allowing him to return to shore while she lived. This one had a notable EC flair to it.

In "Devil's Doorway" by Alex Toth, a man buys a mirror that he soon discovers is possessed by evil and opens a gateway to Hell. The stories by Wally Wood are somewhat out of place in the book as they are more fantasy than horror but hey...it's Wally Wood! In his tale "Eye of the Basilisk" Wood inks Gil Kane's pencils in a story about a monster terrorizing a village. Berni Wrightson illustrates several stories in the book including one ominous tale called "House of Madness" that finds a man in modern day London getting lost in a for and entering a doorway that takes him back in time to London's infamous Bedlam Asylum.

There's really nothing not to like in this collection. The art is superb throughout, the stories are well-written and the Aragones' cartoons add a jovial bit of humor. Even the fact that the book is in black & white doesn't hurt it since the horror stories often work better in b & w than color anyway. I hope that DC continues to spotlight lesser titles like these in the Showcase editions as they featured fantastic work that should be preserved for the next generations of comic book fans. Superb!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

In the late 1960s, after a fifteen-year hiatus, mainstream comics, specifically DC and Marvel (but also certain of their rivals) re-entered the horror genre. The hiatus had begun after increasing concern in the early 1950s, when it alleged that EC Comics line of horror and crime comics were detrimental to America's youth. While Marvel was not a concern at the time, DC/National and Archie did take the opportunity to choke their most dangerous rival, EC, by adopting an industry-wide Comic Code Authority, which specifically banned horror comics. Thus, DC Comics own early stab at EC horror, "House of Mystery" and "House of Secrets" became more sci-fi and fantasy oriented.

But, then, in the late 1960s, magazine publishers like Warren began producing comic book horror in a black and white magazine format. At the same time, the super-hero genre, thanks in no small part to Marvel, was developing new maturity, the readership was getting older, and so the ban on horror comics gradually lifted.

DC brought in former EC Comics writer/editor/artist as its editor-in-chief. One of Orlando's outstanding moves in his tenure was to return "House of Mystery" to its horror roots. During the sixties, "HoM" was the home of Silver Age super-hero stalwarts the Martian Manhunter and Dial "H" for Hero. Starting with issue #179, "HoM", Orlando corralled a veritable who's who of talent to make for a solidly creepy comic book, which DC wisely released very early in its "Showcase Presents" line of black & white trade paperback reprints.

First, the sad reality: comics are not a good medium for "jump" horror the way film/television and even prose fiction is. Comic books by their nature are static, and so, even the most talented person can only make such a story so scary. Even the EC books were not so much frightening but gory and disturbing in their perverse tone. For "HoM", Orlando and company were taking baby steps, so only a handful of these stories really catch the "nauseating" quality of the EC material.

That having been said, there's a surprising diversity in this volume precisely because Orlando was making a transition with this book. So, there is a liberal use of reprints from "HoM's" pre-Code days, intermingled with various humorous bits by Sergio Aragones ("Mad" most of which are really funny), and new stories by such talents as Robert Kanigher ("Sgt. Rock), Jim Aparo ("The Spectre", "Batman"), Gil Kane ("Green Lantern"), Bernie Wrightson (soon to be famous for "Swamp Thing"), Neal Adams, and others. Most of the series is narrated by the caretaker, Cain (familiar to fans of Neil Gaiman's "Sandman"), who wasn't quite the creep that other narrators like the Crypt-Keeper were (at least, not yet). While lacking the bite of the EC comics, Orlando successfully injected the element of "karma", i.e. do bad and you get eaten by monsters, into "HoM".

While the format is black and white, the material actually benefits. Again, there's nothing "scary" in this volume, but there is plenty of entertainment to be found. It's also great to see so many great creators in one volume. Definitely one of the smartest moves DC has made when it comes to its reprints. Hopefully, "House of Secrets" isn't too far off.

Essential purchase if you were into these comics as a kid !

This collection will transport you right back to your wondrous childhood years, bringing back all the sense of mystery and dreamlike possibilities of those naïve years. Reading this collection took me straight back to my pre teen years -- riding to small stores , off the beaten track, with my best friend -- we'd collect together all our small change and buy these highly treasured comics, which always had a sense of the forbidden, a sense of danger about them.

Of course, they are pretty naive stories now I read them as an adult, and they have little of the real sense of the grotesque that the banned EC comics had, but to a child of ten, they seemed pretty far out, subversive, and even threatening.

I'd rush home on my bicycle and relish these forbidden texts in the privacy of my home, hiding under the bed covers, enjoying the sense of danger these stories had. To enhance the mood and atmosphere of the comics , I`d borrow my big sister`s Black Sabbath records. Playing those crackly old Black Sabbath records with their dog eared sleeves and reading these comics at the same time proved to be heady brew to a ten year old boy!.

All the great artists are here too -- Berni Wrightson, Redondo, Nino, Alcala and others , most of whom besides Wrightson of course were from The Philippines.

The stories aren't half as dark as one remembers of course -- but some of the artwork is really out there, even when looked at through "adult eyes."

Beginning in 1951, according to Overstreet, "House of Mystery" went on for a run of 320 issues. Showcase volume 1, show here, ed. by the venerable Joe Orlando, reprints the stories from issue 174 (1968) to 194 (1971). This is a bargain priced 500 page collection, albeit black and white. Buy it now, before it goes out of print. Admittedly, the stories and art range from excellent to adequate and often come on as pale EC, but don't let that deter you from a great entertainment experience. For more great DC fare, do an Amazon book search for " Showcase Presents." Also recommended for public libraries.

The used book dealers charging $40 and up for this out-of-print book are rip-off artists! Avoid buying from them on principle. HoM v1 will be back in print in January according to DC Comics advance solicitation schedule. This is a public service announcement!

(Oh, and the book is awesomely fun! Try HOUSE OF SECRETS and the CREEPY archive from Dark Horse)

you owe it to yourself to read this book. This along with the EC collections are some of the best horror comics ever written and the artwork is fantastic. If only these reprints could be in color.

If you love EC comics, horror stories and/or finding different painting/writing styles, this is something you must have. And it is so cheap!!!

I just received the book a few days back and scanned and speed read a few stories. Compared to the stories published today , they seem very bland and childish. Still a worthy record of the era the books were published in and the circumstances and restrictions placed on the publishers.

Marvellous artwork, a redeeming feature.A must own, not for the stories per se but as a nostalgic reminder of comic history.

Suggest owning both volumes just to delve into our comic past.A boon for all comic lovers.

I was always a "Make mine Marvel" kid growing up in the 70s. So the material DC is reprinting in its long-overdue 'essential' line is like discovering a new line of comics.

Of course I knew of DC Comics growing up, but I always gravitated to the heroes Marvel was producting. So, I am just now discovering great stuff with Jonah Hex and Metamorpho. And I'll be along for the ride for whatever titles they wanna reprint. I actually prefer them in B&W too.

I have to say that with HoM the art is fantastic. So many big names! And Sergio Aragones to boot?!? WOW.

It's the writing on HoM that doesn't do much for me. It's way too tame for me. I like the pre-code horror of EC Comics and the other companies I've discovered in Tales Too Terrible To Tell.

Some of the Mystery are decent others, just seem...mild.

Hence the 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 ^_^.

By all means, get the collection to see Wrightson, Toth, Williamson, and the other masters work their magic

Can't wait for The Haunted Tank collection!

I wouldn't have purchased this book if I had noticed that it was a black and white compilation. I sincerely hope that DC follows Marvel's example and publishes full color collections of these issues. That said, the black and white version certainly gives a different perspective on the quality of the artwork. I got used to it after a while and was able to see value in this kind of edition... particularly given the very inexpensive price.