shaxper's #2: “When the Gods Crave Flesh!”



writer: Steve Gerber
pencils: Pablo Marcos
inks: Pablo Marcos

From: Tales of the Zombie #3
Publication Year: 1973

Explanation:

This issue is the convergence of so many great things all coming together in one ultimate horror story.

First off, you've got the rich tradition of the old Atlas monster stories written from a second person perspective, as if you yourself are the monster. I have no idea whether this started with Atlas, or whether they were borrowing from somewhere else, but there were a number of early Atlas stories that followed this tradition of inverting our expectations. Instead of spending the story being terrified of the monster, you could BE the monster, and that was often even more eerie and tragic, while also offering a far more unique escapist perspective. I've always been a sucker for those, and one of those early stories, featuring a semi-conscious zombie named Simon Garth, apparently left an impression upon folks as well; an impression strong enough to see the single-appearance character resurrected to star in his own Marvel magazine two decades later (Tales of the Zombie).

Second, there's Steve Gerber, who was slowly perfecting his mastery of telling a story from the perspective of a dim-witted but innately tragic (and somehow innocent) monster, first with Man-Thing and then, concurrently, with Simon Garth. I always felt Garth worked better for this, as the character had a little more humanity to him, some brief recollections of his previous life, a heavily symbolic meaning behind a cold-hearted industrialist becoming a zombie, a tragic backstory allowing him to seek a sort of redemption as a monster, and a touching/tragic bond with his surviving daughter. In addition, while Gerber often tried to get Man-Thing away from the horror genre (Gerber has been on record as saying he was never a fan of horror), he generally kept Garth grounded in his element and used that space to fully explore what it means to be a zombie who is vaguely aware that he is a zombie and once was something else, rather than having the character get swooped up in complicated plot lines involving interdimensional wizards, barbarians, and anthropomorphic ducks. Man-Thing was fun, but Simon Garth was where Gerber really mastered his narrative voice.

Finally, there's Simon Garth, himself. Every single Simon Garth story is an amazing one (including the first and final ones -- the only two not written by Gerber), but this third issue was where the character and series really found their center. In this issue, we have pages upon pages of Garth reflecting in his dim, barely comprehending way, upon what it's like to be a zombie, calmly musing on how he is equally indifferent to the wind, the storm, and the python trying to kill him. It's incredibly powerful stuff in it's own right, but then we proceed to an actual story where so much goes right. First off, we get our firmest sense yet of what Garth's daughter means to him, even from beyond the grave and with limited consciousness. Second, we have our cast of characters expanded to include all the figures who will play a critical role in the series by its (rushed) close. And, third, we have a hauntingly beautiful climax in which Garth, in an incredibly disturbing and touching moment, helps to put an unfortunate creature that has fallen due to her own poor judgments (much as he has) out of her misery. Unforgettable moment. That Garth seems jealous of her after doing this only further heightens the beauty of Gerber's masterful characterization for a being that is barely a being.

And that Pablo Marcos art -- WOW!

Technically, you can only count the first 1.5 years or so of Walking Dead for this event since the rest was published after October of 2004 and is, therefore, not a "classic comic" by the board's definition.

Great selection and write-up, though.

I came so close to picking this one for my #5. Still not sure that going with 24 Hours was the better choice.

2. "Soul of Horror"

Creative Team:
Archie Goodwin (writer), Angelo Torres (artist)

From:
Eerie #3

Publication Year:
1966


Explanation of choice: As forecast earlier, this is yet another pick from the 1970 Eerie Yearbook, which obviously made an immense impression on me as a kid. Once again, too, it also appeared in some CBR list or another I participated in a few years back. 

Looking back, I see that this was the first story in that fateful Yearbook, & did it ever start things off with a ... well, I don't want to say "bang," really -- more like a rumbling, sepulchral minor chord from a sinister brass bell. This one is unsettlingly grim & then gets inexorably grimmer. 





I didn't know it at the time, but "Soul of Horror" marked my introduction to Lovecraft, because major plot elements pretty much come straight from "The Dunwich Horror," though Goodwin, not sharing Lovecraft's natural reticence, incorporates even more morbid details that The Master did or for that matter ever would have in relating a masterful chronicle of backwoods degeneracy tainted by otherworldly evil. The brooding atmosphere of menace is conveyed so strongly as to border on the palpable throughout.

My thoughts exactly!

"From Hell"
Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
Taboo #2-7, From Hell #1-11, 1989-1999

The tale of Jack the Ripper, from his childhood through his descent into madness and murder. Memorable scenes include a walk around London exploring the ritualistic symbolism woven into the architecture. This sacred geometry will help Ripper choose the spots of his murders. It is also the story of the desperate cop charged with stopping the gruesome trail of death.



At times plodding, always disturbing, with truly horrific moments. The true strength of the writing is revealed in the appendix which takes us scene by scene through the comic. Some facts are known. Within the holes, many authors have filled in theories. Alan Moore takes some of these facts and theories, and fills in any remaining details with fiction, impressively creating a seamless narrative, and brings you to a world where the Ripper seems scarily rational.