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Review: ‘Edgar Allan Poe’s The Premature Burial’

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10 years ago

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In “The Premature Burial,” Eisner Hall of Fame inductee Richard Corben takes two of Edgar Allan Poe’s most suffocating (figuratively and literally) stories and spins comic book gold. There’s nothing quite like an illustration of a man buried alive to drill that concept deep into your psyche. And additionally, nothing quite like watching a man sweat as his friend seals his tomb to make you stop and gratefully inhale gulps of air.

WRITTEN BY: Richard Corben


ART BY: Richard Corben


PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics


PRICE: $3.99


RELEASE: April 2, 2014

I probably don’t need to spend too much time on the genius of Edgar Allan Poe. But he is a genius. And he knows how to construct wonderfully awful stories that gnaw at your gut. Many of his stories make you feel an overwhelming sense of fear and claustrophobia, and “The Premature Burial” is a very literal representation of those emotions. Richard Corben does a fantastic job constructing an adaptation with the same sentiments. His adaptation breeds both fear and claustrophobia, as well as insanity, psychosis, and madness.

This comic book adaptation combines elements from Poe’s classic short stories: “The Premature Burial” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” In the former, we learn of a man, slighted by his bride-to-be, angered, and driven to cause her “death.” Though, as the title would suggest, she isn’t completely dead, and wakes up to exact her revenge. The story is hectic and frenzied, which at first seems like a poor adaptation, but in the end feels more like a very purposeful tactic on the part of Corben. The tone of the story aligns with the emotions of being buried alive.

In the second part of this one-shot, Corben takes on “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe’s short story about a man who tricks his friend into walking straight into his own tomb. Montresor retells the story of how he entombed his best friend, Fortunato, several decades earlier. Although he has succeeded in getting away with the crime, he apparently decides now is the time to share his evil deed, as he is dying himself.

Corben excels at evoking emotions via facial expressions. This is where is art shines. The pure terror he conveys with one simple look is astonishing and it’s exactly what a story like this needs in order to flourish. Though his art is not my personal favorite, it works extremely well for this comic. And although I’d love to see Poe’s classic literature paired with a hyper-modern style of art, it’s just not realistic.

The subtle hysteria that Poe’s work creates in the reader’s nervous system is alarmingly delightful. Being buried alive is a horrendous thought—add to that Poe’s charming storytelling and Corben’s swift adaptation plus finely tuned art and you’ve got the makings of a genuinely frightening comic book.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Bree Ogden

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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2 days ago

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April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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