![]() "The Silent One" has some great Romita art and a nice twist in its tail. Cursed it is, or so they say, but that doesn’t stop Dunlop from committing murder to lay his hands on the statue. Importer Harrison Dunlop falls for the ultimate in souvenirs: the priceless idol found in the Chapel Temple in Darjeeling. "House of Horror" (a: Bill Benulis & Jack Abel) ★ ★ "The Man Who Closed His Eyes" (a: George Tuska) ★ ★ "The Mark of Death" (a: Jay Scott Pike) ★1/2 The script drags on and on but the twist is a good one and John Romita puts a big nasty sheen of grime on his graphics to give the proceedings a perfectly dingy atmosphere. He'll give his soul to be "a brave and fearless fighter" in the arena and, in the final panel, he gets his wish. Last up is the over-long "The Man Who Sold His Soul!," about a gravedigger who wants to be a toreador but lacks the training. Leading to the obligatory "he was in the chair the whole time" last panel. "I Died at Midnight!" is yet another variation/rip-off of Owl Creek Bridge, this time starring a small-time hood who gets sent up for murder and is heading for the chair when Death appears and gives him a second chance to avoid his midnight rendezvous. From the moment the doc says "Even the person who is afflicted with this horrible malady does not know it is he who is the werewolf!," we know exactly who the werewolf is! Even the usually reliable DiPreta sputters here, though that may be due to a lack of interesting moments and a plethora of talking heads. "Where the Werewolf Prowled" is a lifeless and utterly predictable yarn about an old doctor in a European village, who tries to help his neighbors overcome a rash of vicious murders. There's not a single panel in this nonsense that isn't predictable. ![]() But it turns out that Silas was out counting his money when they handed out brains since his hiding place is the old wood stove in the corner of the shack and the old lady just fired up the stove! Seriously? In the stove? In last place, both literally and figuratively, this issue is "Don't Turn Your Back," a deadly dumb vampire tale about a wealthy Englishman, whose estate may or may not be infested by vampires. Silas convinces his wife they're dirt poor but, in fact, he's got a boatload of greenbacks hidden away. Silas Henning, the miser of "Where There's Smoke.," is so cheap he won't allow his wife to use the heating despite the sub-freezing temps in their cabin. A quick bit of Stan Lee-penned fluff with some cute captions and a funny fourth-wall breaking in the final panels. "When Grugg Goes to Sleep!," the poor Trrosstian has nightmares of transforming into Earthlings. My chuckles usually turn to groans when I come across these scientists/professors/amateur geniuses who have the skill and intelligence enough to come up with formulas that can bring dead Egyptians to life just so the egghead can discover the secret of eternal life! Why not cut out the middle man and keep experimenting until you've found what you're really looking for? I will say I probably enjoyed this "Living Mummy" much more than Tony Isabella's 1970s version in Supernatural Thrillers. He murders his savior, wraps him in bandages, and escapes the museum. "The Living Mummy" then decides freedom is just the ticket. ![]() At least that's the skewed view of a nut who breaks into the museum, kills a guard, and then injects Tut with a regenerating drug. The mummy of Egyptian king Tut Al-Amaan may be the key to discovering eternal life. The uncredited writer fools with our expectations from the get-go I was convinced Harry was going to be the double-crosser since Phil came across meek as a mouse. Turns out the fake ID Harry got for Phil was worth the fortune he paid for it! "How Many Times Can You Die?" has a fairly literate script with a nice, ironic twist and some fabulous art by Bill Everett. The police tell him they have no idea what he's talking about this man's name was David, not Phil. Harry is arrested for murder but he's convinced he can't be tried for murdering the same man twice. He tracks his old friend down, demands his cut of the dough, and then ventilates the back-stabber. ![]()
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