I loved Cruel Universe

I thought the exact same as you. Even the best story is something I've seen on low-budget horror anthologies on Amazon prime. The second issue isn't much better. Disappointing art, too on-the-nose storytelling, and in its case, only three stories with a cover unrelated to any of the actual stories. A great example of the writers not knowing when to quit is the last page of the last story, they just couldn't help themselves and ruined a solid finish. Cruel Universe wasn't bad, but they announced SuspenseStories and Cruel Kingdom. They are going to need to do a better talent search for so many stories when they are absolutely struggling with just three issues.

Can't believe I still get comments on this video from people who don't understand how jokes work. Yes, I am over-exaggerating for comedic effect. Yes, I am sure the series gets better as it goes on. This was not meant to be a nuanced review of The Dresden Files; it was meant to be an excuse to say "big ol' honkin' bodonkeroos".

I agree that this book does indeed slap

Sorry if I’m missing it, but where / how did you get the end pages?

Good video. You have highlighted the same problem I can have with these books: plot armour. Knowing that nothing serious can happen to any of the show's characters because they are still in it. I also enjoy media tie-ins more when the show itself is more episodic and character development is less. For me this includes X Files books and Dr Who books.

Great video I love this issue and I love Ben Grimm!

Will not spend money on new comics, ever again.

Fair but your being a little hyperbolic

Just a quick question. I'm intending to read all the GarbAugust host recommendations. What was your recommendation?

I've never purchased a copy (and never will), but from what I've seen, ALL of the "art" (line work, color, etc.) is done via computer software. Looks like shit to me...publisher should keep with the original EC look and feel by requiring real pencils, real inking, and real watercolor/gouache/even Copic markers for graytones or color. No matter how "advanced" these art software programs are, they all look fake and computerized.

There's no kinda about it. It sucks.

I'm of the mind that while Stan Lee was a bit of a thief, would never have built Marvel without the likes of Jack Kirby, men like Jack Kirby likely never would've been able to consolidate the intellectual property and rights to make a company the likes of Marvel because they lacked the cunning, ruthless business acumen that allowed a man like Stan Lee to create such a business juggernaut. Not saying that it's right, I just think there's a realistic consideration that we might be taking about the lost gems of Jack Kirby instead of the thefts that built Stan Lee's empire in another timeline. Don't know which is more tragic.

I really don't get Us Vs Us. Is it for vax or anti vax? The anti vaxxers are depicted as bad for burning a church full of mutants but the people who did take the vax are all mutants who plan to eat the infected once they're dead. There wasn't even a clever twist or anything at the end. I don't get it on any level? Having two very ''modern politics'' heavy stories already just in issue one was really off putting. I don't care what side of the political spectrum it is (though in modern western comics it's almost always one particular side) but I find either boring now in modern comics. I don't know why modern western writers can't seem to help themselves but push their political ideologies instantly.

Wow! Sería increíble sumergirse en el buffyverse en estos días!!!

At the time of its original release, Nick, I completely blew off Devil Dinosaur as I was heavily into books like BATMAN, Green Lantern, Daredevil, Badger, Nexus, some Fantastic Four, SPIDER-MAN and HULK. I even sadly blew off Kirby's treatment of 2001 A Space Odyssey and Machine Man. Because I wanted to learn to draw like Neal Adams and John Buscema and Gene Colan. And I really didn't understand where or why Kirby went outside of the traditional superhero genre. Was smart then, but also really stupid. A few years after their release, the issues were always found in great supply, beaten up and found in quarter boxes. The retail stores wanted to unload them. Marvel later brought back Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy in specials, oh, over 20 years later, and.. They kind of made sense released along with the restarts of Marvel, DC and the new Image Comics and Dark Horse lines. Devil Dinosaur was ahead of its time, even more suitable then for children. But when one looks at the Kirby Universe as a whole, on its own and separate from the rest of the Marvel and DC universes, EVERYTHING he did MADE SENSE together. The Eternals fit with Super Powers, the Newsboy Legion and The Dingbats. The Rawhide Kid fit with Nick Fury, Sgt. Fury and Silver Surfer. 2001 A Space Odyssey fit with Devil Dinosaur and Captain America. The Fourth World fit with Superman, Jimmy Olsen, The Hulk and Thor. And The Fantastic Four fit with The Demon, Kamandi and OMAC. It was as if, to me, Kirby designed his own product line within Marvel, DC and wherever else with his special name attached. I think this is the easiest way to understand Kirby's work - - to lump all of his work together as a single unit, watch how they evolved and for us to cut lots of slack for the oddball characters he created.

Ive thought about reading the Meg many times. I feel like i would probably like it. I remember being so happy that the Bowl of the Winds was finally finished in path of daggers

In the late 70s Crumb wanted to publish ZAP more regularly and invite new talent (The ZAP roster had been the same 7 guys since the late 60s) but S. Clay Wilson and Victor Moscoso said no. Weirdo, I think, is pretty well what Robert wanted ZAP to be. Incidentally, fans of R. Crumb may enjoy my series CANONICALLY CRUMB where I explore the comix and characters of the Crummy-verse!

I read about half of this book when i was about 12 or 13. I agree it was a book with alot of good ideas but did not have the proper writing to really keep me intrigued. Felt more like having to read a book rather than enjoying a book.

Most of today's writers have the subtlety of a wet fart at a funeral. Those two stories absolutely ruined it for me

Wasn’t there also a series called web of mystery? EC comic probably?

I think the fragmented style suited the story and found a lot of poignant passages throughout. This is definitely more a study than a straightforward story which I found refreshing and a lot of the characters do entwine in the end. Form is content with this one - loved the footnotes where characters were literally footnotes in someone else's story and there are a lot of overlooked invisible people suffering in the world. Even Thurwar as a character isn't your typical hero and the novel really plays on drawing empathy on criminals and the ethics of forgiveness and progress.

I really like Mr. Freeze's design in this issue.

Yeah, huge letdown. There’s better ways to make money than licensing your brand on crap. Edit: Your review is spot on. The lack of hosts for each story was definitely a miss. The Crypt Keeper, the Old Witch, and the Vault Keeper also provided the reader with a sense of consistency for all the differing stories. The ironic twist is also classic EC and was really missing in this issue. The cover nails the EC aesthetic and made me pick it up off the shelf! It definitely had the EC feel while being modern. It's a shame the interior in both the writing and the art didn't do the same. I completely agree with you about this being ham fisted. The nuance and subtlety was gone from this issue. It felt really dumbed down.

That actually sounds like an important piece of history. Thanks for sharing! Even today, when people are teaching illiterate adults to read, they give them "trashy" books, because that's what people like. We're always taught that the printing press made the Bible widely available, which increased literacy, but your story makes a lot more sense! That pope was a real piece of 💩 to have smutty paintings in his rooms when he's the head of a religion that made all the followers confess even lustful thoughts as sins. I wonder if there would have been a more forceful protest against the Church if half the people hadn't been killed off by plague in the 1500s? (We're watching The Decameron on Netflix. So far it's great!)

I just grabbed it because i really like Brian Azarellos art............yeah 2 out of 4 stories being super political in your face is an immediate pass on further purchases of this comic. If they already let things like that slip through in the BIG NEW start issue its only going to get worse from here on

Im gonna read the whole thing but i agree with everything you said, you are one of very few people who have given this book criticism its gotten so much praise, from all that ive seen.

I loved this book. I actually covered it on my KZfaq as well. This story sticks with you long after reading it.

I couldn’t agree more. This was trash. Great paper though.

Some of the stories were weak, but some I did enjoy. They still follow the EC Tradition, just not executed well. I agree that the Gravedigger should introduce and conclude each story and not just introduce 'Us vs. Us'. I know this is made in good intentions and respect because I've seen interviews with the publisher, Hunter Gorinson, and I've read the letter in the issue itself. But from what i heard from people, including this video, they don't seem to see that. But I'm optimistic about what's to come with the new EC comics, and I hope they improve within the next issues and titles.

The stories were the disappointment for me. Id be ok with the uneven art and format departures from the old days, if the stories had nailed it. The stories mostly seemed like first draft scripts handed off to the artists. I'll give it some more issues and hope for story improvement

Check out Bruce Jones' 'Twisted Tales'. This is how EC's revival should have gone in my opinion.

Yes I also grew out of Disney. I watched The cat from outer space recently and no it was too focused on small children as the target audience and I found it predictable

Lol. That’s interesting now I have to check if there’s a Dutch translation. Lol

Great review! I have always been a fan of black humor interpretation of child-like characters.

It was so good in the first 150 pages and then it was too much going that I was so confused too the point of not caring

Do you smell barbecue?

The best thing about this "EC revival" is the cover... The rest is okeyish at best, it actually got me a bit upset to the point I felt almost insulted by how dumb one of the stories is, guess which one :D and my hopes were not even that high tbh. Before the read I kept telling myself "if the stories are bad, then maybe the art will be good or the other way around". But neither is good :( I will get the 2nd issue, just bc I preordered the first two issues together, but if it won't get suprisingly better then I won't be spending money on this. On a more positive note, very nice review my guy, accurate, to the point, level headed, we need more comic reviews like this :)

The audio book is great especially with the different characters and the jumping between the two stories. Highly recommend the performances on the audio version.

So for me round one goes to Hello Darkness, but I'm still looking forward to future issues of Epitaphs. I love the classic EC format as well and was nostalgically hoping for something more along those lines. For me, these stories were mostly enjoyable but too predictable, and the politics were plain old heavy handed. As for upcoming authors, I down for whatever James Tynion IV writes. This is my first visit to your channel, enjoyed the vid! Looking forward to more

This was so funny. It totally makes sense, as soon as a new medium is invented pornography has to be there as well. Probably the most recent example is VR technology.

Haha got me laughing. This sounds wild!

I’ll check out Hello Darkness! Sounds great. Reminds me of the Paul Simon song sounds of silence. I read Nice House by the Lake volume one and I enjoyed it. Tynion is great sometimes. I’ll check out Abyss out of curiosity. Great vid!

This is a good comic but you'd never know it by your horrific,nonsensical ravings.point being: shut up and read the damn thing!!

So disappointing. I’m really looking forward to Cruel Universe, but this has definitely doused my excitement….

I agree these stories failed. Made me want to re-read Vault of horror stories