It’s Hallowe’en (or, at least, a handful of hours ago, it was), and we already know that Richard Corben does horror right. It’s easy to make the case for checking out this one-shot, which takes on two classic Poe tales, and puts a unique spin on each of them.
Written and illustrated by Richard Corben
Unwelcome and bloodthirsty guests are on the move in these two terrifying Poe stories presented by Eisner Hall of Fame inductee Richard Corben.
For this one-shot, Corben settles on two Poe tales centring on deathly visitors: the poem “The Raven” and the short story “The Masque of the Red Death”. And while these are probably some of the more challenging Poe stories to portray due to the lack of agency of protagonists, Corben makes it look pretty easy, laying out two chilling stories that experiment a bit with the source materials.
Adaptations of “The Raven”, for one, are usually interesting to read, because if they’re going to go on at any length they have to expand on the mythology of the poem and build some kind of context around the mysterious visitor. This version surprises us by starting off with a happy, if contemplative narrator; he’s got his beloved Lenore by his side, but that noise at the door is a wee bit distracting.
It’s down to our corvine interlocutor to arrive and shake things up, and it’s actually a pretty solid approach, giving our narrator something more than just the raven to react to directly. The interaction between the narrator and the raven takes on that much more intensity because of the high stakes, and makes a usually difficult-to-adapt tale play out smoothly and with just the right amount of gore.
Corben’s art possesses a lot of range, all the while staying recognizably Corben, and in “The Raven” you’ll encounter the familiar plasticine-like figures, their large features set off by the expected deep and moody shadows. In this case the look is kept dynamic mostly through the use of colour; we’re used to seeing this story done in monochrome, and here we see it in all kinds of lush purples and reds. As matters get more desperate, a switch in background colour accompanies some nightmarish camera angles, and we’re brought home in high style.
“The Masque of the Red Death” keeps more or less to the conventional narrative of the story, all the while populating it with bizarre imagery. More than your usual let’s-ignore-the-plague shindig, the king’s party involves what looks a lot like monsters and mutants – but they lurk on the edges of the story and aren’t explained. And so, long before the terrifying visitor of this tale shows up, we’ve got a creepy and disconcerting mood going, and a sense that this unearthly bacchanalian could use a bit of a wake-up call.
The most memorable image of this tale is the villain of the story, wearing a horrifyingly simplified mask – think “Bedlam” – as he sets about his work. This said, you’re also liable to have a favourite among the hideous partygoers that turn up in the background. And so far as colours go – well, if there ever was a colour-coded story, “The Masque of the Red Death” is one, and Corben makes enthusiastic use of different bright hues when setting out each of themed rooms in the king’s palace. It all adds up a visually compelling take on one of Poe’s most visually-centred tales, distinguishing the story as the stronger of the two and one you could stand to visit again some cold winter evening.
Linking the stories together is the storyteller figure, Mag the Hag, and she isn’t above injecting the proceedings with a little bit of humour and looking upon her tales with a welcome touch of cynicism. She’s a solid framing device, even if her longer second appearance breaks up the pace a bit, and the ruins and twisted trees that accompany her appearances keep the mood heavy while we wait.
Overall, this is another dependably chilling Richard Corben adaptation to round out your Hallowe’en, with the accomplished “Masque of the Red Death” among Corben’s most effective adaptations to date. If, by some chance, you haven’t checked out the back catalog of these yet, “Red Death” makes a great starting point for the uninitiated. And if, by some chance, you didn’t get enough Gothic atmosphere this past week, you’ll find enough in this comic to tide you over till next year.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
