Shadows of the Grave Review: Corbin At His Best

Richard Corbin has made a name for himself in recent years as a horror comics icon. His most recent comic series, “Shadows on the Grave,” is a short story anthology similar to “Tales from the Crypt” where Mag the Hag. and Gurgy Tate introduce and narrate the stories. The stories featured here are some of Corbin’s finest.

The first story, “String Along,” is about two kids who just saw a puppet and one of them wants to take a peek at the puppets backstage. What he finds is beyond his imagination. This story, though done before, is executed nicely and even the ending is fine.

“Roots in Hell” sees a couple crash landing on a deserted island. While expecting to be saved since they did send out a distress signal something goes horribly wrong. This is the second-best story here. While the ending is predictable, what happens is still scary and messed up.

The third story, “For Better or Worse,” is about a married couple who are constantly fighting. One day the wife decides to poison her husband but it doesn’t kill him. Slowly their lives get better but at the same time scarier. An interesting premise with an interesting outcome. This shows off Corbin’s imagination in a great way.

The final story, “Denaeus: Dreams and Portents,” is the first multi-part story in this series. A strong man named Denaeus has gone to the king’s jubilee to prove he is worthy of a high position. Meanwhile, an old oracle has other plans for him. While nothing scary happens here, this is the best story so far. Corbin manages to make you want to buy the next issue to find out what happens next.

The art is in Corbin’s signature style but in black and white. While there’s a page where Mag the Hag explains why it’s in black and white, it seems like it’s meant to look more like horror movies before the sixties. It works perfectly for some, especially if they’re hardcore horror fans, but some will be wanting color.

The first issue of “Shadows on the Grave” will please both horror and Corbin fans. The stories are well crafted and making the art black and white works in favor of the comic though some will disagree.