Oni Press; $4.99

EC comics are back! Oni Press has debuted their first round of new EC books, including the horror anthology Epitaphs from the Abyss. After an introduction from new horror host, the Grave-Digger, the book tells four scary tales. It begins with a writer whose bloated ego is matched only by his desire to become famous. Then journalist Marguerite De Palma investigates a senator who has made surprising changes. Next, a family is put in an impossible, twisted situation, and in the last story, a couple try to evade a group of monsters.

Many things made the original EC comics great: they shocked readers, pushed the limits, filled books with twists, and included commentary about situations in the world. The first issue of Epitaphs from the Abyss hits many of the same points. There are just deserts, a drastic way to keep people in line, it ventures into the dark side of the human psyche, and conveys dark humor in a story about a hot button issue.

Oni’s EC line is off to a good start with Epitaphs from the Abyss.

-Amanda Sheriff