Sunday, October 13, 2019
They Never Return
If I ever get the go-ahead to put together another creepy collection of Haunted Love tales, this ghastly gem of morbid mad science (and even madder rotten romance) from the December 1954 issue of Mysterious Adventures #23, is certainly the perfect match made in Hell. Jay Disbrow occasionally signed his named "Jayson", (see the splash), but you won't find this story in our Monster Invasion collection.
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ReplyDeleteDisbrow does a good job here. Too bad it's buried under tons of needless text.
ReplyDelete"Peered into a strange metal container" "clutched the handle" "a chimpanzee emerged weakly from the box." Yes, it's right there in the art! I know I'm a broken record on this sometimes, but come on!
I love the splash, though it's unrelated. I enjoy "old" Rhoma's very robot like drive and super strength, just walking through the door he closed! Now that's a bit scary, a relentless undead lover, and something that pre-code mined a bit.
I'm going to have to remember to use "thus you die!" if I ever murder somebody!
I always dig Disbrow's art. That last panel is so great. Perfect Halloween vibe. The mummy cover of Mysterious Adventure #23 is also pretty excellent.
ReplyDeleteThe ultimate in pre code horror.... to go from femme fatale to an old woman with a man face.....
ReplyDeleteYuck. I guess this is a happy ending? Sort of?
ReplyDeleteI think plenty of juries would find that justifiable homicide, after what her boss said to her downtown.
I agree with that last comment. Forget HARASSMENT for a moment - the idea of a boss "punishing" his female employee for looking too flashy sounds a lot spookier.
ReplyDeleteI've almost never heard of a femme fatale needing to get ANGRY enough to kill someone. But, as with that "punishment" line, you get the feeling that money isn't her only motive, and that Dr. Jonathan and Rhoma have some strange back-story that also works as a motive.