Couldn't resist giving you another sweet taste of Nina Albright art (see previous post), and this time from the Winter 1945 issue of Suspense #10. And while not exactly a full-fledged "horror tale", the shadowy murder sequence on the staircase, and creepy crypt robbin' atmosphere panels certainly make it feel like one, even if our leading lady here qualifies as one of THOIA's "Stupidest Killers" (check the archive!) We also have a GA host making his THOIA debut, and calling himself "Mr. Nobody." He certainly seems to have been the long-coated, hat-headed inspiration for many comic book hosts to come, ie: The Mysterious Traveler, The Phantom Stranger, etc...
She was not so much a stupid killer as a stupid robber. By leaving a note behind, wouldn't the police check to see if her handwriting matched, or were the police just as stupid?
ReplyDeleteThe art was great, the plot twist was clever, though we will never know if she died of a guilty conscience or if the old miser came back for the last laugh.
Hah! What kind of robber leaves a note? Has this ever happened in the history of crime? Dear sir or madam, I didn't want you to have to look around. Here is an itemization of the things I've taken. Neener neener. Signed, your burglar.
ReplyDeleteLovely art again. I really dig that shrouded red spooker in the splash. And honestly, Albright's cemetery environs are more naturally convincing than I'm used to. A glance at the interiors throughout the story and I can see Nina had great facility with perspective. Nothing looks off. And the chiaroscuro moodiness is well maintained, too. I love the whole page that begins with Mrs. Groony appearing out of the dark and pushing Burton down the stairs. Goodbye, Mr. Brunnert. Neener neener.
The colorist went over and above the call of duty here, too. It's typical of work from the forties, which was probably actually done by trained craftsmen, still using Ben Day screens, who cut their teeth on newspaper work. That is likely the reason this things is so well printed, too.
The coloring on this is awesome, more than you'd normally see in 40s comics. Page 3 has some great lighting in it -- for instance, compare with the previous story, same artist, same fire light, but less interesting coloring.
ReplyDeleteThe last page is very prototype of the horror stories to come; sudden skull in the moon and the pointing/laughing faces.
This comic is really a bit ahead of it's time. The plot is bit silly but its clockwork sets up the "twist" so that can be forgiven. I do like how she insults herself in the note as if that is going to throw the cops off!
Poor Mr. Sardonicus could've used a cool-headed grave robber like Mrs. Groony to farm the job out to in his story.
ReplyDeleteOne funny thing is that Panel 4 of Page 3 gives her a sort of Phyllis Diller look!