We continue now with an eerily embracing mystery of awful wedded darkness, as legendary Lou Cameron puts another pretty little murderess through the wringer --and then really turns up the heat! And are we actually hiding inside a coffin to escape justice again?! Good lord, haven't we learned anything around here over the years? From the deadly, disease riddled debut issue of Dark Mysteries #1, via June - July 1951... with another wild one from this issue up next!
The art here is *really* interesting. Compare it to the art for the last 4 tales -- there the art is constrained a bit (and there is a lot of distance to the figures) but here it's big panels and usually pretty close to the figures.
ReplyDeleteIt allows Cameron a boat load of good girl art (I can pick out the nipples and see through slips but you never know with Karswell!) and some pretty decent zombie art. Last panel, page 3 is a lot of fun (the whole page, with the scrolling music and lightning.) BTW, on that panel the music is in the key of double E sharp, I guess I need to go back to music school!
All throughout this it feels like Cameron is swiping pin-ups; bottom of page 4 and top of page 5, especially. I'm pretty sure that went on a lot, but it's a really neat (and very clean, the inking is great) look.
It's a pretty standard tale but Cameron turns in some incredible work. Lightning shadows (at least twice), the staircase shadow are other stand outs.
Concerning her plot to kill her husband, Vania didn't do any long term planning, or any planning truth be told. If she was wanted in another state, she should have laid low, do nothing suspicious, and bided her time before doing away with her husband. A camping trip and a boating accident or freshly gathered mushrooms for dinner ("I swear I didn't know they were poisonous!") and no one would have been the wiser.
ReplyDeleteWe did get some good girl art from this femme fatale, so we can thank Cameron for that.
I kind of love that panel of Leopold hurtling to his death down the stairs while screaming his wife's name. That shadowy 1st panel of page 4 of Vania running out the window is great too. I'm amused that Leopold is still chasing after Vania in his wheelchair after being dead. The afterworld is not very kind here! 🤣🤣Seriously though, wanted in another state? Somebody didn't plan this through very well. BTW, "Heptomia" isn't an actual disease.
ReplyDeleteThe art in this one is great. Is it me, or on pg 3 panel 3 when she first hears the ghostly music after the murder do the objects on her vanity combined with the round mirror form an image of a skull?
ReplyDeleteYes, it’s clearly a nod to "All Is Vanity", by Charles Allan Gilbert
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