Tales from the Crypt

Rating:
Summary: This set is great!
Review: Let me start by giving a short description of the set, since Amazon lacks any for this item. The set is very large and heavy, the box sleeve about 10" wide, 13" tall, and 5" deep. The 5 books are all hard cover and contain 5 comics, which each have a few stories. There are also some inserted pages inbetween, with odd little one page stories and such. The stories start off with obscure deaths and people killing people and then wander more into the supernatural later in the series. The artwork also gets more detailed and stylistic. The comics are black and white, except the full color front page of each comic, just as they were in the 50s. I recommend this set to anyone who liked Tales from the Crypt, or who even just likes cool creepy stories. The set looks beautiful, one of those you'd like to show to friends. Flipping through the pages staring at the art or reading the stories late at night, I say it was worth every penny.

Rating:
Summary: This set is great!
Review: Let me start by giving a short description of the set, since Amazon[.com] lacks any for this item. The set is very large and heavy, the box sleeve about 10" wide, 13" tall, and 5" deep. The 5 books are all hard cover and contain 5 comics, which each have a few stories. There are also some inserted pages inbetween, with odd little one page stories and such. The stories start off with obscure deaths and people killing people and then wander more into the supernatural later in the series. The artwork also gets more detailed and stylistic. The comics are black and white, except the full color front page of each comic, just as they were in the 50s. I recommend this set to anyone who liked Tales from the Crypt, or who even just likes cool creepy stories. The set looks beautiful, one of those you'd like to show to friends. Flipping through the pages staring at the art or reading the stories late at night, I say it was worth every penny.

Rating:
Summary: A truly wonderful set
Review: Russ Cochran's glorious tribute to EC Comics' most famous horror title, this set of 5 coffee-table-sized (they're BIG!) books is WELL worth the cost. The books are absolutely beautiful and are extremely well-constructed. Part of the complete EC Library series (actually 11 sets, several of which are now, sadly, now out-of-print), they make fascinating reading and perusing. And the books aren't just reprints of the original comic books: The comics are interspersed with great historical info, quotes, interview segments, etc. from EC scholars and from the original EC artists and editors. My only caveat: EC is addictive. Once you get this set, you'll probably want Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, Weird Science, etc., etc.. You will need room in your home to accomodate all this wonderful stuff (they're BIG!). Plan ahead - you may need a larger home!

Rating:
Summary: Sadly in B&W.
Review: The comics as originally published were in color, not black & white (the first customer-reviewer may've been thinking of the 1960s Warren comics magazines such as CREEPY), and it's a pity that this series didn't replicate the colors, garish as they sometimes were.

Rating:
Summary: Sadly in B&W.
Review: The comics as originally published were in color, not black & white (the first customer-reviewer may've been thinking of the 1960s Warren comics magazines such as CREEPY), and it's a pity that this series didn't replicate the colors, garish as they sometimes were.

Rating:
Summary: The finest run of horror comics available in one collection.
Review: The Complete Tales From The Crypt takes us from the semi-mystery story beginnings of this infamous horror title through to the gruesome end. I cannot recommend this title highly enough. Five hardcover volumes each covering a year in the life of EC's Tales from the Crypt with full colour original artwork covers to begin each comic and including original adverts, announcements and artist profiles. The story's start off fairly timid but as the comic morphs from detective and mystery stories to horror they become steadily more gruesome. There are some clever adaptions of Ray Bradbury's work and if you look closely, you'll find the plots for just about every horror movie ever made. It arrives in a rather handsome (or should that be horrible?) full colour shelf box and if your balking at the price...don't, it's worth it.

Rating:
Summary: YES!!!
Review: This is it. Miles ahead of the mixed-bag television show, mediocre "Demon Knight," and god-awful "Bordello of Blood," these dementedly funny tales of violence and depravity ruled the comic book industry in the early 1950s until they were banned by the government in 1955. Vampires, werewolves, and mummies were not an uncommon sight in this magazine, but it was best known for vengeful walking corpses, live burials, and sadistic concepts. It was a very innovative and original publication, inventing and perfecting the horror-comedy genre later seen in movies such as "An American Werewolf in London." Story plots include:

-A living voodoo doll menaces a man who left his partner to suffer at the hands of a Haitian cult (remember, this was almost 50 years before "Child's Play")

-A practical joker accidentally causes his doctor's family to tradgecally die, only to be unwittingly given capsules with barbed hooks and tickled to death so he'll "die laughing"

-A murderer tries to evade prosecution by making his victim a human missile and "bombing" him right on the little square where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado meet so the states will argue over who should prosecute him

-Plenty of great vampire stories, including one about a restraunt full of vampires, a vampire who fools a victim because of different time zones, and the unforgettable taxi cab nightmare, "Fare Tonight, Followed by Increasing Clottyness"

Read it from the beginning and you'll see that the style of this comic got more and more bizarre until it was perfected. Great artwork and a sense of harsh justice are another advantage here. You can't call yourself a horror fan and not read "Tales from the Crypt." It's just too entertaining (not to mention influencial) to miss. If you like this comic, then I'd suggest you also checkout its sister publications (also by the legendary publisher EC) "The Vault of Horror" and "The Haunt of Fear."

Rating:
Summary: YES!!!
Review: This is it. Miles ahead of the mixed-bag television show, mediocre "Demon Knight," and god-awful "Bordello of Blood," these dementedly funny tales of violence and depravity ruled the comic book industry in the early 1950s until they were banned by the government in 1955. Vampires, werewolves, and mummies were not an uncommon sight in this magazine, but it was best known for vengeful walking corpses, live burials, and sadistic concepts. It was a very innovative and original publication, inventing and perfecting the horror-comedy genre later seen in movies such as "An American Werewolf in London." Story plots include:

-A living voodoo doll menaces a man who left his partner to suffer at the hands of a Haitian cult (remember, this was almost 50 years before "Child's Play")

-A practical joker accidentally causes his doctor's family to tradgecally die, only to be unwittingly given capsules with barbed hooks and tickled to death so he'll "die laughing"

-A murderer tries to evade prosecution by making his victim a human missile and "bombing" him right on the little square where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado meet so the states will argue over who should prosecute him

-Plenty of great vampire stories, including one about a restraunt full of vampires, a vampire who fools a victim because of different time zones, and the unforgettable taxi cab nightmare, "Fare Tonight, Followed by Increasing Clottyness"

Read it from the beginning and you'll see that the style of this comic got more and more bizarre until it was perfected. Great artwork and a sense of harsh justice are another advantage here. You can't call yourself a horror fan and not read "Tales from the Crypt." It's just too entertaining (not to mention influencial) to miss. If you like this comic, then I'd suggest you also checkout its sister publications (also by the legendary publisher EC) "The Vault of Horror" and "The Haunt of Fear."

Rating:
Summary: For Crypt fans everywhere!
Review: This set is a must have for all Tales from the Crypt fans everywhere. It is well put together and contains every Crypt comic book ever made. Granted the art is in black and white but its still beautiful. Great stories! (remember these were the 50's). Dont let the price or the Cryptkeeper scare you, its well worth it!