Oni Press's revival of the famous EC Comics horror brand is a couple of months deep now, with two terrifying anthologies – Epitaphs from the Abyss and Cruel Universe – both delving into the darker side of genre fiction with stories "told with wanton disregard for moral standards or public decency" according to Oni's press release. That's what we like to hear!
September's Epitaphs from the Abyss #3 features three tales from a starry cast of creators. We have an exclusive preview of the issue below, specifically of a new story titled 'A Crossroads Repetition' from The Enfield Gang Massacre writer Chris Condon and The Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard, whose iconic style perfectly illustrates this haunting story that explores the myth of bluesman Robert Johnson meeting the devil at a crossroads. Check it out in the gallery below...
"One of the greatest twist-of-fate stories in American culture comes not from an EC Comic but from the Delta Blues," said Chris Condon, speaking exclusively to Newsarama about the new story. "Why did bluesman Robert Johnson die at 27; the first to enter the entertainment industry's most exclusive club? Was it due to a fateful meeting at the crossroads with a particularly devilish individual with an offer too good to refuse? Well, comics genius Charlie Adlard and I took a long look at this classic idea, spun it into an EC story, and thanks to Charlie's deft handling of the material, came out with something almost lyrical in its execution – a descriptor you don't often hear attributed to EC stories. But make no mistake – our story, 'A Crossroads Repetition', still packs that patented EC punch-in-the-gut that we know, love, and look forward to in every issue of Epitaphs from the Abyss and Cruel Universe."
The issue's menacing main cover comes from artist Lee Bermejo, with variants from Jay Stephens and Tom Fowler.
Condon and Adlard aren't the only creators in the issue, of course, which also features two other stories. One is by Hugo Award nominee Corinna Bechko and the Eisner Award-winning artist Jonathan Case, the other by the demonic duo of Jay Stephens and Leomacs.
Epitaphs from the Abyss #3 is published by Oni Press on September 18.
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