Saturday 8 April 2017

The Haunt of Horror #2 (Marvel Magazine/1974)



Originally launched as a digest sized prose magazine which flopped, Haunt of Horror was subsequently relaunched as a black & white comic magazine as part of Marvel's foray into the more "adult" orientated magazine market.

This second issue introduces readers to Gabriel: Devil Hunter, a former priest turned exorcist embroiled in a case of possession involving a former colleague in the Catholic church. Very much a story of the times as this is followed by a feature on the "most terrifying film of all time"The Exorcist.

However the best story in this issue is the one off Grandma Died Last Year penned by Doug Monech with top notch art from Gene Colan & Frank Chiarmonte which follows the descent of a young boy into despair following the death of beloved grandmother. Domestic violence, child abuse and the ultimate vengeance with a twist.

There are two Satana stories, one of which is prose (and I skipped, not what I buy comics for), the latter of which A Fire in Hell sees our heroine exiled from Hell by her father's enemies seek help to return and warn him against a plot to dethrone the Lord of Flies himself.

Not a bad magazine but only lasted five issues as Marvel flooded the shelves with too many similar titles.

 

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