We begin with a framing sequence drawn by Sergio Aragones. Cain holds a monster convention at the House of Mystery. A variety of monsters overrun the house forcing Cain to call an exterminator to remove them.
Our first story is "The House of Gargoyles" by Jack Oleck and Jack Sparling and reprinted from House of Mystery #175 (1968). From the first issue of the modern DC horror comics, this story introduces the House of Mystery and Cain as its caretaker. After his girlfriend leaves him for his rival Francois, a French sculptor tries to design a new cathedral for a contest. When his designs do not work out, he kills Francois and steals his plans. Francois curses the sculptor with his dying breath. The sculptor builds the cathedral including two stone gargoyles that come to life and chase him.
The sculptor flees and eventually finds his way to the House of Mystery. He takes up residence in a guest room which he never leaves. The gargoyles follow and perch silently on the roof.
The townspeople are aghast. Some believe the gargoyles are haunts, others believe they are merely ugly stone carvings. Jimmy, a young boy, is fascinated by them. He visits the House and meets Cain, who sends him up to talk to the sculptor. The man is horrified that the gargoyles have found him.
Jimmy returns later with two friends. They climb to the roof and play a prank on the sculptor. Jimmy yells out that the gargoyles are gone. The sculptor opens the shudders to his window and looks outside. The gargoyles then come to life, grab the man, and carry him away. The gargoyles and the sculptor are not seen again.
Next is "The Moon Monster" drawn by Bernard Baily and reprinted from House of Mystery #97 (1960). Radiation from a meteorite transforms a man into a strange creature that affects gravity like the moon.
The next story is "The Creatures from Nowhere" drawn by Jack Kirby and George Roussos and reprinted from House of Mystery #70 (1958). When strange creatures appear all over town, anthropologist Tom Conroy is called to try to understand where they came from.
The framing sequence drawn by Sergio Aragones continues here.
That is followed by "Return of the Barsto Beast" drawn by Ruben Moreira and reprinted from House of Mystery #116 (1961). A film crew comes to a town to make a movie about a monster that terrorized the town years earlier. During filming the star is turned into a monster.
Next, we have "Prisoners on Beast Asteroid" drawn by Ruben Moreira and reprinted from House of Mystery #113 (1961). Two space explorers on a distant asteroid are menaced by four creatures that emerge from mysterious capsules.
This is followed by a one-page text story by Len Wein entitled "Moonstruck."
Next is "The Stone Sentinels of Giant Island" drawn by Jack Kirby and reprinted from House of Mystery #85 (1959). A scientific expedition comes across an unknown island with stone statues resembling those on Easter Island. After one of the statues comes to life, Prof. Spears deciphers an tablet and discovers that the statues are sentries for an ancient alien base under the island. Luckily, the tablet also tells the scientists how to deactivate the sentries, and they are able to escape before the island submerges.
We end with the final piece of the framing sequence drawn by Sergio Aragones.
Edited by Joe Orlando.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment