Before he made comic book history with the co-creation of Swamp Thing in 1971, Wrightson cut his teeth on a variety of publications such as Eerie and Creepy and a host of other books from long defunct comic publications. That's the premise for the 5 issue miniseries from Pacific/Eclipse Comics.
Berni Wrightson: Master of the Macabre is an anthology celebration of the artist and writer's earliest and somewhat forgotten works. In this, the last issue of the miniseries, there are several stories of horror and gore. The first story revolves around a Dr. Frankenstein type character and his abused servant as they rush to feed the doctor's most recent discovery- the mysteriously titled 'It!' Then underground dwelling mutants go top side looking for survivors of an atomic holocaust. An elderly man kills his nagging wife who continues to berate the guy long after passing. Finally, there's a comedic yarn about a hillbilly who wont let death deprive him of his thirst for moonshine.
There's also a couple of one-pagers for a series named after it's title character- Limpstrel. These are beautifully illustrated but their also a little too high brow. I just didn't really understand them. Maybe it's because they were intended for a fantasy mag called Witzend and not horror which is really more my thing.
You don't have to have the other 4 issues of this mini in order to enjoy #5. I have no idea where I got this book. Probably a dollar box or a grab bag. I don't recall even how long I've held onto this early 80s issue in my collection. But this issue was creepy fun and definitely a title that I'd like to get my hands on the rest of the run.
A very haunting masterpiece by one of the master of horror comics.
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
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