Still reading the Sinister House book, but that Red Rain story, instant classic. If you enjoyed Red Rain you have to read that story.
On @dogwelder9’s great history of the horror books I definitely remember buying the giant size anthologies. They were A great bargain for a kid. On Dr. Whertham, the notes from his counseling sessions that he based his book on have now been reviewed and he’s a lying sack of poo. He based this on two kids who were gay. They said they were attracted to Batman and Robin stories because of the family unit/support they showed not for sexual reasons. That’s just point one, but the guy wasn’t just wrong he was a dirt ball
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I have not read Red Rain, yet. I am not going to lie, I am not a big Batman fan and these anthologies are the most Batman stories I have read in a while.
I too, really enjoyed @dogwelder9’s history of horror books. I was telling him this last night, but I am in my late 30s so when I am writing the history of whatever topic for this club, it is just that a history. However, to read that same history from someone who remembers picking up these comics from a magazine rack in a store adds a little something. I hope it is okay to say that I am hoping @dogwelder9 will help out with the history section more in the future.
I have not read his book, nor have I dissected his work. In many ways, I have turned a blind eye to his existence. This is the WRONG route to go down but I enjoy reading and don’t want to get angry while doing something I enjoy. Obviously, I have read about what has happened because of him and while that is an interesting story in itself, I am not sure I can read his book.
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Some quick thoughts on Elvira’s House of Mystery 2:
- The Samurai Condemned To Live
- The beginning and the ending of the story has a horror vibe, the middle felt like a superhero origin story.
- The idea of a living sword is surely not new nor is the idea of a tortured man. While these are recycled tropes, the story kept me interested.
- The Samurai Who Surprised Death
- The thought that you can run away from death is interesting.
- This story was not exactly scary. The last words from Death did kind of get to me though.
As we did read an Elvira book this week and Halloween is next Saturday, what are your favorite horror movies to get you in the mood for Halloween?
My list would have to include:
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Night of the Living Dead
Return of the Living Dead
Halloween 3
Tenebrae
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark
Chopping Mall
and throw in a few John Carpenter and David Cronenberg flicks
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I really enjoyed Red Rain so this story was an instant hit with me as well. Like I said earlier I really liked the Talon design here.
I read a lot of anthologies when I was a kid and bought quite a few as well. I have always thought anthologies were a good way to explore a character or to introduce a new character but of course they just don’t sell all that well.
I hate people like that.
@dogwelder9 I really enjoy seeing all this history. Thank you!
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Elm Street, The Ring (both the Japanese amd American versions), Sleepaway Camp, Children of the Corn, Hitchcock movies and also classic horror movies starring Boris Karloff and the like.
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Have you seen any of the 70s Italian giallo flicks? The 80s slashers, which began with Halloween in the late 70s, have a lot to owe to those movies. It is probably of no surprise to anyone in this group but I watch horror movies year-round and the 80s horror movies have a special place in my heart. One thing that I really wish would pop up on DCU or DCUi is the mid-2000’s Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th books released by Wildstorm. There is also a book that I just discovered as I have been looking up books to read in House of Horror called Toe Tags that has George Romero’s name is plastered on the front of the cover.
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I really need to go explore what is going on in the community more! Normally, I am working so I just pop in here and a few other places and then go do my thing.
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I like those too. I know the 1930s horror movies might seem a bit hokey to people these days but I still love them. They really scared the pants off me when I was a kid though.
I should add the following to my above list as well.
- House of Usher
- The Pit and the Pendulum
- Masque of the Red Death
- The Blob
- The Picture of Dorian Grey
- Audrey Rose
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Did everyone see that DC is putting a hold on on releasing archival comics in their November what’s new post. Mentioned is that Elvira House of Mystery is on hold. 
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ToeTags has a great cover. I’m a fan of most of George Romero’s stuff, with a handful of exceptions. Dawn of the dead, both versions are my all time favorites, followed by both versions of Night of the living dead. Day of the dead was a real stinker.
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Roger Corman Poe movies!!!
The 1930s horror movies are great and almost comforting at times but I do prefer newer ones. Then again, I also have some silent movies from the 1920s I still need to watch.
I did see that. I also noticed that they were skipping books 3 and 4. I was really excited to read 3 as it was the first book from DC without the Comic Code label on the label and was deemed not a success.
I liked Day of the Dead but I also liked Survival of the Dead. I recently watched the NOTLD 1990 remake directed by Tom Savani and it wasn’t bad but it was missing the social message that was present in every one of Romero’s Dead movies.
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[quote=“darkstarz, post:1, topic:1417397”]
Elvira’s House of Mystery 2 (1986) (rated 12+)
[/quote] Overall not a bad book if you were into Samurai. There are two samurai stories in here. I’m really surprised they went with so many eastern influenced stories for the beginning of this series. I’m fairly certain that she never did an eastern movie in her tv show. Definitely not what I think of when I think of horror, but I guess that these stories were ones the writer really wanted to tell. The first story of Nobutaka and Myobu was a story of a cursed samurai and sword who go on a destructive path of retribution for the weak. He goes on this cursed murderous rampage due to some villager killing herself when he tries to rape her. I guess he really felt jilted. He curses himself and his sword to seek vengeance on evil samurai. He does so for years and eventually like Jim from ‘Blazing Saddles’ gets it in the backside by Myobu who is seeking fame. Myobu goes on, driven by the sword to do it’s bidding. Eventually ridding Japan of evil only to have the sword, predictably turn on him. Not really horrific but there was a lot of head lopping…
The second story was about a wannabe samurai who can’t escape death at a battlefield. At least he helped some lady before being killed. As for Elvira herself it seems she is making herself comfortable in the House of Mystery. The house really wants her to find Cain who left the house to who knows where. I think she should be offended that she is just moving in and it wants her to get the old host already.
Anyway I think it is kind of interesting that objects in the house are tied to stories. Looks like the next story is going to be a Western.
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Hope you don’t mind the mild plug, but if you’re curious about Red Rain, we’re actually covering it this week in the World of Bats Book Club I help run!
Anyway, just finished the Elvira issue and I liked it way better than the first. While it has a similar theme with it’s big story, I like that it had more of a horror vibe.
I mean, a samurai with a possessed sword with a mind of it’s own…that’s pretty much Katana, isn’t it?
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Secrets of Sinister House:
I liked the A Nightmare Mist a lot by Alberquerque and Scavone. While I haven’t read the other two of the Vampire trilogy (I hope that it shows up digitally/on DCUI soon), it still fits with what I read there, even when adding more modern elements like the Court of Owls. Alberquerque really does a good job in setting the mood. I would totally read an ongoing or mini set in this world!
You wouldn’t immediately think of using The Atom for a horror story, but The Footsteps of the Old Worm was very effective as both. There was definitely some great creepy moments and did some really cool stuff to sell the Lovecraftian horror that Ryan was dealing with. I liked the multiple thought boxes of Ryan trying in vain to explain things with it increasingly being crossed out until he admits he doesn’t know what it was.
Calling Dr. Bonkers was definitely needed after the creepy entries we had in the previous stories, with some great gags, but still had some spooky moments. What I really liked about this though was the character moment we got especially with Harley. Her defusing the situation by making Dr Bonkers remember who he was by being honest about how he helped her see the humor, the hope in bad situations really hit home.
Also, can we get Dini on a Zatanna or even a Harley book, please? I need more stories like this in my life!
Out Of My Skin was a pretty good short story. While I’m not sure I honestly get what the poor alien’s story was, it worked overall. Props to the lettering for the alien, where it’s language is sort of what it’s saying in English but twisted just enough that it’s unrecognizable. Really sells how J’onn is trying to understand but just comes short until the end.
Dreamweaver was a really good JLD story that feels like it fits right in with the current series. Great character moments with how both Detective Chimp and Zatanna tricks Mxy and some really cool art moments, like the far off shot of the suburban neighborhood looking like Swamp Thing’s face.
I really liked House of the Dead, or as I want to call it, “How to End ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ in 24 Hours.” I liked how it was a creepy, effective haunted house story, where the stereotypes that keep people in the house are just tossed aside. Like, if I found out that the house I just bought was actually built by a crazy guy to do dark, arcane human sacrifices, I’m getting the FLIP out of there.
Fear 101 was also so good. Jessica Cruz is quickly becoming my favorite Green Lantern, because in a lot of ways she is Lantern I can most identify with, and seeing her conqueror her demons is always good to see. This really reminded of just how much I missed her and Simon working together.
Hell Is For Dreamers was a great Constantine tale. It’s surprising now that I think about it that when they explicitly had the man stuck in the US that they didn’t do anything with LA and all the crazy magic stuff they could do there. This story definitely scratches a bit of that itch, essentially having John track down in death a killer evocative of the Black Dahlia murderer. I liked how it really highlighted both the good and the evil of Constantine as a character.
So yeah, overall I would definitely agree that I think this is the best of the DC Horror specials I’ve read so far.
If you liked them teaming up, I would recommend checking out Harley’s Little Black Book #3, a series of one-shots that Palmiotti/Conner did that teamed Harley up with different heroes, this one featuring Zatanna as they help a group of geriatric ghosts try to find peace in a haunted mansion in Coney Island. Really fun story – in fact, the whole series has some great stuff in it. 
If you don’t mind some more recommendations, since she’s my favorite, if you liked this story and want more of it, I would highly recommend the Green Lanterns series that came after Rebirth, which was basically Jessica and Simon being forced to become partners guarding their Sector together and them learning and growing from each other, great series.
She also plays a big part in the animated movie Justice League Vs the Fatal Five, the JLU reunion movie from a few years ago, where she was played by Diane Gurerro, aka Crazy Jane from Doom Patrol. Really great movie.
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Yes!!! I really liked the aspect that objects throughout the house are connected to the stories. Also, it looks like issues 3 and 4 will be skipped over, I saw issue 5 was on the list to be released on DCU but then due to something happening behind the scenes a pause button was pushed on all of the archival issues. I am still hoping to see issue 3 appear on here as that has historical importance in the DC universe, the first DC comic without the Comic Code seal!
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Please plug away!!! Admittedly, I am not a huge Batman fan. However, I will try to pop in Red Rain, maybe a little late as I have other books on my read list.
That is the exact character that I was thinking of when I mentioned that.
This brings up a great point, I am currently read the 2015 series and it is set in NYC, which works great, but LA seems like a no brainer for a few Constantine stories.
I love Palmiotti/Conner and this title is on my radar. I have read the story that was based on Muhammed Ali vs Superman. I do strongly suggest Wonder Woman: Come Back To Me and Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace from them. I stayed up way too late reading Come Back To Me last night.
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Read Sinister House last night. It was just about perfect.
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I wonder why they would skip such a historic issue.
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Going to read the little black book 3 right now
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It’s all good – lord knows I understand getting to books late, so I say that all the topics are open to come back to. 
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