Random Happenstance

If you hurry, Humble Bundle and Dark Horse are having a killer deal on Eerie Comics: get a massive collection of them, for like $18! (More if you wanna chip in for whatever!) This issue, might be in there, but I randomly found it while cleaning up today, so better go now! From 1978, Eerie #94.

This issue opens with a rather low-key crossover--I would've thought guest-stars like Vampirella and Pantha would be hyped up! They were going to visit the time-traveller known as the Rook, to see if they could catch a ride back to when Pantha's ancestors first visited earth, and get out of there. But before they can do that, the Rook is dealing with an energy-draining alien weapon called an Annihilator, and they were going to have to travel back in time to stop it before it was placed. (Did the Rook solve every problem with time-travel?) Pretty sure Vampi and Pantha's origins have been retconned multiple times since this one. (Story by Bill Dubay, art by Luis Bermejo.)

Next, another serialized story, chapter three of "Honor and Blood." A vampire witch takes a demon husband, and has a baby, that she apparently needed a human doctor to deliver? The doctor, Hopkins, notices the signs of the vampire in the baby; but didn't notice that the mom was dead? Hopkins cites a completely made-up obscure legend, that if he can feed the baby dirt from the grave of a vampire, he can remove the curse, and does. He also fights vampire mom until sun-up when she melts, and then raises the baby as his own. Great, all's swell that ends swell--aw, we're only three pages in? There's another chapter, but nothing's going to end well for anybody. (Story by Nicola Cuti, art by Leo Duranona.)

I had been expecting more one-off horror tales like the next one: in "Dead Man's Ship," a captain on his first voyage to China encounters a derelict ship with a dead crew...that might be his own. Is he trapped in a loop, or is there another explanation? (Story by Nicola Cuti, art by Isidro Mones.) "Divine Wind" doesn't credit a writer, but features the art of Esteban Maroto, who I recognize from some Conan work. (EDIT: Hey, we just did another horror comic with a story with the same title! In the 11th century, the Mongol hordes invade Japan, but both sides are at a disadvantage: the samurai were unused to that type of fighting, while the Mongols were typically mounted. Still, the body count is rising on both sides, before the monsoons wipe anyone left out.

"Don't Drink the Water" is mostly senseless violence; then...sigh..."Bruce Bloodletter of the IRS," a space-adventure parody. Then, a bunch of ads for neat crap, Warren mags were usually good for that!