History
Published: July 1987
Both the 1985 and 1986 specials were a little disappointing and this year’s effort would really keep that trend going. The Dracula File offered a fairly stupid story and without Eric Bradbury’s excellent artwork, Monster was once again a text story, there was no Max and no Tales From The Grave.
But worst of all there were reprints from the original comic run. Sure, the 1985 special reprinted the first Thirteenth Floor, but this volume had no less than five reprints in it, as well as the usual filler (quizzes, fan art and comedy bits) including photos of The York Dungeon. Very disappointing.
Contents
The Dracula File – Dracula, ever the murder enthusiast, decides to start hunting for prey on a ghost train at a fair. A hunter, presumably Stakis but unnamed here, gives chase as Dracula makes his way to the top of a helter skelter. The police aren’t entirely convinced but when the bodies start piling up, they let the hunter call the shots.
He orders the release of an eagle from an exhibit at the fair and it chases Dracula, now in bat form. He changes back and deals with the bird, escaping down the slide of the helter skelter before returning to bat form and flying away.
Spiders!– two boys are picking apples at an empty manor when they are discovered by Quintus Freen, a scientist who captures them using his GIANT SPIDER. He ties them up in his lab and reveals that he is going to use their blood to create more spiders that he can create. However, one of the boys gets loose and luzzes a jar at the crazy old bastard’s head, sending him toppling into his experiments.
This releases a dozens of spiders who are all exposed to Freen’s growth formular and they begin to attack him before a fire conveniently kills him and burns all the spiders. Phew!
A Ghastly Tale ‘Green Fingers’ – a reprint (BOO!) of issue 3’s Ghastly Tale.
Library of Death: At Death’s Door – a reprint of issue 1’s Library of Death.
The Fearless Failure – dumb comedy story about a ghostly prisoner in the underworld who is charged with not being scary.
Monster – with Terry’s adventures now finished in comic form in Eagle, this text-only story gives him a new adventure with his friend Digger Muldoon in Australia where he inadvertently becomes an attraction at a freak show.
Library of Death: The Drowning Pond! – a reprint of issue 3’s Library of Death.
A Ghastly Tale – A travel sick child on a train turns into a werewolf. It doesn’t really make any more sense than that.
Library of Death: All Done With Wires – another reprint, this time from issue number 4.
A Ghastly Tale ‘Mirror Mirror’ – a reprint from issue 4 also.
Revenge! – this unbranded Library of Death styled effort is about a driver being tormented by spirits until he is killed. So kind of like issue 6’s Death Road, issue 9’s Ghost Town, the ninth Thirteenth Floor and the second Creepshow film mixed together. Not a bad story but definitely a trope they’ve used before. use.
