Giant-Size Chillers #1
Published and © by Marvel, February 1975
Title: “The Gravesend Gorgon”
Synopsis: After losing a crew to the Gravesend Gorgon, a sailor is forced back to sea by an abusive captain.
Writer: Carl Wessler
Artist: Alfredo Alcala
Review: DC was the king of the horror anthology in the 1970s, often peppering their titles with new talent. This Giant-Size offering from Marvel is subpar by comparison. None of the stories stand out, and the art is a mixed bag. This one offers some heavily crosshatched work from Alfredo Alcala.
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Title: “The Monster of Hedgewood Moor!”
Synopsis: A tale of two brothers takes a tragic turn when a girl is murdered by a monster in the moor.
Writer: Larry Lieber
Artist: Miguel Ripoll
Review: The story offers a basic EC-style twist, but Miguel Ripoll’s art is stylistically similar to Tom Sutton’s Charlton horror work.
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Title: “The Lagoon Creature of Rising Sun”
Synopsis: Is the creature from the lagoon a monster – or connected to the UFOs seen in the area?
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Win Mortimer
Review: This simple two-pager lacks space to stretch out, and the art – by Win Mortimer – does a little to elevate it.
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Title: “The Fountain”
Synopsis: Synopsis: An advanced, prehistoric culture thrives thanks to a mystical fountain, but one denizen takes things too far.
Writer: Ralph Alphonso
Artist: Adolfo Buylla
Review: There’s a hint of something here about greed and gluttony that could be interesting, but the art lacks any spark.
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Title: “The Girl Who Couldn’t Die!”
Synopsis: A mystical con man tries to cash in, but ends up the victim of a murderous spirit instead.
Writer: Uncredited
Artist: Paul Reinman
Review: This reprint from Adventures in Terror #6 maintains some solid whodunnit tension but its ending is standard fare.
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Title: “The Borrowed Face!”
Synopsis: A man with a plan involving voodoo and murder gets his comeuppance instead of the girl.
Writer: Carl Wessler
Penciler: Dave Gibbons
Review: Wait, what? Is that early Dave Gibbons art? It is, but it’s not yet able to elevate this EC-esque tale.
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Title: “From Out of the Past!”
Synopsis: Three captains of paleontology find their worldview rocked by a discovery deep within the Earth.
Writer: Uncredited
Artist: Uncredited
Review: Another reprint, from Astonishing #49, featuring some interesting art and a story about the cutthroat world of… paleontology?
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Title: “Gilt-Edge Gnomes”
Synopsis: A murdering jewel thief is tricked into the lair of the little people by the lure of gold.
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Mike Lombo
Review: A combination of excessive crosshatching and dark coloring render this unclear story into a muddy mess.
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Title: “Next Stop Eternity”
Synopsis: A bus driver smitten with a passenger is left alone when that rider connects with an otherworldly love.
Writer: Uncredited
Artist: Uncredited
Review: This haunting love story – from Adventure Into Mystery #3 – features solid art and is one of this issue’s stronger stories.
Grade (for the entire issue): C
Cool factor: So many stories …
Not-so-cool factor: … but no standout to be found.
Notable: Also contains a two-page framing sequence by Tony Isabella and Gene Colan.
Character quotable: “If I told them I was lying, I would be lying.” – Collin Gibbons, seaman and logician
Editor’s note: This review was written Oct. 25, 2024.
