The Premature Burial is an adaption of two Edgar Allen Poe stories that deal with the same basic theme. Being buried alive.
In the first story, The Premature Burial, writer and artist Richard Corben tells the story of a man named Lucian who is rebuffed by a woman. He chooses to end her life by poison and waits until she is buried before acting on his desires. He digs her up and attempts to warm her cold flesh, however, he is in for a surprise. Victoria, the woman he molests, is not quite dead. Since this is the 1800′s, dead isn’t always dead and she is revived long enough to once again thwart his advances. The story doesn’t end there, not at all, Victoria actually comes back to Lucian, even marries him, but for what purpose? For love or some other nefarious reason?
The thought of being buried alive is disturbing enough, but couple that with being on the wrong side of an angry woman–terrifying. Corben’s art is sufficiently creepy and helps tell the story with some of the freakiest smiles I have ever seen drawn on people before. After reading the first story in this collection, I can honestly say I was bothered by it.
In story two, The Cask of Amontillado, Corben takes another Poe story, this one about a man named Montresor. It opens with him leading a lady, Amelia, down into the basement with promises of answers about her missing husband. He wants to tell a tale, a tale to be told over a glass of wine. Montresor is a man that chooses to build walls between him and his friends. Not just your typical walls, but to say anymore would be telling. And telling is something Montresor wants to do. Amelia is the benefactor of his tale, but his fate is already sealed, as sealed as the walls that surround him.
Corben has taken another Poe story and added his twisted pencils to it once again. Those smiles, the ones that will haunt my nightmares, are back. His style is perfect for this type of story and adds so much more depth to an already disturbing tale.
I typically don’t read comics like this one. Literary adaptions just are not my thing. However, this one surprised me. Corben has a very unique way of building set pieces with his art. Each page, whether it’s the face of a character, or the walls of a room, tell a story all their own. This one might stick with you for a little while, coming back when you don’t want it to, in your dreams.
Story and Art: Richard Corben
Dark Horse Comics
