Seattle-based Fantagraphics Publishing has released another beautiful anthology with Atlas Comics Library No. 6: Shiver As You Read! The collection contains Amazing Detective Cases #11-14 and Men’s Adventures #21-26. Don’t let the titles fool you. In the early to mid-’50s, readers were clamoring for thrills, chills, and horror, and the publishing houses decided to give the masses what they wanted. With titles like “My Brother Must Die,” “Midnight in the Morgue!,” “The Torture Master, “ and “A Voice from the Grave,” nearly every piece wallows in the supernatural.
Buy Atlas Comics Library No. 6: Shiver As You Read! hardcoverThere are standout stories in each issue of the comics. From Amazing Detective Cases #11, we get the brilliantly creepy “The Black Shadow.” In it, a man who works at the cemetery, and whose only company is his own shadow, discovers an ancient secret that separates people from their shadows and keeps those shadows captive. Because of this, all manner of horrors can play out for the victims. In issue #12, “The Man Who Shrunk” finally answers the question: What is the most ingenious way to get back at the mad scientist who thought it would be a good idea to shrink you down into nearly nothing. Each issue, across both titles, contains one two-page text story which is a nice change of pace.
From Men’s Adventures, we get more of the same high-quality storytelling. Atlas Comics became Marvel Comics over the years, so it is fitting that we have the story “Deadline” in issue #22, written by Stan Lee and illustrated by John Romita – names even non-Marvel fans are probably familiar with. The story revolves around a newspaper publisher, Rock Winters, whose persona is an obvious precursor to J. Jonah Jameson of Daily Bugle fame. Winters is a vindictive, self-centered hard ass who wants revenge for every minor infraction. His undoing is fun to watch and plays out perfectly thanks to Lee’s words and Romita’s art.
The supplementary materials are exceptional in Atlas No. 6. Dr. Michael J. Vassallo’s introduction, “A Case of the Shivers,” gives us 24 full pages of historical background involving the magazines, writers, artists, and editors. There are cover galleries included in full color from both Amazing Detective Cases and Men’s Adventures with commentary from Dr. Vassallo. It is really everything you could ask for from an introduction: background, context, history, and relevant, entertaining anecdotes. At the end of the anthology, you will find “The Creators,” written by Michael Dean. It is an impressive, extensive look at those who brought the comics to life. Biographies are given for around 50 creators, and those biographies are interesting, comprehensive, and smart.
Atlas Comics Library No. 6: Shiver As You Read is an excellent edition for collectors and lovers of a good yarn. Fantagraphics has created a high-quality book with strong binding that lies pleasantly flat for ease of reading, and the cover just looks nice on the shelf. The original comics were used for scanning and then restoration; the words are crisp and clear, and the artwork is bright, vibrant, and inviting. If you haven’t started your Fantagraphics collection yet, then Atlas No. 6 is an outstanding place to get started.
