2016 Comic Challenge 041 Mr Monsters 3D Hi-Octane Horror #01

TITLE-Mr. Monster's 3D Hi-Octane Horror #01
PUBLISHER-Eclipse

In the mid 80s Michael T Gilbert took his Mr Monster comic book and started putting old pre-code horror comics in the backs of lots of the issues. This must have done well,cause not to long later it spun off into the Mr Monster Super Duper Specials. With most issues of  the specials focusing on a genre. I actually discovered Mr Monster cause of these specials. I was in a comic shop in Mobile Alabama. And was digging thru the cheap bins,which were 25 cents a comic. Ended up with a Mr Monster comic reprinting lots of crime comics. I loved it and have slowly over the past 25 years managed to get every issue.

In 2008 Mile High Comics was having a big sale. Which is the only time I will buy from them. Mostly cause their prices are usually way high. But when they have a sale you can get stuff for a good price. I was on  a 3D comic kick. And saw not only did Mile High have the 3D horror issue of Mr Monster.But it was extremely cheap.  I of course bought it.

So how is the comic? It starts off with a 3 page intro with Mr Monster and his lady Kelly. Then we get the first pre-code story. Which is Joe Kubert's Picture of Evil. A story that according to some sources is the first horror comic story in 3D. Being a fan of Mr Kubert I loved this story.

The second story, The Damned, is the only original story in the comic. Written and drawn by Gilbert,it is a neat exercise in graphic storytelling.

The final story is a classic from the late Bob Powell,Until I started getting all the various public domain comic reprints that Eclipse put out I had never heard of Mr Powell. And "The Blind,The Doomed and the Dead!" is classic Powell. Great artwork  and a great story. With your kind of standard horror comic twist at the end.

After the Powell story we get a one page wrap up from Gilbert.Followed by a letters page. I so miss comic book letter pages. As a kid and a teen I would write into my favorite comics. And the first thing I would do when I got my new comics was flip to the letters page and see if my letter got published.

Unlike lots of the comics I have reviewed this year,this one isn't a cheap find. To get a mint copy with the 3D glasses you are gonna have to spend at least $5 if not more. If you are a fan of pre-code horror comics this is totally worth tracking down.

Mr Monster's 3D Hi-Octane Horror #01 gets a BUY!