EC Cruel Kingdom #1

EC Cruel Kingdom #1

by Chris Condon, Kano (artist), Leomacs (artist)

WHERE ONCE A CRUEL UNIVERSE BECKONED . . . NOW A CRUEL KINGDOM SHALL REIGN! Oni Press is proud to unveil a spellbinding new chapter in the distinguished lineage of EC history! Cruel Kingdom—EC’s first-ever dark-fantasy anthology conjuring tales of MAGIC, MYTH, and MURDER from forbidden realms long before our own! Behold the bloody and barbarous age of wizards, knights, and dragons as reimagined in the immutable EC manner as master scribes Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk), Chris Condon (That Texas Blood), Greg Pak (Darth Vader), and Ben H. Winters (Cruel Universe) couple their forces with iron-wrought artists Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Kano (Cruel Universe), Leomacs (Ghostlore), Andrea Mutti (Rebels) and more to forge a terrifying new vision of death, life, and adventure once upon a time. From the twisted minds that spawned Epitaphs from the Abyss and Cruel Universe, steel thyself for 30+ pages of fatal fantasy and skullduggerous sorcery in one cursed tome of comic book enchantment!

Genres: Fantasy, Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels

Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2025

Reviews

[Nikolas I · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully twisted. Beautifully deranged. Ito would likely approve.

[Nick LeBlanc · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down.

I was hoping for more sword and sorcery and less
sci-fi, but it remains to be seen if it’s a pattern. Strongest story was PICKAXES followed by VISITORS, then ROBO and the shorty at the end. I’ll keep reading because they’re fun, I just hope the quality takes a step up going forward.

Read as a single issue.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m disappointed with this first issue of Cruel Kingdom. Perhaps my expectations were to high because epitaphs seems to be hitting its stride. Still three stars since I didn’t exactly throw it across the room or anything. Art is good not great but I really liked the moody colors of “the demon’s face” that looked fantastic. My favorite story was the fairytale retelling “death and pickaxes” I liked the turnabouts… the rest were entertaining just not the quality I was expecting… looking forward to seeing how issue two is.

[Brian Shevory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for making the latest edition of EC’s revival series available for review, EC Cruel Kingdom Vol. 1. I previously read the Epitaphs from the Abyss and Cruel Universe and thoroughly enjoyed them. Cruel Kingdom Vol. 1 follows in the same tradition of presenting weird stories with ironic and shocking endings that often present a sense of cosmic justice. While Epitaphs from the Abyss is more horror oriented and like Tales from The Crypt and Cruel Universe dealt with aliens, technology, and space, Cruel Kingdom focuses on fantasy and fairy tales, although many of the stories also include elements of sci-fi and horror. Most of the stories are short and quick to read, and this edition collects 4 issues, each with 4 stories. The artwork for the stories stands out the most. The artwork captures the horror and shock of EC Comics heyday, while also adding fresh and unique elements. I also liked the stories too. In particular, there are 2 stories that are based on popular fairy tales, yet have a bloody twist on them that makes it particularly entertaining. “Death and Pickaxes,
a take-off on Snow White was particularly demented, but in a fun way. I kept thinking how great this would be as a short film. Likewise, “What You Wish For,” based on Cinderella was also surprising and ironic. “The Feast of King Arthur,” was one of the most shocking and gory stories as well, and it demonstrates how the authors and artists working on these comics can take traditions and well-known stories and make them fresh and new, adding surprising twists to make them feel at home within the cruel universe of EC. Other stories contain monsters, beasts, knights, and mercenaries looking to either survive or thrive within this cruel universe. Stories like “Just Desserts,” “The Seat of Power,” and “A Rare Immunity” highlight the irony and costs of these quests for survival and success in this universe. The only drawback with this collection was that it left me wanting more. It seemed a little shorter than the other EC editions from Oni Press. Regardless, it’s a great collection that captures the spirit of the original EC comics with its wicked and cruel endings and bloody and colorful artwork. I also wish that there was some commentary from the editors or artists in this edition like the other editions. It would be cool to learn more about what went into creating this edition—like what the themes are and how they fit with the spirit of the original EC Comics. Nevertheless, this is a fun and quick read. Highly recommended!

[Janna Felix · Rating 3 out of 5]

EC Cruel Kingdom #1 is a solid but uneven entry into EC’s dark-fantasy anthology line, delivering strong atmosphere without fully sticking the impact of its stories. The art is consistently striking and often does the heaviest lifting, capturing the brutality and menace of the setting in a way that feels true to EC’s legacy, while the writing ranges from compelling to merely serviceable. Some tales hint at fascinating worlds and sharp moral twists, but they end just as they start to get interesting, leaving the overall issue feeling more like a sampler than a fully satisfying experience. I appreciated the commitment to grim fantasy and classic EC cruelty, yet I walked away wanting at least one story to dig deeper and linger longer. Worth picking up for fans of dark fantasy comics and EC anthologies, even if it does not fully cast its spell this time.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cruel Kingdom is the first of the Oni Press EC comics series started with Cruel Universe and Epitaph from the Abyss. I enjoyed this one, more SciFi elements than the fantasy elements I was expecting but some interesting twists. My favorite story is Death and Pickaxes with an interesting twist of a classic story.
Looking forward to what will follow.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been trying out these new EC comic series and this is the first one that I thought was really quite good. It always comes down to the writing (why don’t most comic editors get this?) and these stories were original and entertaining. I will probably pick up the book anthology edition for the series.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crude and violent. Which makes them similar to the original EC series. A couple of stories are memorable. And even the poorly written stories have nice art. But most stories just don’t know how to end.

[Greg S · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun inversions and reversals

[Dennis Brock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm intrigued. Not amazing, but enough to get me to try issue #2. 3.25/5

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

These EC books have been fun. All hail Greg Pak's King Robo!

[Michael Daines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four short tales. All are fun, with an emphasis on twists that I enjoyed. I will check out the next issue for sure.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very strong 4. The only one I didn’t care for was The Demon’s Face.

[Alinator77 · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Blood of the Robo King:2/5
-Friendly Visitors:2/5
-Death and Pickaxes:3/5
-The Demon's Face:2.5/5

[Christoph Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four short fantastic stories, some with well-known themes, some completely different, but always with a surprising twist.

[Colvet · Rating 4 out of 5]

cruel kingdom is my favourite of the new 2024+ EC comic series

great stuff :)

true to the classicks

[Froof · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing notable.

[Caben Mckendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

RAD!!! FANTASY COMICS ARE BACK FROM EC