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Elvira: Mistress of the Dark #1
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark Vol. 1
The Mistress of the Dark has become unstuck in time! Elvira crashes Mary Shelley’s monster weekend, beginning an epic journey through horror history, stalked by the most terrifying nightmare to ever walk the Earth. (No spoilers!) Writer David Avallone (Bettie Page, Doc Savage, Twilight Zone) and Dave Acosta (Doc Savage) bring you the thrills, chills and double-entendres in the first chapter of this four-issue miniseries!
Played by actress-writer Cassandra Peterson, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark has carved out a niche in popular American culture that is sure to endure for decades to come. Elvira's reign as 'Queen of Halloween' has now spanned thirty-five years and includes two nationally syndicated television series, two feature films (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and Elvira’s Haunted Hills), an IMAX movie and two motion control rides. She has appeared in National ad campaigns for Pepsi and Coors, recorded five music CDs, written four books and licensed over Four Hundred products including pinball machines, action figures, guitars, three comic book series, a beer, wine, soda pop, perfume, slot machines and the best-selling female costume of all time.
Played by actress-writer Cassandra Peterson, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark has carved out a niche in popular American culture that is sure to endure for decades to come. Elvira's reign as 'Queen of Halloween' has now spanned thirty-five years and includes two nationally syndicated television series, two feature films (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and Elvira’s Haunted Hills), an IMAX movie and two motion control rides. She has appeared in National ad campaigns for Pepsi and Coors, recorded five music CDs, written four books and licensed over Four Hundred products including pinball machines, action figures, guitars, three comic book series, a beer, wine, soda pop, perfume, slot machines and the best-selling female costume of all time.
104 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 4, 2019
I’m a normal hot-blooded heterosexual male in my late-40s, so it shouldn’t be a shock to know that I have a thing for big boobs. I also have a thing for goth chicks and horror movies, so it’s really only natural that I have had a thing for Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, since first seeing her late-night antics as a horny tween-ager.
The famous buxom brunette with the bouffant and black dress, played by Cassandra Peterson, was known for her lewd sexual innuendo and raunchy sense of humor, which is why she had a huge following of millions of horny young men. Truth is, she still has a huge following, and thanks to Dynamite Comics, she’s now inspiring (and exciting) a whole new generation of horny young men.
“Elvira, Mistress of the Dark: Timescream”, written by David Avallone and Dave Acosta, is not a stellar comic book series, but it’s as bouncy and fun as its main character. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it even manages to throw in a few literary references. (Nothing too hard: consider the main demographics.)
Taking a page from Doctor Who, Elvira accidentally finds herself falling through time into different historical periods each with a significance to the horror genre. In the first issue, Elvira lands in 1816, on the night that Mary Shelley first comes up with the idea for her famous novel “Frankenstein”. Hot on Elvira’s trail is Vlad the Impaler, who thinks Elvira would make a wonderful bride.
In subsequent issues, Elvira jumps to 1849 to meet Edgar Allen Poe, the turn of the century to meet Bram Stoker, and the 1930s to meet Boris Karloff and James Whale on the set of “Frankenstein”. She also discovers the mystery man at the heart of her time-slipping: Dr. Faust.
This titillating series is replete with all the raunchy humor one would expect from Elvira. If one is looking to keep abreast of what’s popular in male pre-adolescent gazonga-loving graphic novels, one can’t go wrong with this series. Elvira possesses a surprisingly well-rounded brand of humor, so don’t knock ‘er. I guarantee you may bust out laughing; she’s a hoot(er).
(My apologies to Ms. Peterson and to any of you who made it this far in the review...)
The famous buxom brunette with the bouffant and black dress, played by Cassandra Peterson, was known for her lewd sexual innuendo and raunchy sense of humor, which is why she had a huge following of millions of horny young men. Truth is, she still has a huge following, and thanks to Dynamite Comics, she’s now inspiring (and exciting) a whole new generation of horny young men.
“Elvira, Mistress of the Dark: Timescream”, written by David Avallone and Dave Acosta, is not a stellar comic book series, but it’s as bouncy and fun as its main character. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it even manages to throw in a few literary references. (Nothing too hard: consider the main demographics.)
Taking a page from Doctor Who, Elvira accidentally finds herself falling through time into different historical periods each with a significance to the horror genre. In the first issue, Elvira lands in 1816, on the night that Mary Shelley first comes up with the idea for her famous novel “Frankenstein”. Hot on Elvira’s trail is Vlad the Impaler, who thinks Elvira would make a wonderful bride.
In subsequent issues, Elvira jumps to 1849 to meet Edgar Allen Poe, the turn of the century to meet Bram Stoker, and the 1930s to meet Boris Karloff and James Whale on the set of “Frankenstein”. She also discovers the mystery man at the heart of her time-slipping: Dr. Faust.
This titillating series is replete with all the raunchy humor one would expect from Elvira. If one is looking to keep abreast of what’s popular in male pre-adolescent gazonga-loving graphic novels, one can’t go wrong with this series. Elvira possesses a surprisingly well-rounded brand of humor, so don’t knock ‘er. I guarantee you may bust out laughing; she’s a hoot(er).
(My apologies to Ms. Peterson and to any of you who made it this far in the review...)
July 30, 2019
It's interesting in an odd sort of way.
January 28, 2024
"Am I supposed to go into the light or not go into the light? It’s been years since I saw Poltergeist…"
The Queen of Halloween is here to scare up a spooky good tale that takes us back in time. And what other way to takes us back in time as a mysterious coffin! ⚰️
I wasn’t expecting much out of this since a lot of companies plaster a well-known face on a book/graphic novel and make it hokey. There was something here that got it right. It had a lot of that playful Elvira comedy throughout as she visits the horror greats from years past. The story did get repetitive towards the end and wish they would have ended it sooner than they did.
Elvira: Timescream is a decent graphic novel with a good storyline. The art was great and had me going back through after reading just to look at the art some more. This is a great addition for any horror fan.
The Queen of Halloween is here to scare up a spooky good tale that takes us back in time. And what other way to takes us back in time as a mysterious coffin! ⚰️
I wasn’t expecting much out of this since a lot of companies plaster a well-known face on a book/graphic novel and make it hokey. There was something here that got it right. It had a lot of that playful Elvira comedy throughout as she visits the horror greats from years past. The story did get repetitive towards the end and wish they would have ended it sooner than they did.
Elvira: Timescream is a decent graphic novel with a good storyline. The art was great and had me going back through after reading just to look at the art some more. This is a great addition for any horror fan.
August 30, 2019
"Elvira: Mistress of the Dark Vol. 1" also titled "Timescream" is a whacky fan oriented romp through horror history. This book is vampy and campy as only Elvira can deliver. Elvira's interactions with various horror icons as she traverses the 19th and early 20th centuries are Pretty packed with in-jokes, puns and a good deal of snark. Additionally, Elvira repeatedly demolishes the fourth wall with reckless abandon. All in all, this is a rollicking good book that should delight true fans of the Mistress of the Dark .
November 20, 2021
Creo que estamos todos de acuerdo en que Elvira es un icono, parte ya de la cultura popular. Es decir, ¿quién no la conoce? Yo llegué tarde a su época de mayor apogeo pero siempre me ha encantado su estética y su presencia. Sin embargo, he tardado demasiado en adentrarme en su mundo, todo hay que decirlo. Pero dicen que mejor tarde que nunca.
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark - Timescream es el primer volumen de la serie publicada entre los años 2018 y 2020. He empezado por ésta como podría haber empezado por otra. La cuestión era empezar 😂 Y me ha enamorado.
Adoro el humor tan mordaz que tiene Elvira. Es tan divertido leerla que las páginas me han volado. Además aparecen muchísimos iconos del terror que me encantan, aparte de la mencionada en la sinopsis Mary Shelley, y que no voy a spoilear para que, si os decidís a embarcaros con Elvira en su viaje por la historia del terror, los descubráis vosotros mismos.
El arte es también una gozada. Muy fan del trabajo de Dave Acosta. Refleja perfectamente al personaje interpretado por Cassandra Peterson y su estilo tan característico.
Es que no podría estar más entusiasmada con este primer volumen, creo que se me nota. Lo he disfrutado muchísimo.
Resumiendo, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark - Timescream es un cómic que no se toma demasiado en serio a sí mismo y que, precisamente por eso, es tan divertido. Es, básicamente, Elvira en estado puro.
I'm very happy--thrilled in fact--to be exactly who I am:
An all-american woman in an eye-popping dress, who loves spooky stuff and stupid puns. I wouldn't change that for anything.
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark - Timescream es el primer volumen de la serie publicada entre los años 2018 y 2020. He empezado por ésta como podría haber empezado por otra. La cuestión era empezar 😂 Y me ha enamorado.
Adoro el humor tan mordaz que tiene Elvira. Es tan divertido leerla que las páginas me han volado. Además aparecen muchísimos iconos del terror que me encantan, aparte de la mencionada en la sinopsis Mary Shelley, y que no voy a spoilear para que, si os decidís a embarcaros con Elvira en su viaje por la historia del terror, los descubráis vosotros mismos.
El arte es también una gozada. Muy fan del trabajo de Dave Acosta. Refleja perfectamente al personaje interpretado por Cassandra Peterson y su estilo tan característico.
Es que no podría estar más entusiasmada con este primer volumen, creo que se me nota. Lo he disfrutado muchísimo.
Resumiendo, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark - Timescream es un cómic que no se toma demasiado en serio a sí mismo y que, precisamente por eso, es tan divertido. Es, básicamente, Elvira en estado puro.
I'm very happy--thrilled in fact--to be exactly who I am:
An all-american woman in an eye-popping dress, who loves spooky stuff and stupid puns. I wouldn't change that for anything.
September 21, 2024
first read of 2024 spooky season 💖 i fucking love Elvira. also was major shipping her with Vlad throughout this volume sorry !!!
April 12, 2021
Elvira is always a fun time!
April 15, 2022
Having missed out on a collection of the old school Elvira comics I decided to try out some of the modern offerings. I’d had my eye on them for a while but always resisted in favour of other things. But in an effort to continue to branch out I took a punt. I’m glad that I did as this series was a lot of fun.
The premise works well (Elvira travels through time meeting classic gothic horror icons) and at 4 issues it doesn’t feel stretched out.
Elvira’s dialogue throughout is spot on and her campy one liners are perfect. Most other characters that pun this much (that aren’t Deadpool) can be cheesy to the point of nonsense but all the one liners are expertly used and help keep the tone firmly in the realm of camp.
The art is solid throughout but does dip a bit in the last issue. All in all this is a fun read worth you time if you can embrace the B movie-ness.
3/5
The premise works well (Elvira travels through time meeting classic gothic horror icons) and at 4 issues it doesn’t feel stretched out.
Elvira’s dialogue throughout is spot on and her campy one liners are perfect. Most other characters that pun this much (that aren’t Deadpool) can be cheesy to the point of nonsense but all the one liners are expertly used and help keep the tone firmly in the realm of camp.
The art is solid throughout but does dip a bit in the last issue. All in all this is a fun read worth you time if you can embrace the B movie-ness.
3/5
August 19, 2020
Dave Avallone is the Leo Tolstoy/j.D. Salinger of comic authors. Witty, erudite, compulsively readable (more Bettie Page please!) He is a true master of the genre. I wouldn't say Elvira is equal to the the B.P. Series, but then what is? The art is excellent also.
March 15, 2019
I'm frustrated because there isn't MORE of it! David writes Elvira the way she *is*, the snarky, Cali Vali girl with a wit as sharp as a razor and humor as dark as her dress!
November 3, 2019
Exactly what you expect from an Elvira comic. Cheesy horror fun, laden with asides and innuendos.
May 10, 2025
I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting, but this exceeded whatever those expectations were. The art is consistent and competent, the writing is sharp and witty. There's not much in the way of development of anything in particular, but it's light and enjoyable: tonally somewhere in the vicinity of an Archie comic. For what it's trying to achieve, it's knocking it out of the park.
May 21, 2020
No amount of groan/chuckle-worthy puns and fourth wall breaking can save this arc from being painfully repetitive. But it's a damn good amount of puns, I have to admit.
May 24, 2021
A super fun trip through horror history! I loved every second of it.
September 26, 2019
A comic as much fun as the Mistress of the Dark herself! Does not fail to disappoint as its full of bad puns, double entendre, corny monsters, and self-referential & self-deprecating humour.
July 14, 2024
Reviewing the whole series, since I read all 12 issues in 2 sittings and it's all one big story anyway.
After being mysteriously thrown through time, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, finds herself on a whistlestop tour first of history's greatest horror writers, then the depths of Hell, before finally fleeing from a coven of witches intent on stealing her power for themselves.
It'd be really easy for this to just be cheesecake with no substance, but writer David Avallone injects levity and fun into the proceedings as well as some actual stakes that even Elvira can care about. There's winks and nods to everything, the fourth wall is in pieces, and everything's all just fun. There were a few little bits that surprised me (nicely), and even the artwork, all twelve issues pencilled by Dave Acosta, never veers into the obvious cheesecake. Elvira's sexy, and we all know it, and that's all there is to it. Even most of the variant covers collected in each volume are tasteful and in proportion (I say most).
The Mistress of the Dark's return to comics is well worth a look - maybe even two, if she'll let you.
After being mysteriously thrown through time, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, finds herself on a whistlestop tour first of history's greatest horror writers, then the depths of Hell, before finally fleeing from a coven of witches intent on stealing her power for themselves.
It'd be really easy for this to just be cheesecake with no substance, but writer David Avallone injects levity and fun into the proceedings as well as some actual stakes that even Elvira can care about. There's winks and nods to everything, the fourth wall is in pieces, and everything's all just fun. There were a few little bits that surprised me (nicely), and even the artwork, all twelve issues pencilled by Dave Acosta, never veers into the obvious cheesecake. Elvira's sexy, and we all know it, and that's all there is to it. Even most of the variant covers collected in each volume are tasteful and in proportion (I say most).
The Mistress of the Dark's return to comics is well worth a look - maybe even two, if she'll let you.
October 20, 2021
A campy romp through time (and the public domain) with the buxom mistress of horror and . I'm not sure how I felt about the mystical force behind everything, but I liked the little steps along the way. The Shelleys, Byron, Poe, Stoker, and Hollywood in 1935. As fans of all of those people and horror aesthetics, it was a really fun and had some solid call backs to literature and the lives of the writers.
There are some quality mocks about the tropes in vampire films paired alongside monster themed literary adventures. Mary Shelley is so great in the first issue that she and Elvira outshine most of the other characters in each issue (queer girl power, amirite?).
I love the close on the set of 1935's Bride of Frankenstein --one of my favorite classic horror films. The weird name mix around was a little off (it's supposed to be Karloff and Lancaster, right?), but maybe the creators couldn't use their likenesses??? That's maybe my only criticism, but I think diehard fans might be the only ones who think that's off.
There are some quality mocks about the tropes in vampire films paired alongside monster themed literary adventures. Mary Shelley is so great in the first issue that she and Elvira outshine most of the other characters in each issue (queer girl power, amirite?).
I love the close on the set of 1935's Bride of Frankenstein --one of my favorite classic horror films. The weird name mix around was a little off (it's supposed to be Karloff and Lancaster, right?), but maybe the creators couldn't use their likenesses??? That's maybe my only criticism, but I think diehard fans might be the only ones who think that's off.
January 16, 2022
I'm still relatively new to Elvira. 1988's Elvira: Mistress of the Dark was one of my favorite first-time cinematic watches last year. Translating a beloved person or property from one medium to another can sometimes be difficult. However, here, David Avallone is marvelously able to not only capture the spirit of Elvira but also take advantage of the comic book medium for an engaging read. This is Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure but with Elvira and every chapter is spectacular. It's funny, action-packed and one of the best comics I've read in a long time. Can't wait to see what Avallone does with the rest of the series.
September 27, 2020
Elvira gets caught up in a time-traveling coffin that takes her to the time of Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Edgar Allen Poe, and old Hollywood horror movies. It is campy, hilarious, and beautifully illustrated.
January 13, 2026
Story: 3.5/5
Art:3.5/5
Good, light hearted fun. Very campy in the way you’d expect from this sort of thing. The art is well done and the facial expressions of Elvira are especially good at giving her a lot of character and adding to her humor.
Art:3.5/5
Good, light hearted fun. Very campy in the way you’d expect from this sort of thing. The art is well done and the facial expressions of Elvira are especially good at giving her a lot of character and adding to her humor.
April 30, 2020
Light, spooky, raunchy fun - just what I'd hoped for in an Elvira comic!
August 17, 2020
Elvira has come unstuck in time, and has to visit all the high-water marks of horror writing. Campy and ridiculous.
September 25, 2020
Like Elvira, this story doesn't take itself too seriously, and that is why it is awesome.
December 7, 2020
Elvira toujours aussi ..,...Elvira
J'ai beaucoup aimer j'aimerais bien avoir la BD en français mais elle n'existe pas encore. Chouette d'amener les auteurs horreur classique
J'ai beaucoup aimer j'aimerais bien avoir la BD en français mais elle n'existe pas encore. Chouette d'amener les auteurs horreur classique
August 14, 2023
Full of the campy fun and silliness you'd expect from Elvira.
August 28, 2023
Elvira is always a good time, and this comic is no different. Avallone captures Elvira perfectly and I am always excited to see where Elvira will go next.
October 1, 2023
Good story, snappy dialogue, ELVIRA!
March 15, 2024
FUN FUN FUN
September 19, 2024
If you love Elvira, read this!
This comic series is so much fun! If you love horror movies and Elvira (along with her sassy puns) read this now!
This comic series is so much fun! If you love horror movies and Elvira (along with her sassy puns) read this now!
September 12, 2025
Cheese fest in the best way possible
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews