Dark Horse Comics is taking a bite out of vintage Marvel horror comics with The Best of Marvel’s Vampire Tales: Volume One, publishing August 18. Priced at $65, the oversized hardcover edition reprints the first six issues of the black-and-white horror anthology series that launched in 1973. This archival collection brings back fan-favorite characters including Morbius the Living Vampire, Blade the Vampire Slayer, Dracula’s daughter Lilith, and Satana the Devil’s Daughter. The volume features stories by legendary creators such as Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman, Steve Gerber, Doug Moench, Chris Claremont, Gerry Conway, and many others. Full-color reproductions of the original covers by artists like Bob Larkin, Esteban Maroto, and Boris Vallejo are included, along with a new introduction and historical discussion by comics historian Chris Ryall. The hardcover spans nearly 300 pages of material from the magazine’s initial run. Dark Horse and Marvel positioned the release as part of an ongoing effort to preserve and re-present seminal horror comics from the Bronze Age. The book is designed for collectors and fans interested in the origins of Marvel’s supernatural storytelling. The Best of Marvel’s Vampire Tales Volume One will be available in August through major retailers and comic book specialty stores. No further volumes in the series have been announced as of this reporting.
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