EC Cruel Universe doesn’t disappoint. Still short-form horror, Cruel Universe focuses on endings and betrayals ranging from the end of the world to smaller, equally-devastating scenes.

Horror (and science fiction, for that matter) is most effective when it mirrors the present, and these stories hit hard, ranging from Serlingesque to eco-Lovecraftian. While some twists are easy to see coming, inevitably lends to the tragedy of the situation rather than detracting. A few had to be read twice to savor the big reveal. I can’t choose between dinosaurs and mutants, but luckily with this anthology I don’t have to.

Earlier in the year Oni Press released Epitaphs from the Abyss, a horror anthology in comic form which I really enjoyed. So when this science fiction anthology showed up I jumped at the chance to read it.

This anthology does what I love about anthologies really well, loads of different art styles and story types that are constantly swapping up the energy of what you’re reading.

As always in any anthology or collection some stories are much stronger than others though there were no real disappointments here.

Some of the stories were short and punchy, a few required more thought and were a bit longer but it was in part this mix that made the anthology so much fun.

There were some I enjoyed more though and these were; The Deleted Man, Behave, Doomsday Particle, Paring Knife, and ORGAN1C, nice fun reads all.

Another great read from Oni Press

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cruel Universe was exactly what I hoped it would be - short tales that reminded me of the old Twilight Zone shows. Some focused on horror or sci fi or just shock factor, and all were well told and illustrated.this is definitely something I would recommend for people like me who sometimes miss the old pulpy sci fi and horror.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cruel Universe is a collection of short stories that blends weird fiction and horror, and I loved it.
It was like a mix of the older Si-Fi shows like the Twilight show or The Outer Limits and something a bit more modern like Black Mirror.

The stories were great, and I really loved the artwork, it matched the stories well.

If you like you’re Sci-Fi with a bit of horror rather than fantasy then you will love these.

This collection of stories was very enjoyable. Most everyone was great. Wasn't sure how shorts would work here, but they worked great. #ECCruelUniverseVol1 #NetGalley

I've read the EC Horror comics before and they are great. And the EC Cruel Universe (Science) is just as good. They are the perfect combination of science fiction and horror. I enjoyed all the stories. It was everything I expected from EC comics. Fans of science fiction/horror comics will like this one. I look forward to reading more from this series.

A really fun reimagining of EC horror comics. Punchy and creepy short stories -- with a science fiction bend -- each with a twist ending. The surprises are of varying degrees of success of course, but that's the thrill of an anthology. If the cover grabs you, you won't be disappointed with what's inside.

from the amazing EC Comics comes 19 mind bending stories of dark, sad, terrifyingly twisted tales of the cruelty of the universe
from aliens to future dystopia's, you never know what the next chapter will bring

Big thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of their second EC relaunch Cruel Universe Vol. 1. I read a version in the NetGalley reader, and was primarily reading them on my iPad, which provided a great viewing experience, since I was able to see larger panels in vibrant color. I am really enjoying these reboots. Although sometimes I feel like these reboots and updated versions lack creativity or imagination, I think the stories in both EC Collections (Epitaphs from the Abyss is the horror themed, Tales from the Crypt version) are unique and present some modern takes on horror and technology, while also maintaining the ironic twists of fate that are a part of the original EC comics. While the Epitaphs from the Abyss was more of a horror themed set of stories, this collection was focused on science fiction and a kind of dystopia. I initially thought this would be strictly sci-fi, but there are stories that are horror themed and also feature the kind of cosmic horror that is in the vein of H.P. Lovecraft. Throughout all the stories, the artwork is great. I noticed in a few stories, there are some common themes in some of the outcomes to individuals in the stories, and I was surprised at the level of gore for a sci-fi collection. However, as the title indicates, these tales are part of a Cruel Universe, where people are subject to violence and brutality, as well as the whims of fate. In really enjoyed the space themed stories and those with aliens. I thought the artwork for these stories was particularly striking and original. Many of the aliens captured the kind of Lovecraftian image of Cthulhu, with tentacles and octopus-like appearances. One of the earliest stories, “Solo Shift”, features an interesting image of a black hole with really great colors. I also liked the kind of socio-economic themes that ran throughout stories like “Priceless” , “Organic”, “And the Profit Said…”, and “Paring Knife”, which all deal with people on the fringes of society or who are subject to a lower social ranking than others. In these stories, there is some kind of ironic twist at the end where we see how those with power maybe are not as powerful as they once seemed or their arrogance brings about a downfall, akin to hamartia in Greek tragedy. Other stories tell of the dark side of technology, and some are particularly relevant today. “Drink Up” was a unique and short tale about a rich man’s quest for immortality, as was “Billionaire Trust”, which had a particularly interesting ending. “Automated” was the story of a tech titan and car designer who brings about the destruction of society with his overreliance on automation (sound familiar?). I also really enjoyed “The Deleted Man”, which shows the lengths that people may go to in order to have their online histories “altered”. Two other favorites were “We Drown on Earth” and “The Ink Spot Test” for their creativity and illustrations. “We Drown on Earth” was especially Lovecraftian, but also focuses on the kinds of risks and problems that corporations exert on their workers. The creatures in the story are particularly creepy and well-drawn. I loved the background art in “The Ink Spot Test”, and the story is somewhat similar to a book I just finished on MKULTRA. I also really enjoyed the covers presented at the back of the book. There were some awesome illustrations there as well.
Overall, this was a great collection. I really enjoyed these stories, and most of them were great with unique and innovative twists and timely stories that are relevant to our current climate, and yet still maintain an element of that classic EC twist of fate. Highly recommended!

Received as an ARC from Netgalley:

A fun collection of comics told in the classic EC style. Featuring all kinds of twists, monsters, and out there ideas.

Not every story was perfect, but all had their charms.

Will definitely be reading more of these in the future!