Marvel’s classic Vampire Tales comics get a gorgeous collection
Marvel Comics and Dark Horse have announced a collaboration to release a collected edition of classic horror comics from the 1970s. The Best of Marvel’s Vampire Tales will be a hardcover archival edition featuring nearly 300 pages of selections from the original horror anthology’s first six issues. The collection will showcase works by renowned comics legends including Tony Isabella, Gardner Fox, Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, and Steve Gerber, among others.
The original Vampire Tales series ran from 1973 to 1975, ultimately producing 11 issues plus one annual special. Published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics, the series featured an unusual format for its time—large-sized pages with gorgeously painted covers and meticulously detailed black and white interior artwork. This distinctive presentation was intentional, as the series was marketed toward a more mature audience, a positioning that set it apart from typical superhero comics of the era.
This collected edition represents a significant effort in comics preservation, bringing back a piece of horror history to modern audiences. The archival quality of the new release ensures that these classic stories and artwork will be accessible to both longtime fans of the series and new readers discovering the distinctive visual style and storytelling of 1970s Marvel horror comics.