Shocker

This was the first time that a comic series had me eagerly reading through the text, flipping pages, and skimming illustrations in order to find out what happened next. Other comics we read were entertaining, but this was exciting. Not only are these the most electrifying comics we’ve read, they’re also the loosest in terms of plot, violence, and death. In A Moment of Madness, the doctor commits suicide. I didn’t see this coming until the very last panel of the comic. And, of course, after recently finishing The Mysterious Underground Men, this was the last thing I imagined would happen.  

In a lot of ways this series reminds me of The Twilight Zone. Each comic starts in medias res, and quickly reveals a strange, complex set of advancements. The twists keep coming, and I can cruise through a comic without knowing what is going to happen. Granted, in Superman, I didn’t know exactly what was going to transpire, but I knew the basic premise ­– the protagonist would save the day in one way or another. Everything else is just filler. Crime SuspenStories, however, constantly pulls a fast one on the reader, ending with a cliffhanger and immense amounts of closure. Just like in The Twilight Zone, the next story begins with no explanation. It’s a constant ride of dark guessing games, questions, and loose ends. They give the reader just barely enough information to keep them in the loop, and then they conclude with a climax. Everything else is up to us.