Originally Published In Issue 44
Reprinted In Issue 103
First published back in August of 1974, Issue 44 of the ‘Pocket Chiller Library’ comic series was titled ‘The Unquiet Grave’. The comic was later reprinted under the alternative title ‘Pit Of Hell’ within Issue 103.
During the 1970s the ‘Pocket Chiller Library’ was a pocket-sized mainstream horror comic which ran for 137 issues between 1971 and 1977. From issue 86 onwards the publishers simply started reprinting the earlier stories, the first 28 of these reprints retitling the story. As such, there were only a total of 86 different stories within the series.
Unfortunately, each issue was undated, making it difficult to be sure of the date for first publication of each issue. However, it is widely understood the comics were monthly publications, with the original stories running between 1971 and 1977, therefore the above date of publication is a reasonable assumption. Additionally, each issue was uncredited to either the writer or the comic artist(s).
Legend had it that the founder of Costain University, Alwin Costain, had been buried with a precious ring which had been given to him by none other than King George the Third. Of course, it had been Roger Trevis’ idea to dig up the body to steal the ring. If he was honest with himself, his friend, Bill Munday, had only come in on it because Trevis was his best friend.
However, as the pair pulled the ring off the dry bony hand of Costain’s dusty old corpse, the university’s nightwatchman spotted the shadowy figures of the two graverobbers and went to apprehend them. In the commotion, Trevis slips Costain’s ring onto one of his own fingers, before the pair of them race off into the darkness.
Luckily, they doubted that old man Charlie Gregson would have gotten a good enough look at them. Although he was bound to suspect the graverobbers were students at the university. Nevertheless, it seemed for now they’d gotten away with the precious ring.
Although, upon returning to his university digs, Trevis finds he’s unable to pull the ring off his finger. Furthermore, the next morning, he wakes to find the flesh on his hand had started to rot away.
And with each day that follows, Roger Trevis’ hand gets worse and worse. The ring unwilling to yield from Trevis’ now skeleton like hand. But worse still, the apparent curse of Costain’s ring is making Trevis see things. Things which haunt him. Things which should be long dead and buried not walking around before Trevis’ own eyes…
DLS Review:
Ahhhhh…the age-old plot of a curse befalling those which steal from a grave. It’s a classic premise, but one which is executed in a highly entertaining way within this short horror comic.
As with all of these PCL comics, the pacing of the story is swift and straight to the point. Indeed, from the very first page we’re flung into the midnight graverobbing, and after this, straight into Trevis’ troubles with removing the ring. From there we get to sit back and watch as the young graverobber gradually goes mad seeing random corpses instead of people.
For the most part Trevis just confides in his friend, Bill, about what he’s seeing and the problems with his now skeleton hand. Amusingly, all the while he tries to retain some degree of normality, not wanting to raise suspicions at the university that he and Bill were behind the grave robbery. So, poor old Trevis goes around wearing a glove the whole time, whilst desperately trying to find a way to end this whole horrifying situation he’s now in.
We can all guess where it’s ultimately heading – with Trevis needing to return the ring to Alwin Costain’s grave. However, being a PCL offering, of course its not quite so simple. In fact, the climatic ending is nothing short of a wonderfully elaborate horror finale, with supernatural wackiness pretty much bursting out of every frame!
It’s another cheesy story, utilising an age-old premise, but one which elaborates on it to deliver more bang for your buck with drama and creepy paranormal craziness. The illustrative artwork does the storyline proud too, with the dusty old corpses which Trevis keeps seeing, all looking suitably eerie in a ‘Tombs Of The Blind Dead’ (1972) kind of way.
Plenty of fun to be had in this sinister story of horrific comeuppance, made all the better for the spectacularly dark ending.
The comic book runs for a total of 64 pages.
© DLS Reviews
