Boris Karloff's Gold Key Mysteries - Volume 01 Issue 01

My Rating

“Where House”

Maricopa County, Arizona, 2:43 am – a SWAT team van pulls up alongside two sheriff’s vehicles parked fifteen miles out in a remote area of the southwestern desert. An unmarked helicopter passes over the scene of federal agents and local law enforcement officers. The men have gathered in front of an abandoned Victorian mansion.

The Sheriff of Maricopa County seems to be in a heated debate with a federal agent named Gira. “Where the hell did that house come from”, the Sheriff asked. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you”, Agent Gira responded flippantly. Gira was part of an ultra secret governmental task force charged with investigating unexplainable events. This particular house has been on the agency’s radar since the year 1969.

Two days prior the structure appeared in a Las Vegas suburb. Several police were sent to investigate the strange 911 calls from local residents. Before the officers could breach the front door of the Victorian, a strange red light began to pulsate from the led glass windows. Then the house was no more.

Agent Gira orders the local SWAT team members to ready themselves to move in and secure the building. Their instructions are to investigate the interior of the house and report back through coms. Three, two, one, go! The tactical unit swarms in through a strangely unlocked door. As minutes go by the Sheriff and Gira listen in on an open line. Then suddenly gunfire erupts, and several guttural screams fill the radio transmissions. Then the feed goes silent.

“My Twin No More”

In the high stakes world of advertising even the most beautiful see flaws in their appearance. Meet Alexis, the company’s highest paid woman executive and head of global marketing. Today she has just wrapped up production meetings on her big new lingerie campaign. As her copywriters begin to leave the boardroom, Alexis can overhear three of them talk about her PTO plans. Their snarky quips about her plastic surgery sends her into silent rage.

So what if she has a little work done once in a while? It’s not like it’s hurting anyone. Or, is it?

“Cherry”

Tonight is a big night! Chef Kelly Digs is about to open the doors on his newest restaurant. The event served as both celebration and memorial for his recently deceased partner, Chef Eddi Albert. Without his tragic death, none of this would have been possible. Unfortunately Eddi’s little known allergy to shrimp would be his downfall.

It was Kelly who had found his partner sprawled out dead on the kitchen floor. It was also he who found Eddi’s lucrative recipe book at the Appleseed restaurant death scene. In Kelly’s mind he deserved to carry on his partner’s work. For if anyone is to profit from this tragedy, it might as well be him.

With all the police investigations concluded, it’s time to get rich. Welcome to New Dig, patrons. Try our specialty cocktail drink, whole cherries included in every glass.

Reviewer Notes

Okay. So, I hate to disappoint all of the classic Gold Key collectors out there, but Boris Karloff’s Gold Key Mysteries has nothing to do with vintage Gold Key reprint stories. In fact the only thing Gold Key about this production is the original logo.

I’m not against indie books or the use of public domain characters by any means, but this seems a little bait-and-switchy to me. Last year I read that a group of artists secured the rights to use the Gold Key backlog. I assumed they were planning to release reprints of Gold Key’s more popular books. I had no idea they were planning to produce new stories on a shoestring budget.

In my opinion, the classic Boris Karloff imagery does not mesh well with the modern indie art and storytelling. Readers who collect Gold Key books are into 1960’s era horror. I find it hard to believe young readers will sustain the sales of future releases.

With that said, I did enjoy the writing on the first and third stories. The second story flew over my head. Who is the woman’s double? What is the woman’s double? Is she a twin sister, a genetic doppelganger, or a pod person? Why do events that happen to one affect the other?

I loved the art on the third story. It’s very Hellboy adjacent. I just wish the whole book would have been released under its own title. I give this debut issue three out of five stars.