The last time Marvel’s Vampire Tales series was collected somebody had the bright idea of shrinking the original magazine format pages into a digest-sized publication, making their 1970s text-heavy presentation virtually unreadable. Good news then that Dark Horse are the latest publisher to take on licensing some of the lesser-known Marvel comics of yester-decade and republish this one in a more appropriate form. Completists should take note of the ‘Best of’ labelling though. Whether that’s about quality or problematic ’70s perspectives remains to be seen. Dark Horse have an excellent track record in re-presenting vintage horror though as their EC and Warren collections show, and the Marvel horror line is some of the most under-rated Bronze Age work out there. More in the press release below.
TAKE A BITE OUT OF MARVEL HORROR COMICS WITH “THE BEST OF MARVEL’S VAMPIRE TALES”
The legendary bloodsucking stories showcased in an oversized hardcover
In a celebration of the history of Marvel Horror comes The Best of Marvel’s Vampire Tales Volume One, the first in a series of Dark Horse collaborations with Marvel Comics to excavate the hidden corners of the Marvel Universe and re-present its most ghoulish tales in beautiful archival hardcover editions. Helmed by comics historians Chris Ryall and John Lind, alongside designer Chris Shadoian, the oversized collection will feature full-color reproductions of the covers of Vampire Tales, along with a brand-new introduction and countless stories from one of the magazines that ignited a new horror-comics boom for Marvel.
One of the black-and-white horror anthologies debuted by Marvel Comics in 1973, Vampire Tales, included
The Best of Marvel’s Vampire Tales Volume One contains nearly 300 pages of terrifying tales from the first six issues of the magazine, including stories by comic-book talent such as Alfredo Alcala, Rich Buckler, Ernie Chan, Chris Claremont, Gerry Conway, Bill Everett, Gardner Fox, Steve Gerber, Carmine Infantino, Tony Isabella, Gil Kane, Stan Lee, Don McGregor, Pablo Marcos, Esteban Maroto, Doug Moench, Tom Palmer, John Romita, Jim Steranko, Tom Sutton, Roy Thomas, Marv Wolfman, and more!
Sink your teeth into the foundational frights of Marvel Comics Horror in The Best of Marvel’s Vampire Tales Volume One when the 360-page (8.375×10.875”) hardcover arrives in bookstores and comic shops on August 18, 2026, for $65.00. Pre-order now from Barnes and Noble, or your local bookstore or comic shop. Visit Find Your Comics Store (FYCS) or Bookshop.org for more details and stores near you.
