Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Eerie 66


This issue of Eerie, dated June 1975, is an all El Cid special. El Cid was a spanish knight, who made his first appearance in the previous issue, Eerie 65. The cover is provided by Sanjulian. Berni Wrightson provides a one page intro from Cousin Eerie and El Cid on the inside front cover. Gonzalo Mayo provides art for the entire issue. Some very nice art here by Mayo, in some of his earliest work for Warren.

The first two stories are "The Seven Trials" and "The Seven Trials of El Cid Part Two" by Bill Dubay (story) and Budd Lewis (dialogue). El Cid defeats a sorceror king in battle, who curses El Cid to suffer from seven trials. El Cid's ship is soon attacked by a group of sirens that they defeat. The last one, a nymph is taken captive by them. More trials start arriving including a dragon, evil dwarves and others. El Cid falls in love with the nymph but she is killed as the last trial occurs. He awakens on a ship soon after however and realizes it has all been a dream, and that the nymph is alive and well as the nurse who has taken care of him.

Next is "El Cid and the Vision" by Gerry Boudreau (story) and Budd Lewis (dialogue). In this story the Moors have attacked El Cid's kingdom. El Cid encounters a mysterious black knight in the woods that he battles, but the knight vanishes just as he's about to kill El Cid. El Cid then goes to see his king and ends up killing a man who criticizes him. El Cid proposes that he take on the Moor's best knight to determine whether they or the moors will be the victor. The knight ends up being the very knight that he encountered earlier. By using his knowledge of that battle, El Cid is able to defeat him.

Fourth is "The Lady and the Lie" by Gerry Boudreau (story) and Budd Lewis (dialogue). El Cid encounters two demons, Ahriman and Az, known as the Lie and the Lust. The two demons try to get El Cid to damn himself by killing two imaginary lovers. They try with El Cid yet again later but once again fail. They turn their attention to a woman and get her to kill her lover by making it appear that he is sleeping with another woman. El Cid goes to hell to defeat them and save her.
Last is "The Emir of Aragon" by Jeff Rovin (story) and Budd Lewis (dialogue). El Cid assists in the defeat of the Emir of Aragon and is given a woman, Arias. El Cid brings Arias back to his kingdom with her, but she plots to frame him, sending a letter in his name to get the king to come and see him. Another man comes in the king's place and is killed by her when she enters. El Cid goes to battle and defeats the Emir of Aragon once again, and Arias while fleeing ends up falling on her own knife and dies.

No comments: