House of Mystery #211
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeHouse of Mystery #211 (February 1973) is a fine representative artifact of DC's Bronze Age horror anthology renaissance — the period when editor Joe Orlando transformed the title from a tame, Comics Code–neutered curiosity into a genuine gothic showcase. The issue brings together Bernie Wrightson's macabre cover art and Cain host-page illustration alongside interior story art by Filipino master Nestor Redondo, whose meticulously detailed, lushly brushed pages were emblematic of the broader 'Filipino invasion' that reshaped American anthology comics in the early 1970s. While it does not introduce a first appearance of lasting significance, it exemplifies the creative formula — Wrightson atmosphere up front, Redondo craftsmanship inside, Aragonés wit on the gag page — that made the title one of the most artistically diverse anthologies DC published during the era. The issue's content was later deemed worthy of inclusion in DC's Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery Vol. 2 trade paperback, affirming its standing as a representative chapter in the title's Bronze Age run.
In "Deliver Us from Evil," a desperate village turns to Dravos to end the terror of a werewolf stalking their valley—only to trade one horror for a far more ancient and insidious evil. Written by Jack Oleck and brought to life with haunting detail by artist Nestor Redondo, this eerie tale from House of Mystery #211 (1973) blends folklore and dread in a story that lingers long after the final page. The chilling cover, a striking collaboration by Bernie Wrightson, perfectly captures the creeping unease at the heart of the tale.
In "Deliver Us from Evil," a desperate village turns to the hunter Dravos to end the terror of a werewolf stalking their valley—unaware that his solution may bring a far darker fate than the beast they already fear.
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By the time issue #211 shipped with a cover date of February 1973, Joe Orlando — an EC Comics veteran who had taken over House of Mystery with issue #174 in 1968 — had thoroughly overhauled the title's identity, pushing it toward atmospheric horror within the limits of Comics Code scrutiny. Nestor Redondo's presence in the issue reflects a deliberate editorial strategy: Orlando, together with DC publisher Carmine Infantino, had scouted Filipino talent and opened the American market to a wave of artists whose page rates and sheer draftsmanship made them invaluable to the anthology titles. Redondo had first appeared in House of Mystery with issue #194 (September 1971), and by #211 he was a reliable anchor for the lead story, here scripted by longtime anthology workhorse Jack Oleck.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published by DC Comics with a cover date of February 1973 (on-sale approximately January 31, 1973); 36 pages, full color.
- Cover art and the Cain host-page splash are both by Bernie Wrightson, giving the issue two distinct Wrightson pieces — an atmospheric vampire cover and a tonally contrasting humorous interior splash.
- Lead story 'Deliver Us from Evil' is scripted by Jack Oleck and illustrated by Nestor Redondo; it follows villagers who discover that eliminating a werewolf may invite something far worse.
- Second story 'Money to Burn,' also scripted by Jack Oleck, is illustrated by Dan Green and follows a corrupt rich man whose attempts to bribe his way into heaven earn him the opposite destination.
- Third story 'Unholy Change!,' scripted by Sheldon Mayer and illustrated by Gerry Talaoc, centers on a magic mirror that allows its owner to slip between alternate versions of history.
- The 'Cain's Game Room' humor page is written and drawn by Sergio Aragonés, reflecting his regular gag-cartoon contributions to the title during this period.
- Nestor Redondo was among the Filipino artists recruited into the American market through the advocacy of Tony DeZuniga and the editorial support of Joe Orlando; his meticulous, classically detailed brushwork became one of the defining visual styles of DC's Bronze Age mystery anthologies.
- Stories from this issue were reprinted in both the French anthology L'Insolite (Arédit-Artima, 1980) and the Norwegian Iskalde Grøss (Semic, 1983), as well as in DC's own Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery Vol. 2 (2007) in black and white.
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Reprinted in Superman Supacomic #179 (1974), Weird Mystery Tales #19 (1975), Weird Mystery Tales #20 (1975), Green Lantern Album #2 (1976), L'Insolite #17 (1980), Iskalde Grøss #2/1983 (1983), Iskalde Grøss #4/1985 (1985), Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery #2 (2007), Classici DC: House of Mystery #1 (2009), Das Geisterhaus #7
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