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Cover: Joe Kubert

House of Mystery #290

Mar 1981 · DC · 0.50 USD

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★ 1st appearance — Andrew Bennett

About this Issue

House of Mystery #290 marks the debut of Andrew Bennett — DC's signature heroic vampire — and the launch of the 'I...Vampire' serial, one of the few long-form, character-driven narratives to run inside a Bronze Age anthology title. The strip was unusual for its era in treating a vampire as a genuinely tragic protagonist burdened by moral conscience rather than as a monster, a storytelling approach that distinguished it from the broader horror-anthology format that surrounded it. Its success helped shift House of Mystery away from pure anthology filler toward sustained serial storytelling, and the character proved durable enough to be revived in DC's 2011 New 52 relaunch. The issue consequently stands as the origin point for one of the most continuously re-examined corners of DC's supernatural mythology.

In "I... Vampire!", writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Tom Sutton craft a chilling tale of cursed legacy, as Andrew Bennett recounts the haunting transformation of his beloved Mary into Mary, Queen of Blood. With haunting visuals by Sutton and atmospheric coloring by Adrienne Roy, the story unfolds as Andrew, alongside present-day allies Deborah Dancer and Dmitri Mishkin, faces the relentless Cult of the Blood Red Moon. The cover by Joe Kubert captures the gothic dread of the tale, a 50-cent gem from 1981 that remains a standout in DC’s eerie anthology series.

Contains 4 stories

I... Vampire!

10 pp · Horror-Suspense

Andrew Bennett (introduction)Deborah DancerDmitri MishkinMary Seward (flashback)

An Exercise in Fear

5.5 pp · Horror-Suspense

Cain (host)

Special Defects

7 pp · Horror-Suspense

Cain (host)

Untitled Humor story

1 pp · Humor

ComicBooks.com Value

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Raw (Fine) $24

CGC 9.8 · 22 in census $604*

CGC 9.6 · 33 in census $247*

CGC 9.4 · 30 in census $155

CGC 9.2 · 19 in census $109*

CGC 9.0 · 16 in census $89*

CGC 8.5 · 6 in census $73*

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CGC 8.0 · 6 in census $67*

CGC 7.5 · 4 in census $32*

CGC 7.0 · 7 in census $27*

CGC 6.5 · 5 in census $25*

CGC 6.0 · 6 in census $24*

CGC 5.5 · 3 in census $20*

CGC 5.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 4.5 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 4.0 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 3.5 · 2 in census $20*

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FN+ $54 VG $69 The House of Mystery issue 290. I…Vampire $26.44

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History

Writer J. M. DeMatteis originally pitched the series to editor Len Wein under the working title 'Greenberg'; Wein approved the concept but rebranded it 'I...Vampire,' a title DeMatteis later recycled for his 1985 Marvel graphic novel. The debut issue was edited by Len Wein and carries a cover-date of March 1981, though the Grand Comics Database records its on-sale date as December 22, 1980 — meaning it actually reached newsstands in late 1980 despite the 1981 indicia. The cover was produced by Joe Kubert, a notable assignment for an anthology backup feature, lending the premiere installment visual prestige above its page count.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of Andrew Bennett (I...Vampire) and Mary Seward / Mary, Queen of Blood — both created by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Tom Sutton.
First appearance of supporting characters Deborah Dancer and Dmitri Mishkin, Bennett's human allies in the present-day narrative.
The 'I...Vampire' story in this issue is 10 pages long and debuts as a backup feature within House of Mystery's three-story anthology format; it would eventually grow to dominate and even appear alone on the title's cover.
Cover date: March 1981; on-sale date: December 22, 1980 (per Grand Comics Database / Comic Reader #186). Published by DC Comics Inc. in both Direct and Newsstand editions, as well as a British Price Variant (15 pence).
The cover is penciled and inked by Joe Kubert, with colors by Tatjana Wood.
Len Wein is credited as editor; the introductory framing page is written by Wein and drawn by Greg Curry. Adrienne Roy is the colorist for the interior 'I...Vampire' story; lettering is by John Costanza.
The 'I...Vampire' serial ran from this issue (#290) through House of Mystery #319 (August 1983) — 24 installments — with an additional crossover appearance in The Brave and the Bold #195.
The entire original 'I...Vampire' run, beginning with this issue, was collected in a 320-page DC trade paperback (April 2012, ISBN 978-1401233716); the debut story was also reprinted in DC Through the '80s: The End of Eras (2021) and in an international Dutch edition (Juniorpress, 1984).