Midnight Tales #5

Charlton's Midnight Tales #5 from September 1973 presents a wonderfully eerie carnival atmosphere, with the top-hatted, cadaverous Coffin the Great Magician stepping out of a green-draped coffin alongside the dark-haired Arachne — swords, crystal balls, and a bemused audience completing the unsettling stage show. The speech balloons add a perfectly dry wit to the macabre scene, hinting that this magic act may not go entirely according to plan. Wayne Howard's linework, coloring, and lettering all come together in a cohesive vision that makes this twenty-cent issue a fine showcase for the "Midnight Philosopher and Arachne" in their story, "One for the Devil.