Vault of Horror #12

"Portrait in Wax!" is a chilling tale from Vault of Horror #12 (1950), a standout story written, drawn, and inked by Al Feldstein, whose sharp, suspenseful storytelling and stark visuals deliver a haunting descent into paranoia and dread. The issue follows Gloria as she flees her husband Ralph on a train, only to find herself trapped in a nightmare where every passenger lies dead—and her husband’s final act may be more twisted than she ever imagined. Johnny Craig’s cover, a masterclass in eerie composition, captures the story’s dread with a haunting image of a woman frozen in terror, perfectly mirroring the tension within.