Edgar Allen Poe’s Snifter of Terror Season Two returns with more pulp fun and shenanigans in the run’s second issue, which features a 1950’s sci-fi take on The Conqueror Worm and a new “Monster Serial” called The Leprechaun King along with new poems, a short story, and the Looney Tunes-esque Poe and the Black Cat. Much like the first issue of the season, issue two brings a welcome dose of levity to Poe’s usually dreary subject matter– this reimagining of The Conqueror Worm is an enjoyable (if cheesy) throwback to a bygone era of giant creature features in the vein of The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms. The art and dialogue both emulate the tradition they’re pulled from very well and the inclusion of lines from the original poem makes the story feel a little more ominous than it would otherwise have any right to be. My only concern is the inclusion of a drawing of Poe as a Funko Pop figure at the beginning of the story– was this a brand deal? I don’t understand why he’s staring at me with those beady, haunting little Funko eyes.

The star of this issue for me was undoubtedly The Leprechaun King. Having not read any of the previous “Monster Serials” (apparently these existed in the previous season, but I’ve not read them). I had no idea what to expect from this short, and it took me a frankly embarrassing number of panels to catch on to the conceit of this mini-series, which I won’t spoil here because it’s too fun to put together on your own if you aren’t yet familiar. Suffice to say, fans of Wacky Packages and pop art will get a huge kick out of this one.

Last but certainly not least, every issue of the Snifter of Terror ends with a smattering of poems, short stories, and Poe and the Black Cat (a short form comic reminiscent of MAD’s Spy vs Spy). These short features really round out the comic and give it more of a magazine or even a variety show feel. This issue the stand out was the short story Like Lambs to the Slaughter by Scott Morse, which despite having a predictable punchline was still enjoyable in its cynicism. Don’t sleep on Edgar Allen Poe’s Snifter of Terror, these books are a lot of fun!

Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Terror Vol. 2 #2 is available now on Comixology and at your local comic book store!