Tales from the Crypt #39
"Undertaking Palor" is a chilling tale from Tales from the Crypt #39 (1953), where the grave itself narrates its lonely existence—mocked by other graves for lacking a corpse to call its own. When a casket finally arrives, it brings not peace, but a haunting cycle of betrayal and retribution, as the restless dead return to claim their due. Written by Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein, with art by Joe Orlando and lettering by Jim Wroten, the story unfolds with eerie stillness, its grim twist delivered through the voice of the earth itself. The cover, a striking piece by Jack Davis, captures the story’s gothic dread in bold, expressive lines.
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This story is told by a grave. It speaks of spending lonely years of being laughed at by the other graves, because they have children (corpses) while the narrator remains barren. Finally a casket is brought to the craving grave, but the body of Cynthia does not rest in peace. Her no-good nephew, who once robbed her, returns with his wife and begs forgiveness. Cynthia takes the two of them in, only to be murdered for her money. Her rotted corpse then rises from the grave and buries her nephew and his wife alive in her spot thus giving the grave two "children" instead.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).