I have been a fan of both classic television series KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER and the legendary gothic soap opera DARK SHADOWS since I was a kid. If you also dig both of these programs then you will definitely want to check out the KOLCHAK TALES:: ANNUAL ONE which is a cool book by Moonstone that devises the first ever meeting between Karl Kolchak and Barnabas Collins. While the meeting is crafted into a simple tale, it is still an enjoyable – and fun – read since the creators obviously have a love for both series.

The Kolchak comics have been published by Moonstone for a few years now and I think they are somewhat unfairly overlooked by fans of horror television and comics. When I first picked up a copy of the book I was a little skeptical that it would be any good. Yes, I had images of the awful SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN comics in my head. You know the type of books – hack work that have nothing to do with the original series. Well, this obviously was not the case with the Kolchak comics as they are a true labor of love written by people who have an endearing respect for the series. It looks like they grew up on their series watching it during its CBS LATE NIGHT and SCI-FI Channel re-runs. Their love for the character shines through and that makes it all the more fun to read.

Back in 1981 when I would stay up super late to watch the back to back airings of THE AVENGERS and THE NIGHT STALKER, I thought I was the only person who really loved the series. Then, in 1993, I purchased a brilliant book on the series called THE NIGHT STALKER COMPENDIUM and it showed me that there were others out there. Well, it looks like they still are out there and they are putting out great comic books. Moonstone deserves a ton of praise for allowing them the opportunity to write new – from the heart – Kolchak tales.