Messing with the classics is dicey business. Sure, a lot of good stuff has come from taking the greats and adding news twists and ideas, but obviously any new versions are going to be judged against the originals and, to stand up, they'll have to offer something worthwhile.

Edgar Allan Poe's Haunt of Horror is, unfortunately, a failed attempt at reinventing the classic works of Poe. Rich Margopoulos handles the scripting, and I can't say I enjoyed his interpretations very much.

His prose version of "The Raven," for instance, takes the story in an entirely new direction than Poe had intended and adds a little more violence to the climax, but it sullies the memory of sainted Lenore. "The Tell-Tale Heart" abbreviates the original and adds a twist that, while ironic, cheapens the original effect of the narrator's madness. "The Conqueror Worm" now involves aliens.

Fortunately, these versions all have the original poem or short story included, so you can compare and decide for yourself.

Of course, artist Richard Corben is actually the star of this book, so fans of his artwork should rush to get it. I have never been a fan, however, so his black-and-white illustrations here did nothing to enhance my enjoyment -- even as "Izrafel" becomes a gang war and "Eulalie" becomes a mail-order romance.

Corben and Margopoulos have their fans, and more power to them. But even combined, they're no Poe.