Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft and Other Comics

Marvel comics recently published a 3-issue run of their 'Haunt of Horror' series featuring Lovecraft stories adapted by comics great Richard Corben. Issue #1 features "Dagon", #2 "The Music of Eric Zann", and #3 "Arthur Jermyn". Generally, I liked the black-and-white artwork much more than the story adaptations, but these are still worth seeking out. You can probably find them in your local comic book store.

While you're at it, also pick up Joe Hill's excellent 6-issue IDW Locke and Key series, Joe Lansdale's 4-issue updating of Robert E. Howard's classic story "Pigeons From Hell", from Dark Horse Comics, and horror comics master Berni Wrightson's "Dead, She Said", a cool horror-noir also from IDW.

As my cat Debbie would say, "Good stuff!"

Can anyone recommend any decent Lovecraft comics? I know that there are a lot of titles out there that simply capitalize on the HPL name while featuring sex and gore horror, but I'm talking about the real deal... How about some worthwhile general horror comics that are currently being published?

There are always the Dark Tower Comics (not horror) that I am very impressed with. The Stand is also coming out in comic book form, and Dean Koontz's Frankenstein.

Hello, Mister.E! Hmmm... as much as I like Stephen King, I've never been able to get into the Dark Tower series, but looking at some of the online art for "The Long Road Home" just now makes me wonder if this might not be the way to go about it. My local comics store is having a midnight release party for the new books with alternate covers soon.

I shy away from the name Dean Koontz, but I am attracted by all things Frankenstein. Is it worth a look?

Someone should adapt Hodgson's "The House on the Borderland" in comics form!

The Dark Tower comics are definetly worth it. The art is amazing, and even without the original Dark Tower story they can be enjoyed. I also like the Frankenstein comics. They are not much like the regular Dean Koontz books.
I agree on Hodgson's. If I were a "Comic Creator" I would want to start adapting different horror books by people like Richard Laymon (although they may be too grotesque), Richard Masterton, Clive Barker. I would love to see comtemporary horror comics like this!

"Someone should adapt Hodgson's "The House on the Borderland" in comics form!"

It's been done. DC's Vertigo line did it years ago.

Interesting, inkdrinker! Was "The House on the Borderland" the actual title used by Vertigo? Do you know how many issues it ran?

Mister.E, I do know that publisher Cemetery Dance has an EC-styled comic book called "Grave Tales" that features contemporary stories by the likes of Richard Laymon, Joe Hill, William F. Nolan, and others. I've never actually seen one, but here's a link to their website. Nifty covers...

http://www.cemeterydance.com/page/C/PROD/_gt005

Hi
The House On the Borderland is currently available as a hardcover:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1563895455/ref=nosim/librarythin08-20

Richard Corben did the art for it as well. Great job.

Now I have more comics to buy! Another good place to find horror comics, and news is

http://www.comicmonsters.com/

Thanks, arthurfrayn! And it's drawn by Corben, no less! I'll be certainly picking it up!

As for comicmonsters.com - just what I needed!

Arthur, Vertigo's version of The House on the Borderland was very well done. I enjoyed Corben's artwork more than the story adaptation, although I must admit that I did like the updated version of the wraparound story. It's a nice addition to my Hodgson collection.

I'm now hooked on Marvel's The Dark Tower series. I picked up both The Gunslinger Born and The Long Road Home and am collecting "Treachery" as it comes out. Great storytelling, great artwork. I'm also reading "The Stand: Captain Trips". Thanks for the recommendations, Mister.E!

I also want to mention that Harris Publishing has released Vampirella: Crimson Chronicles Maximum, which collects the Archie Goodwin / Jose Gonzalez Vampi stories from the early 70's era Warren magazine. Goodwin does a great job (better than I remembered), but I've gotta say that the artwork by Gonzalez is simply incredible! Unfortunately, the book has a terrible cover by a contemporary artist who subscribes to the "boob job and hard body" school of drawing women. It fails miserably, especially when compared to the vintage Vampi back cover by Sanjulian. Still worth picking up, though.

Now, I'm also very interested in finding the best source for a color collection of the "2000 A.D." comics from the 80's that featured Judge Dredd and Nemesis the Warlock. Is there something that's still in print? How many volumes, what's the title - and where can I find them? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

"Arthur, Vertigo's version of The House on the Borderland was very well done. I enjoyed Corben's artwork more than the story adaptation,..."

I agree; it's really all about the art. But Corben really creates a suitably evocative atmosphere in the adaptation.

double post

Anyone reading Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead series? Really well executed, and pretty much in keeping with George Romero's vision of the zombie apocalypse. Besides great art (black and white), and compelling story lines, this is one of those tales where no one is safe. And I mean NO ONE.

Also just got the first issue of Joe Hill's 'Locke & Key: Head Games'. Nice!

I just finished reading volume one of Robert Kirkman's "The Astounding Wolf Man". WOW! It starts off as a kind of generic supernatural superhero series, but by the end it become a delicious train wreck of epic proportions. I can't recommend this series enough. The artwork is rather cartoonish - it actually reminded me of the work that the Pander Bros. did for "Grendel" way back when - but I started to dig it after a few pages. Very different from "The Walking Dead" in style. This one's a keeper.

14> Kenton, I haven't read the comics, yet, but saw the first season of the TV adaptation and WOW! I knew it was going to be good when the main character plugged a little girl zombie in the head in the first five minutes before the credits even rolled. The whole thing had me really invested in the characters, not to mention making me actually cry because of a TV show/movie for the first time in forever.

>16 DeusExLibrus:

The comics have always been character-driven, using the Romero blueprint but taking it off into new directions. I was glad that the TV series carried on with this, making it much more effective than your average zombie apocalypse. I had some quibbles with it ultimately, but I look forward to the next season.

#14/15 - I've just started picking up The Walking Dead. Have not read it yet.

The Pander Brothers had an odd mini-series out in the '90's called Exquisite Corpse. I never picked it up, but now I wish I had. It was a three issue series designed to be read in any order.

By the way, there was an excellent series originally published by Adventure Comics (in color) and later reprinted and expanded by Calibre (in black and white) called The Worlds of H.P. Lovecraft.

Adapted by Steve Jones with excellent artwork by a guy named Octavio Cariello, each issue adapted a single Lovecraft work. They ran through The Lurking Fear, Beyond the Wall of Sleep, The Alchemist, The Tomb, The Picture in the House, The Music of Erich Zann and Dagon. I think there might have been more, but that is what I currently have.

>18 jseger9000:

I enjoyed the Pander Bros' 1980's stint on GRENDEL.

The new SWAMP THING reboot from DC by Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette seems promising. Issue #2 just came out.

On the Halloween schedule for this year is Vol. 2 of the Dark Horse reprinting of the original Warren Vampirella series. Jose Gonzalez finally gets to take over Vampi about three-quarters of the way through this volume. No one could draw her like JG!

I've also been enjoying Joe Hill's THE CAPE and Locke & Key from IDW. Also from IDW I've been following the comic book adventures of my favorite actor, Godzilla, in GODZILLA: KINGDOM OF MONSTERS and GODZILLA: GANGSTERS AND GOLIATHS.

Eric Powell's amazing series THE GOON makes an occasional Lovecraftian reference.

I gave up on AMERICAN VAMPIRE and THE DARK TOWER (but I'm still digging THE STAND).

So, a lot of good horror comics out there, although I'm not seeing a lot of classic "weird" adaptations or influences.

Well, to leave horror for the more general weird, the production of Barsoomian comics is currently in overdrive.

Marvel just started the run of their John Carter: A Princess of Mars movie tie-in comic. I can't say that I'm very fond of it: like the movie trailers, there seems to be altogether too much clothing, and the rough-line "cartoony" style doesn't suit the subject-matter in my opinion.

Since last year Dynamite Comics has begun not one, not two, but three Barsoom comics, none of which have yet stopped. In addition to the straightforward Burroughs-adaptation-with-supplements of Warlord of Mars title (which actually starts with the plot of Princess), there's a Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris title which has original stories, and Warlord of Mars: The Fall of Barsoom chronicling an ancient history of black, white, and yellow Martians, in addition to the familiar reds and greens. There are a number of art teams involved in these projects, and I've liked the Dejah book best for both story and illustration.

I've checked out some of those Dynamite Barsoom comics (though got a little overwhelemed by the different titles). I also saw they did a reboot of Buck Rogers. They look like fun and I liked the artwork, but have not read any of the series.

I'm afraid all Barsoom comics will have too much clothing. Unless maybe some European does an adaptation. Corben could do it, but it would probably feel repetitive for him.

Speaking of general weird in comics, did anybody besides me read Shade the Changing Man put out by DC/Vertigo in the '90's? I guess it is probably more plain *weird* than 'wierd fiction', but I really enjoyed that series.

I eat my words - IDW is publishing H.P. LOVECRAFT'S THE DUNWICH HORROR! Written by none other than Joe R. Lansdale

http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/1875/

Should be out this week or next, I believe.

#22 - That reminds me, Joe Lansdale and Tim Truman collaborated on a Lovecraft inspired Jonah Hex miniseries called Riders of the Worm and Such. Those Lansdale/Truman Hex miniseries were excellent.

I was at my local comic shop for the Wednesday sacrament today, and I noticed that the trade paperback collecting all of Alan Moore's Neonomicon (including The Courtyard) is now out. I strongly recommend it, with the caution that it is not for the faint of heart. It has something to squick nearly anyone.

Tintin meets HPL:

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/11/22/tintin-lovecraftian-parody-covers/

I picked up IDW's DUNWICH HORROR comic. The Joe Lansdale story is a contemporary updating of the original "Dunwich". It definitely shows promise and has a couple of memorably shocking panels. I wish it took up the whole issue, but it's shared with Robert Weinberg's telling of HPL's "The Hound". It's alright, but the flowery cursive font they chose to use is extremely hard to read. The last third of this issue is taken up by advertising filler, which is annoying. It might be best to just wait until the Lansdale tale is eventually released in one volume.

IDW is also releasing a Lovecraft collection called THE LOVECRAFT LIBRARY, VOLUME 1: HORROR OUT OF ARKHAM.

http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/1875/

Did a search on "H.P. Lovecraft" on my local public library's website and found a graphic novel which I'd never heard of called Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom; Googled it and found a surprising positive review of same on the Chicago Tribune website (of all places). I'll have to sneak a peek at it the next time I'm in library land.

Here's the link to the Trib review:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-01-24/news/1001210582_1_graphic-novel-br...

>27 artturnerjr:

Never heard of it, Art, but it does sound interesting. Assuming you're going to go check it out from da libarry, let us know what you think.

I just read the final (fourth) issue of the Lansdale's DUNWICH HORROR series and found it to be... pretty good! Much better than his update of/sequel to PIGEONS FROM HELL. If this one comes out in book form, I recommend it.

>25 gwendetenebre:

I missed this thread previously. Those spoofs are delightful.

Posted a quickie review of Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3NWF7XIDQROYF/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=...

>30 artturnerjr:

Good review, Art. The line "dogmatic Cthulhu Mythos enthusiasts will probably suffer a brain aneurysm due to all the "incorrect" Mythos references" tells me all I need to know. I'm not that dogmatic, but my brain thanks ye!

:)

>31 gwendetenebre:

Thanks, Kenton. The author(s) obviously did some research into Lovecraft's life and artificial mythology (for example, the story starts off with HPL's dad institutionalized, which as we know happened in real life), but I got the impression that once they started to get into the nuts 'n' bolts of the Mythos pantheon, creatures, etc., they were like, "Screw it - this is just too complicated. Just make sure we spell the names right and nobody'll realize we don't know what we're talking about." :D

Wasn't expecting this, but I just grabbed issue #1 (0f 4) of RAGEMOOR by the classic creative team-up of Jan Strnad and Richard Corben. I haven't read it yet, but the book does seem to have a very heavy weird vibe. Black and white, too.



ETA - I dig it. Very nicely done comic - Corben's art looks super in black and white. Can't wait to see where it goes.

Took my daughter with for my first visit to our local comics shop in about 6-7 months (see http://www.librarything.com/topic/134778) and was really struck by all the REH- and HPL-related stuff they had; realized that I sometimes fail to appreciate the enormous impact those two writers (not to mention all the other Weird Tales/Lovecraft Circle folks) had on comics/gamer/geek/whatever culture. Now if only that influence would permiate into Hollywood a bit more, perhaps we could get some more decent Howardian/Lovecraftian films.

>34 artturnerjr:

That's great, Art. My 2-year-old daughter loves to visit ”Captain America's house”, as she refers to it. She doesn't collect any titles yet, but she loves to look! There is indeed a TON of Lovecraftian goodness to be found. I just saw a hardcover comic adaptation of AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, done in a cartoonish, rather TINTIN-like style. I think it was from Dark Horse.

ETA

Here's a Comics Journal article on AtMoM. Not sure I agree with everything they say about HPL, but it's a good overview of the adaptation:

http://classic.tcj.com/international/at-the-mountains-of-madness-with-h-p-lovecr...

>35 gwendetenebre:

Yeah, it was pretty cool, Kenton. She is into Pokémon the way I am into Lovecraftian stuff, so naturally she found an abdundance (perhaps an overabundance) of delightful things to look at there. :)

I recently read and reviewed the first volume collecting the Locke & Key comic book, which is called Welcome to Lovecraft. I noticed that another reviewer quite correctly warned readers not to expect Cthulhu or his minions from the use of the name "Lovecraft" in the title. The comic simply takes place in "Lovecraft, Massachusetts." But it is a really fine horror comic.

>37 paradoxosalpha:

Absolutely. Locke & Keye is not only an incredibly good horror comic, but it's one of the best comic books in general being published today. Too bad it's winding down to its finale!

> 38

Well, I'm all for literature that has a place to go and stops when it gets there. It's a big world of reading, and I'm not one of those who will insist that there must be more of whatever I've enjoyed recently. I can even savor the piquancy of an empty bowl.

One of the ongoing/historic tragedies of the comics medium with its corporate ownership of character "properties" is that if something is done well, someone's almost bound to come along and screw it up later -- even if it involves raising the dead. Independent comics have helped to fix that situation, but it persists in the big houses.

>39 paradoxosalpha:

But I'll still miss everyone!

*sniff*

> 40

Well, I can imagine that with the strongly-drawn characters in Locke & Key.

Now, Cerebus had strongly-drawn characters, but after 300 issues of accelerating authorial self-indulgence, I'm sure there were plenty of readers saying "Thank God that's over!"

Just ran across this in a Bud Plant email. The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath in comic book form:

http://budsartbooks.com/prod.cfm/pc/DQUKHS/cid/1

Looks rather Phil Foglio-like.

>37 paradoxosalpha:-41

I've actually never got around to any of Joe Hill's writing, in comics or otherwise. I take it it compares favorable to his dad's?

>39 paradoxosalpha:

One of the ongoing/historic tragedies of the comics medium with its corporate ownership of character "properties" is that if something is done well, someone's almost bound to come along and screw it up later

Case in point:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Before_Watchmen

I see one of the Locke & Key collections has been nominated for a Hugo:

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/04/07/the-hugo-award-nominees-2012/

I just read and reviewed Supergod by Warren Ellis (not to be confused with Grant Morrison's Supergods). I don't want to *SPOILER* it, and it's not a major plot-point, but it does have one of the most surprising introductions of Cthulhu into a non-Lovecraftian narrative I have yet encountered!

>45 paradoxosalpha:

Sounds interesting. My wife just read and really enjoyed the first volume of Transmetropolitan. She's curious about Ellis, so now I have another title to recommend.

>45 paradoxosalpha:

Sounds like it's very much up my alley. I'll keep an eye out. 8)

> 46

Besides Transmet (which is great all the way through), Ellis's Planetary books are an impressive reinvention of a "secret history" of the 20th century. As someone not entirely thrilled by the latest League of Extraordinary Gentlemen books, I think Ellis really did for the 20th century what Moore's League originally did for the 19th: showing how its popular fantastic literature could be played in a superhero format -- with villains and heroes changing roles often as not.

Doktor Sleepless has some of the feel of Transmet, but darker and less far-flung, with an extra helping of supernatural horror.

I also really liked Ellis's anecdotal history of comics Do Anything: Jack Kirby Ripped My Flesh.

I was excited to find that the new Berni Wrightson Frankenstein Alive, Alive! series is due out next week. Check this link for some preview pages:

http://westfieldcomics.com/blog/interviews-and-columns/idw-previews-frankenstein...

>49 gwendetenebre:

Woo-hoo! 8)

Actually, that John Byrne comic looks kinda cool, too. However personally idiotic the man may be, I still admire a lot of his work.

>49 gwendetenebre:

The new Frankenstein book is a winner. Wrightson's artwork is absolutely amazing. The story by Niles needs to be developed more, but holds promise. I'm hoping that there will be some kind of signed hardcover volume eventually. Highly recommended.

I was surprised to hear that upcoming DEEP ONES discussion-target China Mieville has a new DC series coming out this month: DIAL H, a new take on an obscure 1960's series. I'm on board for this one:

http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/01/18/china-mieville-talks-dial-h-and-his-supe...

And it looks like TWO new Godzilla series are upcoming in May and August. GODZILLA ONGOING and GODZILLA: HALF CENTURY WAR, respectively. Here is a spread from the latter:



http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/03/31/james-stokoe-godzilla-idw/

>51 gwendetenebre:

The new Frankenstein book is a winner. Wrightson's artwork is absolutely amazing. The story by Niles needs to be developed more, but holds promise. I'm hoping that there will be some kind of signed hardcover volume eventually. Highly recommended.

Sounds cool. I will probably wait for the collected edition, but will definitely be checking this out at some point.

I was surprised to hear that upcoming DEEP ONES discussion-target China Mieville has a new DC series coming out this month: DIAL H, a new take on an obscure 1960's series.

Hey, if Michael Chabon (Michael Chabon Presents. . .The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist) and Jonathan Lethem (Omega: The Unknown TPB) can have their own comics series/miniseries, why not Mieville? :)

Here is a spread from the latter

Godzilla's speech balloon is one of trippiest-looking I've ever seen.

I've just recently read and reviewed the new Alan Moore League installment ("Century: 2009"). The antichrist that the previous numbers were anticipating turns out to be a cross between Wilbur Whateley's brother and Harry Potter. No lie.

In other League of Extraordinary Gentlemen-related news, Gosh! London has just annouced the following:

NEMO – HEART OF ICE: February 2013

The next League book hoves into view: it’s Jules Verne meets H.P. Lovecraft in a 48-page one-shot set in Antarctica, in the 1920s.

Info about this and other upcoming Alan Moore-related shtuff can be read here: http://www.goshlondon.com/2012/07/more-moore/

I knew it. There was a page or two of stuff about Nemo in 2009 that could only have been to create continuity for a forthcoming issue.

I just picked up Vol. 1 of Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. and it is fantastic. The story is high-octane, over the top monster fun with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek. I highly recommend it. The art is by Alberto Ponticelli, one of my very favorites working today. He did amazing work on Vertigo's THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER and IDW's Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths, too.

Couldn't resist ordering myself a little Halloween present:



ETA

Nice! Beautifully designed hardcover with dozens of Corben's stories from Creepy and Eerie. All are lovingly reproduced. Color & black and white. HIGHLY recommended!

MINI-MEMORIAL

I was saddened to find out that Nick Yutko, the owner of my favorite comics shop, Dreamscape Comics, passed away unexpectedly last week at only 51:

http://tinyurl.com/9pge9sg

I've been getting my comics fix from Dreamscape since the 1980's. The store was a kind of nirvana for comics geeks - not much in the way of order, but piles of comics, toys, models, magazines, books, movies and assorted paraphernalia everywhere. You could find some kind of treasure in every corner or the place. I hope it somehow manages to remain open. Stores like these should be protected as national landmarks!

Here is a special edition of IDW's GODZILLA with the big G himself destroying Dreamscape:



R.I.P., Nick.

Slightly OT, but potentially of interest:

http://www.stephenking.com/promo/little_green_god_of_agony/

Just out: Edgar Allan Poe's The Conqueror Worm by Richard Corben.

> 60

I picked it up Wednesday!

On the subject of Corben, I just read and reviewed the recent graphic novel with Corben art: Starr the Slayer: A Starr is Born. I could hardly decide whether to note it here or in the "Conan!" thread.

I recently read and reviewed Nemo: Heart of Ice, Alan Moore's latest.

What? Alan Moore announced last fall(!) that he's writing a 10-issue(!!) follow-up to Neonomicon and I'm finding out about it just now?!?

http://youtu.be/DFuqI4j-9h4

If Jacen Burrows is back on board for this one, I will be very pleased indeed. 8)

The first part of our fellow LTer Pádraig Ó Méalóid's (http://www.librarything.com/profile/slovobooks) latest interview with Alan Moore, in which they discuss Moore's upcoming Neonomicon sequel (mentioned in #64), along with many other topics:

http://comicsbeat.com/interview-with-alan-moore-part-1/

>65 artturnerjr:

That's a nice long interview. I'm intrigued. I've put Moore's Necronomicon on my wishlist. Will also keep an eye out for Providence.

I liked Neonomicon a lot, but some of my friends found it offensive. I'll certainly look forward to Providence.

It's puzzling that the interviewer expressed incredulity regarding the Harry Potter interpretation of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 2009 that Moore seemed to validate moments later.

In other comics reading, I recently enjoyed the individual issues of The Hammer by Kelley Jones, latterly collected as One Big Lie and The Outsider, which are demented and hilarious weird horror.

>66 gwendetenebre: & 67

Neonomicon was one of my top 5 reads of last year; I thought it was some of the most brilliant and provocative writing that I had seen from Moore in years, which is saying something. Jacen Burrows' artwork is great as well.

>67 paradoxosalpha:

I liked Neonomicon a lot, but some of my friends found it offensive.

I'm pretty sure Moore knew NEONOMICON was gonna ruffle a few feathers when it came out; it's as deliberately horrifying as he and Burrows could make it, which is horrifying indeed. Laura Sneddon over at comicbookGRRRL was one of the few reviewers that understood what the book's creators were up to, imho; I highly recommend her review:

http://www.comicbookgrrrl.com/2011/12/13/comic-review-neonomicon-by-alan-moore-a...

It's puzzling that the interviewer expressed incredulity regarding the Harry Potter interpretation of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century 2009 that Moore seemed to validate moments later.

I confess I have yet to read the Century volume of LoEG yet; I've been waiting for a collected edition of the books to appear, but as my sources inform me that one doesn't appear to be forthcoming any time soon (in the States, anyway), I think I'm gonna have to break down and purchase the individual issues.

In other comics reading, I recently enjoyed the individual issues of The Hammer by Kelley Jones, latterly collected as One Big Lie and The Outsider, which are demented and hilarious weird horror.

I've never been able to decide whether I like Jones' work or not; it always seem to me like it was more or less a straight Bernie Wrightson rip-off. Then again, if you're gonna steal, steal from the best, as the saying goes. :)

I also enjoyed Jones's work on Conan: Book of Thoth.

>69 paradoxosalpha:

Haven't seen that one, although I imagine he would do a pretty cool Conan.

> 70

It's not really about Conan, who is just in the title for branding purposes. It's about Thoth-Amon's original rise to power, so it's all groovy Stygian sorcery.

Part 2 of Padraig's Alan Moore interview:

http://comicsbeat.com/interview-part-2-alan-moore-on-jimmys-end-the-bumper-book-...

Hey! PS Publishing has quietly released the second (numbered the fourth - long story) HC volume of Dick Briefer's Frankenstein! It's published under the "Roy Thomas Presents" headline. This one presents several issues from the cartoonish, funny version. The humor is rather Charles Addams-like. Eventually the series gives way to full-on gruesome horror.

http://budsartbooks.com/prod.cfm/pc/FRA04H/cid/41

I haven't been to a comics store in ages. Anyone reading anything interesting lately? I just bought my wife Pretty Deadly Vol. 1, featuring Death's daughter. Need some suggestions.

I really liked Deep Sleeper (see my review).

>75 paradoxosalpha:

Sounds good. Just ordered a used copy from Amazon. Thanks!

>74 gwendetenebre:

I haven't been reading much that's super-new, but I think Planetary would be very much up your alley if you haven't checked it out yet. I've also really enjoyed reading From Hell (earlier this year) and Marvel's lovingly restored Miracleman reprints (ongoing) - nobody can turn a genre on its head the way that Alan Moore can.

>77 artturnerjr:

I have been reading Planetary on and off for a while now. I'm about halfway through, and yes, it is a fine series.

IDW has a bunch of the Craig Yoe "Chilling Archives of Horror Comics" volumes on the horizon. Scroll through a few eye-popping pages worth of covers here: http://www.idwpublishing.com/product-category/yoe/

The Secret Files of Dr. Drew (Mr. Monsters Presents) looks like a winner. Anyone remember editor Michael T. Gilbert's 1980's Mr. Monster series for Eclipse comics?

Ah, yes. I was Mr. Monster reader back in the day.

>75 paradoxosalpha:

Finished Deep Sleeper. Definitely worth the trip.

>79 paradoxosalpha:

Mr. Monster: http://tinyurl.com/nnv6yj3

>78 gwendetenebre:

I really like the Jerry Grandenetti cover for The Secret Files of Dr. Drew.



"Stalker of the Unknown!"

A link to a brief interview with Alan Moore on Lovecraft, kindly posted by someone at my Alan Moore Facebook group. Apparently Moore has been doing his research for his upcoming Lovecraftian comic Providence, reading Weird Realism: Lovecraft and Philosophy, H.P. Lovecraft: The Decline of the West, and "about two shelves of just Lovecraft criticism":

http://thequietus.com/articles/16129-alan-moore-providence-cthulhu-philosophy-la...

In other Alan Moore news, Moore will be writing a six-issue story arc for Garth Ennis' post-apocalyptic horror comic Crossed (http://www.librarything.com/series/Crossed):

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/09/15/avatar-press-announces-crossed-100-an-ing...

It wasn't the most Lovecraftian Grant Morrison I've encountered by a long stretch, but I just read, enjoyed, and reviewed Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery.

Anyone familiar with The Fall of Cthulhu Omnibus? The price is not bad for a 500 page full color book - but is it any good?

http://budsartbooks.com/prod.cfm/pc/FALLC/cid/1

I was following the individual issues early in the run of that comic. I liked them okay; I never quite got to the point where I really understood what was going on, though.

>84 gwendetenebre: I'm interested in those t0o. I did see an Amazon review complaining not about the contents but the quality of the binding. The reviewer claimed to saw some in the store with the pages already falling out.

>66 gwendetenebre:

Oddly enough the only other reviewer goes out of his way to speak positively about the binding. Hmmmm.....

>87 gwendetenebre: The mysteries of the Amazon review.

I'm thinking I'll go the local comics shop and do some field research.

>88 RandyStafford:

Just received my copy of Fall of Cthulhu Omnibus. The volume a little smaller than I expected, and the glossy pages make it quite weighty. Like compressed mass. I read the first few pages and both art & story are intriguing. The binding is fine.

>89 gwendetenebre: Thanks for your diligent empirical research!

>90 RandyStafford:

I thought that Fall of Cthulhu Omnibus turned out to be pretty good! There might be a few missteps where the "god war" gets a bit misaligned given a purely Lovecraftian paradigm, but it's an admirable effort overall. Very interesting characters abound. Especially Lucifer, a young female thief who proved popular enough to get her own series called Hexed. FoC manages to include some really well-done subplots. I especially enjoyed the last section, which brings the tale full circle via a trip to ancient Atlantis. A bunch of artists worked on the series, none of whom I've heard of. They range from really good to so-so, but none of it is really awful. Recommended!

>91 gwendetenebre: Thanks for the recap!.

Hannah Means Shannon and Bleeding Cool give us some tantalizing glimpses of Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows' forthcoming Lovecraftian comic Providence:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/03/25/i-have-read-alan-moore-and-jacen-burrows-...
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/03/05/alan-moore-heralds-providence-time-go-rea...
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/03/23/dancing-in-cthulhu-slippers-before-the-ab...

It appears that elements from HPL's "Cool Air" are incorporated into the first issue:

https://factsprovidence.wordpress.com/moore-lovecraft-comics-annotation-index/pr...

Has anyone else here been reading Corben's Rat God? I just read the third issue, and I give it a thumbs-up.

>93 artturnerjr:

Thanks for the links, but man alive, the pop-up ads in the images on bleedingcool.com are hideous!

>95 paradoxosalpha:

Agreed. KFC and HPL just don't mix! :D

>94 paradoxosalpha:

The collected Rat God is due out 10/27/15. It's on my list!

Another brief interview with Alan Moore at Bleeding Cool (no pop-up ads this time, PA) on Providence:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/04/23/alan-moore-writes-a-gay-jewish-protagonis...

Quoth Moore: "I would say that it is probably more extreme, in its way, than Neonomicon" (!!!!!!!!)

So, who's got Providence #1 yet?

I'm afraid I had to explain the plot to my comics dealer, although he said he'd read it and thought it was ok. He hadn't read the MS pages at the end, and the two parallel threads in the body of the book (Russell's trip to the park and Black's flashbacks) were too subtle for him to pull together with the final scene.

>99 paradoxosalpha:

Unlike I did with Miracleman, I've actually been trying to resist the temptation to get the floppies of this one, preferring instead to get the collected edition when it comes out. I will almost certainly be picking that up, however.

>100 artturnerjr:

Ah, I got the individual issues of Neonomicon, so I've resigned myself to doing the same with Providence.

But let me see if I can tempt you. The biggest metafictional overtures in the first issue are to "Cool Air" and "The Repairer of Reputations."

>101 paradoxosalpha:

Did you say... "The Repairer of Reputations"? *checks wallet*

I see that Mike Mignola's HPL-themed Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham is finally being released in a collected edition:

http://lovecraftzine.com/2015/03/31/batman-the-doom-that-came-to-gotham/

>101 paradoxosalpha: Did you say... "The Repairer of Reputations"?

The title of the issue is "The Yellow Sign."

Bob Eggleston artwork for a poster.



I like that you can get it from Captain Company, which brings back many fine Famous Monsters magazine memories!

http://www.captainco.com/products/godzilla-v-cthulhu-poster

>105 gwendetenebre:

It had to happen... 8)

>105 gwendetenebre:, >106 artturnerjr:

I thought there was a reason you never saw the two of them together.

I've been enjoying Eric Powell's new Hillbilly series very much. A bit of Wandering John mixed in with some amusing low-brow horror humor.



Providence #11 should be out anytime if it's not already. I'm expecting Moebius Library: The World of Edena, just published by Dark Horse. Anyone else reading any worthwhile comix these days?

I've recently wishlisted Aleister & Adolf; my Other Reader is a Rushkoff fan.

>109 paradoxosalpha:

Intriguing! The Rushkoff of Coercion? I found that worthwhile as an accounting of how latent coercion occurs, unrealistic in suggesting remedies. Perhaps a good combination for anything involving that Aleister and that Adolf.

Yeah, that Rushkoff. He's done comics before; I enjoyed his The-Matrix-meets-V-for-Vendetta-meets-Hebrew-Bible series Testament.

This sounds promising:

https://johnnyalucard.com/2016/12/06/anno-dracula-comic-issue-one-cover-reveal/

Just picked up a new Locke & Key one shot called Small World.

Even better is this Steve Ditko Dark Horse volume which I received for Xmas:



Love that cover.

I just posted my review of Aleister & Adolf.

Bernie Wrightson R.I.P.

http://www.denofgeek.com/us/books-comics/bernie-wrightson/262992/bernie-wrightso...

>115 artturnerjr:

Sad. Wrightson was one of the all-time greats.

I just posted my review of the Dark Horse graphic novel adaptation of Gaiman's A Study in Emerald:

I've recently stumbled upon a reference to the recent first issue of a comics series that is slated for collection as Minky Woodcock: The Girl Called Cthulhu. Evidently, there have been two previous Minky Woodcock comics series, the first centered on Houdini and the second on Tesla. Has anyone here read them? Offer an opinion?

After waiting for the hardcover collected volume, I finally acquired and read The Girl Called Cthulhu, and I am the first to review it on LT: