I wanted to like this more than I did. The art was difficult to like at first, but grew on me. The lettering was sterile, and added nothing to the book. The writing itself at times captured some of the horror that Lovecraft was so good at evoking, but too often lapsed into wooden dialogue spoken by two-dimensional characters.

From the point of view of a Lovecraft fan who has actually read Lovecraft (I get the impression that this is increasingly not the case), I found this incarnation of the mythos to be uninspired and at times naive. The idea that Abdul al-Hazred and Nyarlathotep are hanging out 24/7 at an inn in Arkham is unintentionally comic. The one thing the book does really well is the Dreamlands, which is wonderfully weird and surreal, thanks in no small part to the art.

In the end, I found Fall of Cthulhu Vol. 1 a sometimes engaging horror story that entirely misses the point of Lovecraftian horror. Instead of gently nudging us toward an understanding of the cosmic nature of mythos horror, Nelson clubs us over the head with it. ( )

Very interesting start of the series. ( )

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The Fugue comprises the first 5 issues of Fall of Cthulhu now brought together in a graphic novel. I think it is a smashing success and will give most Chtulhu mythos fans as much reading enjoyment as it gave me. I read them as they came out in comic book form but now you don't have to squirm with imaptience between issues!

Fall of Cthulhu #0, Boom Studios, March 2007 - written by Michael Alan Nelson, , art by Jean Dzialowski, colors by Imaginary Friends Studio - In this introductory book to the best Lovecraftian comic book series ever, we are first treated to a vision of R'lyeh rising. Then we see the final (?) days of Abdul Alhazrad in Damascus 731 AD, as he is swallowed up by some nightmarish demon. He is taken through the Dreamlands (rendered here with much more vivid and surreal panels than our world) to the Nameless City where he is taken to task for the writing of Al Azif. His body is taken by a party unknown to a destination unknown. We then fast forward to the present day when Mr. Arkham and his assistant Conner retrieve the body from a swamp. Alhazrad must be revived to write a new chapter of Al Azif. Wonderful stuff here! I was hooked from the first panel.

Fall of Cthulhu #1, Boom Studios, Apr 2007 - written by Michael Alan Nelson, art by Jean Dzialowski, colors by Imaginary Friends Studio, cover A Tyler Walpole, cover B Vatchie Malian - The story begins with Cy Morgan having lunch with his fiancé Jordan at some outdoor café in Arkham. They are interrupted by a bag being thrown onto their table, as it happens by Cy's uncle Walter McKinley who looks much the worse for wear. He proceeds to blow his brains out all over the table. Cy is given that bag by the police, almost as an after thought. Uncle Walt had been doing research in Brazil but returned 2 months early for some reason. The bag contains research materials (a draft of a thesis about `The Call') and a rather eldritch looking knife that doesn't seem to want to stay put away. Cy can't get hold of his sister Sarah to tell her, and Uncle Walt's apartment is empty. Later that night, in a dream Cy is confronted by his uncle, and ends up following him into the Dreamlands. There he meets an grotesque entity known as the Harlot, a giver and keeper of secrets, from whom he tries to find out more about his Uncle Walt. It turns out Walt was staying at Mr. Arkham's boarding house, and keeping a very bizarre idol in a closet. After you read this comic you will not be able to pass up any of the rest that follow, it is that good. It is much more entertaining than most of the mythos short stories I read.

Fall of Cthulhu #2, Boom Studios,May 2007, - written by Michael Alan Nelson, art by Jean Dzialowski, colors by Imaginary Friends Studio, cover A Tyler Walpole, cover B Vatchie Malian - Jordan and Cy have a small argument after Walt's funeral, particularly after Cy apparently keeps forgetting to put away the knife. The idol had the word Cthulhu written on the base, which it turns out was the password to Walt's thumbdrive. The drive contained images of a book in Arabic, which Cy will now attempt to have translated by a friend, Brad Fagen. When Walt goes back to the boarding house, he finds the priest from the funeral in front of the idol, naked and tattooed and cutting himself to pieces. Apparently Mr. Arkham is up to something, as he seems to have staged all this for Cy's benefit. Reality is now seriously starting to fray, as Cy didn't put the knife away again, so he has a fight with Jordan, and when he goes to see his friend Brad who was translating the Arabic writing he has been maimed in a most horrible way. While there is something weird going on outside the hospital, Cy and Jordan's apartment was ransacked. That night, Cy ends up back in the Dreamlands where he sees a great hunter from a distance. The Harlot tells him it is Nodens, and offers to explains about the Call of Cthulhu...but all secrets have their price. Another corking good read with a compelling story, excellent mythos sensibilities and terrific art.

Fall of Cthulhu #3, Boom Studios, Jun 2007, - written by Michael Alan Nelson, art by Jean Dzialowski, colors by Imaginary Friends Studio, cover B Tyler Walpole, cover A Vatchie Malian - The police are investigating the apartment break in and are suspicious of Cy. Unfortunately he and Jordan are fighting over his pursuing his uncle's affairs...plus he keeps forgetting to put away that knife. Not knowing what to do Cy stops for a chat with the reassuring Mr. Arkham. On the way home he discovers to his dismay that the priest from the funeral apparently was not a priest at all. Jordan threatens to leave Cy. Getting to end of his tether Cy slips into the Dreamlands again. There he offers a piece of himself to the Harlot to try to make some sense of what's been happening. She gives him a rather cryptic answer. When he awakens Cy is witness to a gruesome hunt, and hears some things about Cthulhu and Nodens. Unfortunately the hunters hear him snap a twig right at the end of the book...I see nothing not to like in this episode. The story is great, carefully plotted with vivid execution.

Fall of Cthulhu #4, Boom Studios, Jul 2007, - written by Michael Alan Nelson, art by Jean Dzialowski, colors by Imaginary Friends Studio, cover B Tyler Walpole, cover A Vatchie Malian - This issue starts out at 90 miles per hr as Cy is caught up as the prey in a hunt he doesn't understand (and in this series it is pretty easy to figure out who is being honored by this hunt). He is dragged kicking and screaming back into the Dreamlands by some nightgaunts, but is rescued after a fashion by the Harlot. Because of this she/it has a confrontation with Nodens (the writers/artists made a choice to depict Nodens almost like a classical Greek god, not exactly what I imagine but we'll see where they go with it). Cy ends back in our own world after a rather cryptic conversation, and tries to go the police station to report a crime. Of course, all evidence is gone and now the police don't like him. Cy visits his maimed friend, Brad Fagen, in the hospital. After that he goes back to Mr. Arkham's boarding house; Cy is really starting to lose it. He decides to walk away from the whole thing to stay with Jordan, and tells as much to Mr. Arkham. Unfortunately, Jordan is not in the best frame of mind, and Cy really should have put away that knife... This issue was a worthy addition to the story arc. I really can't imagine any mythos fan not being captivated by this book.

Fall of Cthulhu #5, Boom Studios, Aug 2007 - written by Michael Alan Nelson, art by Jean Dzialowski, colors by Imaginary Friends Studio, cover B Tyler Walpole, cover A Vatchie Malian, and for the first time Andrew Ritchie is credited with the Dreamlands sequences (maybe he did them for all the issues to date?) - Cy is drowning his sorrows in a bar when Mr. Arkham and Connor catch up with him. Surprise, surprise, Mr. Arkham and Connor really want the knife and Mr. Arkham is not quite as genteel as we've been lead to believe. When he wakes up Cy decides to get his gun and confront Mr. Arkham, trying to find some answers. Mr. Arkham reveals his true identity******************spoiler alert**********************************************************************************************************
...it's Nyarlathotep, in case you hadn't figured it out. Nyarlathotep reveals its/his scheme to Cy as he is dragged into a room with resurrected corpse of Abdul Alhazrad, who needs human blood to write his latest prophecy. They are trying to call Cthulhu, to wake it, so it may be hunted by Nodens. Cy finds himself back in his uncle's old room with the idol, and discovers the unexpected fate of his missing sister. Cy ends up catatonic to the real world but finally achieves a measure of enlightenment and peace in the Dreamlands. We find out something Nyarlathotep does not know, and then we have a perfect denouement to the first 5 issues of Fall of Cthulhu.

As you may have guessed, I am a big fan! I read a lot of Lovecraftian fiction and can be harsh critic. I found nothing not to like; you are in for a real treat if you pick this up. Comment | Permalink ( )

not bad.... This seems to suffer from something a lot of books do lately with glossy finish. The "darker" scenes are so dark it's sometimes hard to make out any details. Or perhaps my eyes are failing. There's some plot holes and some rather ...well, hard to believe stuff. A little closer to the Derelth side of the mythos than the Lovecraft side. The dreamland parts though were quite good. A quick little read. I wouldn't go out of my way for it but I don't regret having read it. Dark, macabre and violent.