This is the second anthology of graphic adaptations of stories by H. P. Lovecraft, the American horror writer whose work continues to influence authors across the globe.
Although a prolific writer of short stories, which were published in the popular pulp magazines of his day, it could be argued that the cream of the crop were plundered for the first volume. Lovecraft may not have written many stories that were terrible, but with classics like The Shadow Over Innsmouth already adapted, this second volume feels like a second tier of stories. The quality doesn’t wane, but they aren’t as familiar as the likes of The Call of Cthulhu.
Having said that, the adaptations are superbly executed. In previous reviews of Lovecraft adaptations, such as At the Mountains of Madness, we’ve argued that some of the true horror of Lovecraft is lost in a comic, because it’s so difficult for an artist to make Lovecraft’s unknowable horrors more scary than the images conjured by your own brain. However, the collection here is a remarkably good choice of stories, with some that aren’t spoiled by a solid graphic visualisiation (The Dog, for example) and others that have just been so well executed that it doesn’t matter.
If you liked the first volume then this is a good follow up, especially if you’re looking for a modernised, graphic, illustrated path into Lovecraft’s world. As a starting point however, you’d be best off sampling the previous volume first.
