H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Dunwich Horror #1” Comic Book Review (Spoilers)

H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror

Publisher IDW

Written by Joe Lansdale

Art by Peter Bergting

Article by Fister Roboto of lefthandhorror.com

A man stands on top of a hill deep in the country. He’s using a camera on a tripod and snaps a photo of what seems to be invisible footsteps treading through the water and trees. “It’s loose.” the panel says. The panel shows the man’s hand on his phone as he types “Close.” He gasps and runs to his car. He floors it through the country, distracted as he drives. Careless and scared, he drives head on into a tree. Injured, he runs from his car, nervously looking over his shoulder with panic. With no warning, the man is drawn up into the air. His head distorts and his eye pops out as he’s carried away. We hear his screams in a far away shot.

Two men and a woman, friends and a relative meet in a nice country home after the funeral. They discuss their research and mutual fear of things to come. It’s revealed that the man killed had his head literally pulled off. After some nervous discussion they agree to drive to the place where the man was killed. Along the way they encounter a pile of dead animals and grow increasingly nervous when they mention that the thing could be right next to them since it’s invisible. The issue ends with a literal whirlwind of human and farm animal bodies, all decapitated, swirling in the air.

Okay, I’m not going to pretend to know much about IDW Comics. I don’t own a single issue of their previous titles. This issue is interesting and fairly accurate to Lovecraft’s Dunwich tale. It’s beautifully painted and flows from page to page. This is part one of four, so I expect this to get ten types of disturbing when it’s all said and done. Also included in the issue is another opening chapter of Lovecraft’s “The Hound”.

This is perfect reading on the dark and gloomy, October night. I fully intend on picking up issue #2 next month.