| Fall of Cthulhu #7 |
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| Posted by Joey Ruff |
03:14 AM Wednesday, 24 October 2007 |
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 Following the lore of sci-fi/horror author H.P. Lovecraft, Fall of Cthulhu #7 is a book to pass on. The title, brought to you by Boom! Entertainment and writer Michael Alan Nelson, is rich with gore, sexual themes, strange and bizarre creatures, and is definitely not meant for the younger reader. The quasi-demonic vibe the book gives off from its haunting tone will have you showering to feel clean and sleeping with the lights on so you can see Satan coming for you. Despite the subject matter, the book is well written. With the first five issues, Nelson's usually solid writing keeps the suspense hanging thick in the air and generally leaves you wanting more, wondering what is going to happen next, as Cy tries to solve the mystery behind his Uncle's odd behavior and sudden public suicide. The impending doom and creepy, supernatural aura are felt strongly, even without a prior knowledge of Lovecraft's mythology and his "gods." While the story drops in intensity for issue six, Nelson does a decent job focusing his attention on an otherwise minor character from the original arc in his journeys in the arctic, searching for a lost ship. The newest issue, however, is predictable and violent for the sake of violence. What makes it even more eerie is that it follows the suddenly twisted behavior of a seven-year-old boy after he was given a strange box as a birthday present. A comic-book fan, Jacob is told by a mysterious lady (whom we know from issue 6 to be a body-snatching, demonic skull head with a spinal tail) that the box will grant him superpowers, such as the ability to fly. While the previous issues do a moderate justice to continuity, this issue seems to unapologetically jump around, utilizing no transitions and covering too much time too quickly. Understandably, the issue is intended to take place over the course of some undisclosed time period, months probably, but the flow is choppy and at times hard to follow. Days can pass by in connected scenes...weeks in one page. Only a reader's wits to guide him. Also, beginning with issue 6, the tale boasts no hero, no character to identify with (except for maybe Jacob's parents, who are the victims) and no personal investment in the tale. This is not in itself a bad thing. Many stories can pull this off. With this book, though, there are no redeeming characters, no redeeming qualities in the bad guys...just evil and it leaves you feeling dank. Plus, the one hero the book does deliver, Cy, is weak-willed and easily defeated. Reluctant as he may be, he lacks the conviction any other comic hero would possess; Cy doesn't strive on and push himself in the face of adversity, he simply lies down and gives up. The first story arc gave us art by Jean Dzialowski, and it was often quite remarkable, pretty yet dark enough to match the overall tone. Issue 7 introduces the reader to new artist Marco Rudy who you can just take or leave on the art. Folks looking for something memorable will be disappointed by the consistent, yet just so-so style. All-in-all, save the $3.99 cover price on the book, and put it towards something worthwhile. Maybe go buy some tacos. Comments (0) |
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