I can’t be the only person who has often found the writing of H.P. Lovecraft somewhat impenetrable, right? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the world of the Old Ones he established, and who doesn’t have a soft spot for Cthulhu, but Lovecraft’s writing is so dense that I can’t say I’ve ever quite found my into his work through his own craft.
Instead, my fondness has come from various adaptations or creations inspired by Lovecraft. John Carpenter’s Lovecraftian In The Mouth of Madness is one of my all-time favourite films, while Nicolas Cage did some excellent work in The Color Out Of Space. Alan Moore and Jacen Burrow’s comics Neonomicon and Providence are personal favourites as well, though don’t tell our friend and former BBP scribe David Sandford Ward that.
I think it’s safe to add Gou Tanabe’s manga adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness to my list, especially as published in a gorgeous hardcover by Dark Horse Comics.
Here’s the log line:
Nominated for the Eisner and Harvey Awards, Gou Tanabes adaptation of H.P. Lovecrafts At the Mountains of Madness is available at last in Dark Horses acclaimed Deluxe Edition manga format, following in the footsteps of Berserk, Hellsing, and Blade of the Immortal!
In 1931, an expedition team arrives at a campsite in Antarctica… to find its crew of men and sled dogs strewn and dead. Some are hideously mangled, as if in rage—some have been dissected in a curious and cold-blooded manner. One man is missing. But a still more horrific sight is the star-shaped mound of snow nearby… for under its five points is another mass grave and what lies there is not remotely human!
At the Mountains of Madness is a journey into the core of Lovecrafts Mythos—into the deep caverns and even deeper time of the dead continent where the secret history of our planet is preserved. Since it was first published in Astounding Stories during the classic pulp era, At the Mountains of Madness has influenced both horror and science fiction worldwide!
“I love H.P. Lovecraft…It would be great to adapt him as a serialized manga, but I actually saw Gou Tanabe create a great adaption of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories. Afterwards, I ended up not doing it because I thought I wouldn’t be as good as Gou’s version.”–Junji Ito (Uzumaki, Black Paradox)
At the Mountains of Madness is arguably the defining work of Lovecraft’s canon, and in Gou Tanabe’s hands (able assisted by translator Zack Davisson) it’s delivered in its most horrifyingly accessible package ever. Tanabe’s artwork is a feast for the eyes, and his take on the discoveries the doomed expedition shine in glorious black and white.
It’s worth noting that At the Mountains of Madness is yet another stellar hardcover production from Dark Horse. In a world of oversized and heavy omnibus collections from publisher, Dark Horse always finds the sweet spot between the highest quality hardcovers that are still easy to pick up and read.
For anyone looking for some spooky reading or an accessible way into the world of H.P. Lovecraft, Gou Tanabe’s At the Mountains of Madness is a perfect place to start.
