Review: The Mountains Of Madness
From Blue Fox Comics
New from Blue Fox Comics, and taking in the writings of a classic Lovecraft story…
This is The Mountains Of Madness.
In 1932, two years after the initial Antarctic expedition, another sets off to try and discover exactly what happened on that fateful trip.
Before it leaves, a stranger gives a notebook to the expedition director, Howard Pym, and implores him to read it before they reach their destination.
Preoccupied with the voyage ahead, Howard forgets about it, and naively sails into the dangerous waters ahead.
So, first of all. I haven’t read any Lovecraft directly, I know, I know, but I am aware of the mythos and the stories around it. So this story wasn’t totally *ahem* alien to me. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a story I had read so there were no preconceptions1.
Onto the story, and we get a good foreboding introduction. This works well in two ways - one to set up the potential threat of something else going on and a second to work into a good flashback scene later.
We get some excellent storytelling before we get to the mountains, building in with the artwork. With newspaper clippings, flashbacks and maps being utilised. These all work well as a framing techniques for the various story beats. The artwork and colouring make this an easy read, with the different parts being differentiated.
And that artwork is on full show when we get to the Gates of Antarctica, with a grand view of the icy landscape ahead of the ships.
From here, things move frantically, and even while I was taking it all in, I thought it was a fast-paced story. As two of our explorers delve into the mountain, the discovery has no end. Even with some aforementioned Lovecraftian horror that I recognised, to the initiated, there is enough to allow you to enjoy the story and what is happening, even to the degree of knowing what will come.
The art and colours continue to be amazing in this story. Even in the dark gloom of the caves, with some storytelling, and to the brighter confines of…somewhere else…! The artwork is excellent, with clever use of shadows and foreboding in both the foreground and background.
The story's ending is an excellent run, with some close calls and a clever finish. I even felt myself taking a breath when I finished it. There is an interesting finish to the story, with something that makes some sense and is sad. I did love the postscript too.
An excellent read for experienced Lovecraft readers or those who are new to the theme.
I’m looking at you, Jurassic Park