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chloekg's review
3.0
Thoughts: "Woah, that’s fucked up, but also kinda sexy. I need to have an important conversation with myself about fictional media, shame, and my bodily responses." and "Moore used orgone to make art depicting orgone and subsequently aroused it in me. There are energies beyond our current capacity for measuring signals in matter. Woah."
Aesthetics: Page turning plot, pulp-Gothic framing, Big On-Brand Alan Moore exploration of language and mystic psychedelia, a surprising (and potentially off-putting) flavor of Quentin Tarantino, nice sprinkle of comedy banter between characters, and so-so art. It's a good meld of body-horror-Lovecraft detective noir with an unusual balance of being both breezy and upsetting.
Overall Reflection: I struggled to name why three stars instead of four. It was too fast paced for the horror to really creep in on me, and while horrifying, the climax is relatively abrupt, I wasn't made to stew in my discomfort. A good deal of the prose is heavy-handed allusion or passages of aklo, which were interesting but interrupted my flow. Together, the pacing and prose made it feel blander than its content would merit. Reading them as the spaced-out comics would be different than as a collection like I did.
Aesthetics: Page turning plot, pulp-Gothic framing, Big On-Brand Alan Moore exploration of language and mystic psychedelia, a surprising (and potentially off-putting) flavor of Quentin Tarantino, nice sprinkle of comedy banter between characters, and so-so art. It's a good meld of body-horror-Lovecraft detective noir with an unusual balance of being both breezy and upsetting.
Overall Reflection: I struggled to name why three stars instead of four. It was too fast paced for the horror to really creep in on me, and while horrifying, the climax is relatively abrupt, I wasn't made to stew in my discomfort. A good deal of the prose is heavy-handed allusion or passages of aklo, which were interesting but interrupted my flow. Together, the pacing and prose made it feel blander than its content would merit. Reading them as the spaced-out comics would be different than as a collection like I did.
charleswritenow's review
2.0
The writing was pretty much on the wall early on, but I was still shocked by how f*cked up it ended up being. I went into this entirely blind. Grabbed it off a shelf at one of the libraries here. I have enjoyed what bits of Alan Moore's work I've come across and expected something provocative but... not quite this.
What is most frustrating is that there's an interesting story to tell here. The lens through which it is told is f*cking disgusting, unfortunately. Moore writes some compelling stuff. Burrows draws up some incredible art. But, I think I'd be better off having not encountered that third chapter.
What is most frustrating is that there's an interesting story to tell here. The lens through which it is told is f*cking disgusting, unfortunately. Moore writes some compelling stuff. Burrows draws up some incredible art. But, I think I'd be better off having not encountered that third chapter.
jmbz38's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.25
abattleofmice's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
kennasan's review
1.0
Once again, Moore takes a previously interesting story written by another author and then adds horrific rape scenes and racism as an attempt at creativity.
wflegias's review
4.0
Me sorprendió la historia, al principio fue muy difícil tomar el ritmo de la lectura y hay escenas en extremo gráficas, no lo recomiendo a lectores jóvenes o personas sensibles a Gore.
El final fue de lo mejor que he leído y ayudo dar una nueva visión a los antiguos, dicho esto recomiendo el comic a los fan Lovecraft y puedo decir que desde mi perspectiva mantiene Alan Moore mantuvo vigente una narrativa casi igual.
El final fue de lo mejor que he leído y ayudo dar una nueva visión a los antiguos, dicho esto recomiendo el comic a los fan Lovecraft y puedo decir que desde mi perspectiva mantiene Alan Moore mantuvo vigente una narrativa casi igual.
thisisstephenbetts's review
2.0
Rapey Lovecraftian horror. This felt really rushed - the dialogue showed Moore at his most leaden, exposition-laden worst. The truly unpleasant elements may have worked better in a better Alan Moore story, but were gratuitous here. The plot felt flimsy and arbitrary. An awkward mess. Lovecraft deserves better.
zare_i's review
4.0
So this collection is a weird one. Story "The Courtyard" is pretty much what you be expecting from the Lovecraft story. There is horror element, bizarre people uttering incomprehensible words and a detective hunting down mysterious murderers that seem completely unconnected, independent from each other but commencing gruesome murders in a same way. And then detective makes the mistake.
Story is full of tension, you do not see much of actual bloodshed - everything is right there but somewhere in the periphery of your vision. As I said very Lovecraftian.
Then we get to "Neonomicon" story arc. It is basically continuation of Courtyard but now detective from that story is arrested and committed to mental institution after events in "The Courtyard". Nobody knows what happened to the man - he speaks same gibberish language as those he initially hunted himself - but everything points to the same location where he sought the murderers. Two agents (male and female, where female has certain sexual addiction problems) are sent to investigate and then situation escalates rather quickly - very soon horrendous creatures start popping out. It ends on a rather strange (and rather depressing) note for the humanity itself because in the end everything hints to birth (and thus invasion or awakening) of ancient monsters bent on destroying humanity. Are we but a dream of a monster or do we all exist on separate astral planes and monsters are thinning the borders between the planes thus endangering us? Is what we see the past or the future - are the monsters yet to be born in the first place? Are Lovecraft's works basis for the strange cults or are they inspired by true stories buried down by authorities? Again, very interesting and very Lovecraftian.
And then we get to most conflicting part of this story - monster raping above mentioned female agent. Is it disturbing, oh believe me it is. Following contains spoilers so proceed at your own risk. That aside in regard to the topic of monster rape... As I said this is very disturbing scene and as far as I can see it is main reason why people don't like this collection. Again very understandable. With all of that keep in mind that sexual attack was always present in Lovecraft stories - never the detailed act itself but in hints and general neurosis and madness of the events. Also do note that in art first step for shock is always through sex and nudity. It must be something in us that drives us that way but I am yet to see representation of decadent society that does not include some sexual perversion or other (just look at Metabarons and latest [and even rather good [but using same approach]] Elric of Melninbone series of graphic novels).
In many aspects this story seems very much like Warhammer40k story - especially time warping and establishment of monster portals through living beings. But again W40K has many common elements with unspeakable terrors from Lovecraft.
So to sum it up - pretty much what you would expect from Lovecraft is present here: depression, madness, hints of horrors and no happy ending.
This is not for underage readers due to rather traumatic part of the story - it is prolonged sequence, that indirectly shows all the horror, fear and despair (there are no explicit scenes in here) and maybe this is what makes it more horrifying. If you cannot stomach it then I would not advise you to go through this comic collection.
Recommended to all fans of Lovecraft and horror stories.
Story is full of tension, you do not see much of actual bloodshed - everything is right there but somewhere in the periphery of your vision. As I said very Lovecraftian.
Then we get to "Neonomicon" story arc. It is basically continuation of Courtyard but now detective from that story is arrested and committed to mental institution after events in "The Courtyard". Nobody knows what happened to the man - he speaks same gibberish language as those he initially hunted himself - but everything points to the same location where he sought the murderers. Two agents (male and female, where female has certain sexual addiction problems) are sent to investigate and then situation escalates rather quickly - very soon horrendous creatures start popping out. It ends on a rather strange (and rather depressing) note for the humanity itself because in the end everything hints to birth (and thus invasion or awakening) of ancient monsters bent on destroying humanity. Are we but a dream of a monster or do we all exist on separate astral planes and monsters are thinning the borders between the planes thus endangering us? Is what we see the past or the future - are the monsters yet to be born in the first place? Are Lovecraft's works basis for the strange cults or are they inspired by true stories buried down by authorities? Again, very interesting and very Lovecraftian.
And then we get to most conflicting part of this story - monster raping above mentioned female agent. Is it disturbing, oh believe me it is. Following contains spoilers so proceed at your own risk.
Spoiler
Captured by the cult and offered to the unspeakable monstrosity of the deep as a sex toy agent barely survives and at the end is even offered help by that very same monster because it sensed something in her that makes her very special for its kind. After police rescues her and kills the monster in the process, strange language and images become more regular and soon she finds out that she is actually a portal for this horrendous creatures into our own reality. When she meets the detective from "The Courtyard" and starts talking the strange language she gets the confirmation that she is living portal that will enable monsters takeover of the planet and rise of their civilization. Crazed detective calls her a Chosen and even raises her to the level of deity - all of this just shows how dangerous she is to human civilization.In many aspects this story seems very much like Warhammer40k story - especially time warping and establishment of monster portals through living beings. But again W40K has many common elements with unspeakable terrors from Lovecraft.
So to sum it up - pretty much what you would expect from Lovecraft is present here: depression, madness, hints of horrors and no happy ending.
This is not for underage readers due to rather traumatic part of the story - it is prolonged sequence, that indirectly shows all the horror, fear and despair (there are no explicit scenes in here) and maybe this is what makes it more horrifying. If you cannot stomach it then I would not advise you to go through this comic collection.
Recommended to all fans of Lovecraft and horror stories.