Customer Reviews

Graphic Classics: H. P. Lovecraft (2nd edition) (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels))

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As was mentioned before, this has only a passing Lovecraft influence here. For the most part, it seems like a compilation of Sunday Funnies clips with a few that i guess were influenced by Lovecraft. There are unfortunately, also many strips that really have nothing to do with Lovecraft whatsoever. Add to all of that what basically seems like remedial art skills and writing that often makes no real sense, no color illustrations, and boring overall premise, and i see no reason why you would bother with this. I noticed that the positive reviews were from people who bought this for their kids. That might be a good use for this. However, if you are an adult (or teen for that matter), expecting the content to live up to the title, you will definitely be disappointed. Dont bother with it. There are actual Lovecraft stories in graphic novel form that are actually well written and illustrated out there. This isnt one of them.

I thought this book was going to be really good when I first saw it. When I opened it up I was immediately disappointed. The drawings in here are mediocre and don't represent Lovecrafts work at all. I'd maybe give this to a small kid to get him started on Lovecraft, but besides that this book is not that good. If you want a good comic book adaption of Lovecrafts work, get The Haunter of the Dark by John Coulthart. Way better drawings in that one.

To start with; I bought this as a gift for my son who was turning seven, He's had his little mind twisted by Herbert West and Cthulhu for a while as I have been reading him Lovecraft as bedtime stories. The graphic classics is what you would expect from a graphic novel; slick cover art, some nice art inside and if you have never read any Lovecraft it may be an easy way into it. If you have read Lovecraft it is a bit of a letdown only in that the pictures you have in your mind are so much worse than anything someone else is going to draw up. My son has been reading and re-reading it almost every day so I think its money well spent!

H.P. Lovecraft has a certain.. Way with words.. Having some of his greatest tales like Shadow over Innsmouth brought to life in pictures is well worth this books low price. Tho it only has 7 stories in it, i did not hesitate to order my copy.
Very talented artists. Just overall amazing. :]

I love this book. I bought it because of my love of HP Lovecrafts work and am overjoyed with the quality and attention paid in the content provided in this book

This is a very good book to read on a dark stormy night, all kidding aside though I did enjoy it, and found that some of the classics like Poe translate well over to graphic novel format, which was unexpected. It is like finding a treasure after high school forced reading of books that you could not associate with.

Overall five stars, enjoyed it a lot, worth picking up and reading.

The works of H.P. Lovecraft have never had great success when adapted for film, TV, or comics. I think in failing to understand the nature of the source material...Lovecraft's unseen, indescribable brand of terror, film directors and comic writers have always tried to too hard to bring his work into the light, instead of allowing it to fester in the shadows. This is why we've seen so many truly terrible film adaptations of his work.

I'm happy to say that Graphic Classics finally has it right! Rather than making wholesale changes, the stories stick to the source material and many of the tales in the book end up actually being illustrated stories as opposed to traditional sequential artwork. You can't explain Lovecraft to someone who doesn't get it, so why try. Graphic Classics almost stubbornly clings to the spirit and tone of the original stories and delivers the best comic adaptation yet of Lovecraft's work.

This is the recently released second edition of this title and it features seven stories including: The Shadow over Innsmouth, Dreams in the Witch House, Sweet Ermengarde, Herbert West: Reanimator, The Cats of Ulthar, The Terrible Old Man, and the Shadow out of Time. It's an eclectic collection to say the least. The Shadow over Innsmouth and Dreams in the Witch House are Lovecraft classics while Herbert West: Reanimator is probably Lovecraft's most macabre work.

The Shadow over Innsmouth relate the terrible story of a young man who visits the seaside New England town of Innsmouth, a dying, dilapidated town that reeks of fish. There he learns the terrible history of the town and of the strange, "Innsmouth look" of its inhabitants. He further finds out his own lineage is connected to Innsmouth.

Dreams in the Witch House draws upon Lovecraft's own upbringing in New England of the old gabled houses, many of which still stand today. A student named Walter Gilman rents a room in one of these ancient homes, a room with oddly configured geometry. His dreams are haunted by the spirit of a witch named Keziah Mason who fled Salem centuries earlier, and her rat familiar Brown Jenkin.

Lovecraft was not a fan of Herbert West: Reanimator, considering it spectacular drivel. There's no questioning though it's influence on the modern day Zombie lore. The story is told by an unnamed assistant to West. West begins to experiment with trying to revive corpses while at Miskatonic University. With a further need for fresh bodies, he becomes an army surgeon during World War I, and is soon animating not only entire bodies, but body parts as well. The original story, and this adaptation, is far better than the campy films starring Jeffrey Combs. A truly ghoulish story and masterfully done by Tom Pomplun and artists Richard Corben, Rick Geary, J.B. Bonivert, and Mark A. Nelson.

Shadow Out of Time by Matt Howarth is another strong piece. This is a Cthulhu Mythos story about a man possessed by one of the Great Race of Yith who have mastered time travel and can transfer their conscious into the minds of other living beings. It is Professor Peaslee's unfortunate burden to learn about them and the Ancient Ones who even the Great Race fears and tries to keep locked away.

Only Sweet Ermengarde seems a curious choice for inclusion, if for nothing else other than the fact that it is one of Lovecraft's least well-known stories. This is a book that Lovecraft fans can rejoice in as Eureka Production as finally done Lovecraft right.


REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

Being a big fan of classic and horror literature I happened across these books quite by accident . I was immediatley struck by the talent of the artists across the board ranging from the comedic interpretations to the serious. These graphic novels are a wonderful way to access Lovecrafts work whether you are a novice or devoted follower. But be warned they are addictive and you will want to colleect the whole series .

H.P. Lovecraft was a reclusive and idiosyncratic New England writer whose horror fantasy stories were to influence generations of authors down to the present day. Now seven of his macabre tales have been illustrated by a series of skilled artists into the newly revised and enlarged second edition of the fourteen volume of the increasingly impressive Graphic Classics series from Eureka Productions. The illustrated stories comprising "Graphic Classics; H.P. Lovecraft" include 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' (Simon Gane); 'Dreams in the Witch-House' (Pedro Lopez); 'The Shadow Out of Time' (Matt Howarth); 'The Cats of Ulthar' (Lisa K. Weber); 'The Terrible Old Man' (Onsmith Jeremi); 'Sweet Ermengarde' (one of Lovecrafts attempts at comedy and illustrated by Kevin Atkinson); and 'Herbert West: Reanimator' (presented in four chapters illustrated by Richard Corben, Rick Geary, J.B. Bonivert, and Mark A. Nelson respectively). A 'must' for the legions of Lovecraft fans and very highly recommended reading for graphic novel enthusiasts, this second edition 'Graphic Classics: H.P. Lovecraft" is enhanced with the addition of illustrations by Skot Olsen, Gerry Alanguilan, Jim Nelson, and Maxon Crumb.