It is SO rare that I get to read something where I feel like I’m reading something historically great and it’s been years since I’ve read something from Alan Moore that I felt was historically great. My first introduction to Alan Moore was when he took over Swamp Thing back in the mid 80’s so I knew he was fully capable of writing horror. The reason Lovecraft almost always fails to translate into other mediums is because Lovecraft was a master of cerebral horror. It’s never as scary once you actually see the monster because it never lives up to your imagination. Moore wisely includes very few monsters and in the few moments when he does I feel like maybe he shouldn’t.
The story continues writer Robert Black’s investigation through New England as he tries to gather information on some mysterious books on the occult as well as formulate ideas for his own fictional novel. Moore weaves in elements from Lovecrafts stories to create a weird, surreal and often frightening world in which Black travels. Moore’s writing somewhat reminds me of Roman Polanski two brilliant horror movies, Rosemary’s Baby and The Ninth Gate where he kept the horror just on the edge of the viewer’s peripheral vision. The things Black sees would drive a movie character insane but he generally takes them in stride which is probably the way an ordinary human would react. If you were walking along and saw yourself as a passenger in a car driven by a man from a dream, how would you react? It would be shock followed by disbelief and then you would move on with your life chalking it up as just a particularly peculiar moment. What if you read a centuries old book that seem to be relating the events of your recent activities? We, as readers of a horror story think, ‘hey dummy, this book is talking about you’. However, Robert Black does not even acknowledge or consider the possibility that the book is talking about him because who would? It would make no sense in the real world and that’s what gives the story a sense of authenticity. The scariest stories are stories that feel real as if they exist in the world we share.
Anyone who can take the Lovecraftian world and make it work in comic form is a genius. I love the world of Lovecraft and I wish more artists and creators could do it justice. I have fond memories of playing the original Alone in the Dark on the PC although I have a feeling that time has improved the actual experience. Re-Animator is one of my favorite horror films but it hardly had anything to do with the Lovecraft story it’s supposedly based on. In my opinion this is the best Lovecraftian story not written by Lovecraft. It’s a mistake to think that Lovecraftian horror is about fish people and octopus headed gods. It’s about intelligent horror and unearthly weirdness as if the authors mind was legitimately not in tune with the rest of the world. Turns out Lovecraft actually exists in this world and actually meets Robert Black at the end of volume 2. Not sure where Moore is going to take this.
There have been five major theatrical releases based on Alan Moore’s books and not one has had his name attached. Moore has vowed never to have his name included in any film adaption in which he does not own the intellectual property. Could this be the first film with Alan Moore’s name in the credits? I haven’t read volume 3 yet but based on the first two volumes I think this would make a fantastic film and could be the greatest Lovecraftian film ever. There was to be a big budget release of ‘At the Mountain of Madness’, directed by Guillermo del Toro, but that film appears to be indefinitely put on hold. Providence has definitely renewed my interest in Lovecraft and hopefully it won’t be the last five star homage to come out.
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