H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu

Francis Thurston’s uncle, an archaeologist by the name of George Angell, has recently passed away at the age of 92.  He lived a full life, although the last few months of it were consumed by an investigation into something known as the Cthulhu Cult.  The worshiping of a strange tentacle-headed idol, the chanting of “Ph’nglui mglw’nath Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn” by various natives, and a nighttime sacrificial gathering in Louisiana were just some of the things that George investigated at the end of his life.  Now his research materials are in the hands of Francis and he has to decide whether or not to continue on the path his uncle started on, to follow it down whatever dread ending it leads to.

“The Call of Cthulhu” is the latest manga adaptation of a Lovecraft story from mangaka Gou Tanabe, who has also given us “The Hound and Other Stories,” “At the Mountains of Madness,” and “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.”  This is the least of Tanabe’s long-form adaptations, but it’s not a bad read overall.  That’s because his intricately detailed art is still impressively creepy and manages a sustained feeling of dread throughout.  The volume also finishes strongly with the best bit of story being saved for last.

That’s the thing, though, as “The Call of Cthulhu” in this form feels a bit disjointed with Francis and George’s escapades not quite cohering into what feels like a complete story.  I couldn’t find any sources stating that Lovecraft’s original story was serialized in multiple parts, but that’s what it feels like we’re getting here in a somewhat clunky fashion.  Then you’ve got the fact that Tanabe winds up having to actually draw unknowable cosmic horror for the story’s climax, and while the results are interesting, they don’t come off as scary as you’d hope.  So chalk this one up as a partial misfire:  Not as good as what has come before, but still worth checking out to appreciate its merits.