By Hervé St.Louis
June 3, 2006 - 18:19
Boom Studios has released several anthologies with their various artists all based on a theme. While last year, they went all the rage with zombies, it seems that they are targeting Cthulhu this year. All six stories in this anthology are about the demonic creature that turns men into lusting and vicious maniacs. One caveat about this story is that if you are unfamiliar about Cthulhu, you may miss some of the significance of the events. A good introduction to Cthulhu in the inside cover would have been more beneficial than the usual column by the editors.
Like all anthologies, the stories are uneven. At least, most are entertaining and I would like to see some of them developed further. In particular, the story about the father seeking a solution to free his daughter's soul is quite intriguing. Others just sound like Vertigo material. In fact fans of Vertigo should like this book. It's the same territory the DC Comics' imprint has covered for years. Another tale I liked was the obsessive Cthulhu creature that would not leave.
Boom Studios seems to be developing talents like a farm house. I like the way they are doing it. By mixing better know artists with lesser known talents, they offer a good mix and the chance of training some of these guys which will help them in other regular series. The artwork and liberties taken were fun. All visuals were strong and there were no weal link.