Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Writer: Ron Marz
Artist: Ivan Rodriguez
Release Date: 30th July 2014

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Sam de Smith Says…

Before we begin: I am a massive HP Lovecraft fan. Obsessively so. ‘Locke and Key’ (Joe Hill’s recently concluded horror romp) caused me all sorts of conflicting feelings. So I was both excited and very, profoundly wary when I heard about this, as I’m rather partial to a bit of Noir, too. Combining the father of modern horror’s sinister seaside village with the man who can expose that truth could go terribly wrong, or brilliantly right.

From the outset, I have to mention the colouring by Inlight Studios: it screams Guillermo del Toro, possibly a little too self-consciously, but it really suits the piece, immediately conjuring his dark, twisted atmospheres. This is reinforced by some unsettling, canted framing that adds to the sense of unease.

We’re then into more conventional action framing, some of which is very clever (love the gunshots) and some is a little pedestrian. The slightly goofy rendition of deep ones is more nifty than it first appears, and the move to a much more brash palette reveals the comic for what it is: a bit of romp.

I enjoyed it very much, and the end was reasonably satisfying and quite neat, if somewhat contrived. Not faultless, not quite what it claims to be, but a good little oneshot nonetheless.

Rating: 4/5.

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Jules Says…

The Shadow…Over Innsmouth. It’s such an obvious idea when you think about it, so it’s surprising that it’s taken someone this long to actually make it happen.

In fact, it’s not hard to imagine the sheer glee Ron Marz must have felt when he had that lightbulb moment. The Shadow…Over Innsmouth. Brilliant.

HP Lovecraft’s original short story is one of his most enduring tales and also one of his most accessible. No madness-inducing, other-dimensional horrors here, just a chillingly effective story of a man trapped in a coastal town where the locals have got a bit too friendly with the local fish-men.

Innsmouth has been revisited and reworked countless times since then, so it’s to Marz’s credit he’s came up with something new.

With their seaplane downed by fog, Lamont Cranston and his assistant Margo Lane are forced to take refuge in Innsmouth, where strange creatures rise from the murky depths at night and strangers are advised to lock their doors. Who knows what evil lurks in the waters?

Well, The Shadow knows. That’s his thing. The pulp hero is such a natural fit in an environment like this it’s not true. The fog-lined streets of Innsmouth suit The Shadow perfectly, with it’s prohibition-era gothic horror perfectly rendered by Ivan Rodriguez’ moody art.

More pulp crime than outright horror, Marz’s script makes this definitely a Shadow book first and foremost, but it works as a cross-genre mash-up, even if it does get a bit Scooby Doo at one point.

It’s a one-off, so nobody is trying to reinvent the wheel here. Instead, The Shadow Over Innsmouth is a fun ride and one that should put a smile on the face of fans of both The Shadow and HP Lovecraft.

Rating: 4/5.