C.J. Henderson, writer of both comic stories and novels in Moonstone’s “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” stable, splits the difference in “The Lovecraftian Horror” (2007). In this 96-page illustrated novel, Henderson provides the prose and Jaime Calderon provides double-page illustrations.
Needed a copy editor
What this book doesn’t have is a competent copy editor. Just as Carl Kolchak needs someone to polish his prose, check his facts, and make suggestions for improvements (even if such a person is off-page in these stories), so too do graphic novels. Moonstone perhaps doesn’t provide one in its graphic novel division. (Its traditional comics are relatively cleanly edited.)
It’s no exaggeration to say every page of “Lovecraftian” contains at least one error. A semicolon is used every time a colon is called for, at one point a chunk of text gets repeated, the wrong word is used on a couple occasions, and typos cover the pages like confetti.
“Kolchak: The Night Stalker – The Lovecraftian Horror” (2007)
Writer: C.J. Henderson
Artist: Jaime Calderon
I got this book from the library, but most “Kolchak” works are only available via purchase at a steep price. “The Lovecraftian Horror’s” copy editing is shoddy enough to turn me off from purchasing “Kolchak” prose works.
Granted, I am a copy editor by trade, so I am bothered by these things more than the average reader. But every reader will be put off to some degree.
Hardboiled end of the world
It’s a shame, because Henderson’s writing is solid. He pulls off a hardboiled vibe with Kolchak recounting this story to his Hollywood Dispatch editor, Vincenzo, in a sober narrative. Kolchak had gone up the California coast to investigate a supposed alien sighting.
Something about being so much in Kolchak’s mind – combined with the nice illustrations — allows “Lovecraftian” to stay engaging even though there aren’t any major twists. The creature washed up on the shore is indeed an extra-human entity, if not a literal alien.
Henderson creates an end-of-the-world vibe that meshes well with the literal 21st century, bringing in the military for a grand showdown. And he makes a strong case that this discovery is bigger than usual for Kolchak, so much so that Kolchak is willing to go along with a cover-up.
The reporter believes things truly will be worse (for humanity, not for the government, which he doesn’t care about protecting) if the citizenry gets the full picture.
A slow burn
The idea of a “Kolchak” illustrated novel is questionable, because this saga isn’t visually splashy, except when the monster inevitably appears (except in that one episode where it’s invisible).
This problem crops up in “Lovecraftian.” For example, Kolchak is drinking with a colleague. OK, fair enough: We don’t expect action on every page. But turn the page and he’s still drinking with his colleague.
Calderon does strong work with what he’s given. The monsters and massive scenes of violence are effective. And the smaller moments — such as those shared drinks and Kolchak interviewing a terrified witness – do create a slow burn.
Henderson’s story is a little too slow-burn for my taste, to the point where the noir-ness of the prose wins out over the advancement of the plot. The story feels padded at times; it could’ve been tightened up with (again) a copy-editing pass.
Still, at 96 pages, with each page mostly taken up by the illustration, we don’t have to put up with the style for long. And “The Lovecraftian Horror” is Kolchakian in its characterizations, mood and thematic statement. It really just needed to be tightened and cleaned up by a copy editor.
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