EL MISTERIO DEL PASO DIATLOV

by Cédric Mayen, Jandro González

Janvier 1959. Un groupe d'alpinistes chevronnés entame une ascension en direction d'un mont russe. Aucun d'entre eux n'en reviendra vivant. Un mois plus tard, le procureur Lev Ivanov est appelé pour assister à la recherche des corps. Le « limier de Sverdlovsk » s'interroge : pourquoi les alpinistes se sont-ils séparés ? Pourquoi certains ont-ils lacéré leur tente pour en fuir sans leurs chaussures ? Et pourquoi les autres ont-ils été atrocement mutilés ? Et le pire, c'est que personne ne semble tenir à ce qu'il trouve les réponses...

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Mystery, History, Nonfiction, Historical, Comics Manga

108 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2023

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Do you still consider Yudin a suspect?”

“More than ever. Ten brilliant young minds vanished without a trace out in the Urals, and only one came back. Neither the committee or I believe in coincidences. But the investigation is now in your hands. It’s up to you to solve it…with finesse. Pack your bags, Liv Nikitich, and don’t forget your warm clothes. There’s a strong chance you’ll be needing them. We’ll be waiting for you downstairs.”

A knock on the door in the middle of the night — an unannounced visit from the KGB in 1950s Moscow — and Special Prosecutor Nikitich is called upon to investigate the mysterious disappearance of nine fit and experienced young hikers who had set out on a routine mountain trek. Although Nikitich would eventually come under pressure to close this case quickly, the circumstances were strange — the expedition's tent was cut open from the inside, many of the hikers were found in the snow in various states of undress, some had signs of radiation exposure, some had compression injuries, strange lights had been sighted in the sky that night — and "The Dyatlov Pass Incident" would go on to become one of those enduring "unexplained mysteries", source of much speculation and conspiracy theories. As a graphic novel, The Dyatlov Pass Mystery presents what is known in two timelines — following the prosecutor's investigation in one thread, and what is known of the hikers' experience from their actual diaries and photographs — and more than anything, this is the story of the prosecutor himself and his earnest attempt to solve the case before being shut down by the Soviet regime. As such, author Cédric Mayen doesn't attempt to solve this historic mystery (although he does allow his prosecutor to entertain the most outlandish theories) and while this account is respectful to the memories of those who lost their lives that frigid night some sixty years ago, it is faithful to what is actually known by leaving the mystery unsolved. I had heard of this mysterious story before, and totally enjoyed this treatment by Mayen and illustrator Jandro González; a delightful way to close out 2023. (Note: I read an ARC through NetGalley prepublication.)



I thoroughly enjoyed the drab, colourless illustrations in the sections from the prosecutor's POV; the even more colourless sections recounting the hikers' story. Mayen imagines some interpersonal stresses that may have led to problems between the hikers, but ultimately, in his day, the prosecutor wasn't given enough information to solve the mystery; leading to outlandish theories.



In the end, and likely appropriately, Mayen shows the prosecutor haunted by the ghosts of the hikers:



In an end section titled "The Dossier", Mayen includes interviews with several modern day investigators who claim to have solved the Dyatlov Pass mystery (were the hikers victim of a kabatic wind? a slab avalanche?), and most interesting to me, he cites a popular website by Russian investigator Teodora Hadjiyska, and then notes that after agreeing to an interview with him, Hadliyska has since disappeared. And ain't that a crazy symmetry? Loved this.

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a critical mistakes made here in my opinion… so before I get into what that is let me tell you about the countless hours I’ve spent reading about this very mystery. As a Canadian, who literally just experienced the coldest day in my life only 5 days ago (-39C, windchill of -47C), I’m fascinated by snow, winter and cold. I believe people constantly underestimate Mother Nature and how deadly cold can be.

The illustrations and writing here are wonderful. The choice to end this graphic novel without an explanation of what happens is intriguing. But I’m good with it as it encourages folks to research further the details of the Dyatlov Mystery.

However, the additional supplemental information given, after the graphic novel ends, is incomplete. And thus I only give this three stars.
Missing from the scenarios and theories given is the one I believe to be quite plausible; not that I can or would discount the avalanche theory, but I just don’t see how anyone would have made it anywhere further than their immediate area after the avalanche stopped in the conditions of that day. Yet some of them did manage to trek back a distance. Thus, I fall back to the infrasound theory by Donnie Eichar as discussed in his 2013 book Dead Mountain.

Now as I get into why I believe this theory I want to explain; I’ve been on the side of mountains in winter conditions. Nothing this epic (obviously, who has?) but ones where decisions were made that were poor. I’ve also felt the undeniable power of the wind making noise that completely unsettles everyone. It’s creepy, it’s weird, and I might sound crazy; but I swear it’s the truth of my experiences. Angles, degrees, snow (is an odd substance), severe cold, and wind (undeniably strong wind) can create moments where you act with paranoia, panic and fear. Those infrasound moments have been scientifically proven to make people do crazy things. Actions against their training, common sense, or intelligence. This is what I believe happened on Dyatlov Pass.
I have experienced it twice before. Both times in the Rocky Mountains (Canadian side) where I live.

Once when my girl guide troop was lost on the side of the mountain (our leader missed the loop turn while we were cross country skiing). We were on the side of the mountain in -10C, not everyone had appropriate winter gear, with limited food and water (skiing was supposed to be 1.5 hours, we skied for 6.5 before making a fire/shelter and hoping for rescue in the cold dark of the forest). Why didn’t we turn back? Why did the adults keep us moving up the mountain for hours on end? It makes no sense… until you think that maybe we weren’t quite able to make coherent decisions that day. I was 12 years old; so I did what the adults told me. And (obviously) we were all afraid… but to venture so far and up the mountain when our path was meant to be short and at the base of the mountain? It makes no sense, until you consider infrasound theory.
The other time I was in a tent in winter. It was not on the side of a mountain but in a mountain valley with a large river nearby. I was 22 years old, a highly experienced winter camp and a leader of the Scout troop camped that night. I got up out of my tent around 3am with my tentmate and fellow female leader, we had no boots or jackets, it was snowing at the time. We found other boys outside their tents. I still can’t explain what made me leave the cozy, safe tent that night. Thankfully whatever it was didn’t last long and within minutes we were all getting boots and jackets, etc on and huddled up in our cookhouse for the rest of the night. No one talked much. The teenage boys included. Just like my previous experience when I was their age, we all knew we did something outside our training; but no one could explain why.

In both instances the wind was strong and I myself was irrationally scared. But not because I thought the cold, which I know is deadly, would kill me. Instead it was like an unseen force triggered my fight or flight response. Both instances, and others I’ve heard from winter mountain campers, skiers, and hikers; mirror the Dyatlov Pass groups reactions. Gear was left behind, irrational decisions were made, and within minutes of getting out of the immediate area, and making those decisions, no one could figure out why they had done what they had done.
Luckily I wasn’t in extreme danger like our Russian team, and didn’t have -40C snowstorm on the side of an open mountain to fight against to get back to my gear and safety.
Thus I’m disappointed that at least a mention of this theory is not included at end of this graphic novel. It’s great to tell the story still, get people thinking about this mystery, and keeping the memory alive of the hikers. I just wish the last couple pages had included the other ‘most likely’ scenario (besides the avalanche) of what happened that day in 1959.

Still a worthwhile read. And now as I sit in my warm home (where outside it’s a balmy -21C, which seriously feels warm after the coldest day of my life just a few days ago) I have slightly spooked myself. Lol. But not in a way where I can’t make logical, common sense decisions (thankfully). As there is no wind, creating infrasound here in my home, to trigger the brain to think irrationally.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dyatlov Pass mystery is one that has fascinated me since I first read about it in 2016. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that the story has been turned into a graphic novel, or that it's been translated into English—I was fully prepared to struggle through the French if need be, and the state of my French is dire, so it's a delight that this is available in English.

The basic gist is this: in January of 1959, ten hikers set out into the remote wilderness of Russia for a multi-day hike. They were experienced trekkers, and this hike would qualify them for the highest ranking of hiker, so to speak. One had to turn back early due to chronic pain—and he would be the only survivor.

When searchers eventually located the bodies, strewn in and near the woods close to their tent, it was clear enough how the hikers had died: some from hypothermia, some from catastrophic injuries. What was less clear was why they had died. Why did they erect their tent on an open slope instead of in the protection of the trees—and what had compelled these experienced, competent hikers to leave the tent in the middle of the night in a perilously cold winter night?

In The Dyatlov Pass Mystery, Mayen and Jandro set out to tell a fictionalized version of the story. There are two time lines at play—one, the time line of Ivanov, the prosecutor tasked with finding out what happened (and where the last of the bodies were); two, the hikers themselves as they set out on their ill-fated expedition. The case is well documented, as (among other things) the hikers kept detailed diaries and took photographs, although not all of the material has been made public (because USSR). Theories also run the gamut from the prosaic to the, well, highly unrealistic, and here it's up to Comrade Ivanov to decide how much credence to give to some of the more outlandish theories. Did someone find them out in the wilderness and attack them? Did they think an avalanche was coming? Had the men fought over the two women in the group? Or was it some sort of missile—or aliens?

This is a fictionalized version of the story, a sequence of events that could have happened based on the information at hand (and with a fair amount of elaboration, especially when it comes to dialogue and backstories) but not claiming to have all the answers. The art is strong—not my favorite style, but gets the job done and then some—and was the deciding factor in this being a four-star rather than a three-star read for me. Sometimes I think the story plays up the Drama in unnecessary ways, but it's pretty restrained, all things considered.

Where most of my questions came were at the end. I won't get into how Mayen and Jandro end the final section from the perspective of the hikers except to say that I don't think the last panels represent the most realistic portrayal. But...there's also a "dossier" at the end that goes into more of the research that has been done into the case, including interviews with some of the people who have investigated it in more recent years. What's so odd to me is that when Mayen interviews Johan Gaume, who did some mathematical modeling about the case that made big news a couple of years ago, he says to Gaume that "you uncovered what drove the mountaineers to flee their tent" (p. ~106*). Why they left the tent has always been the biggest question (other things, like "what happened to so-and-so's tongue", are very easily explained by things like months of decomposition and animal activity before all the bodies were found), and I fully agree that Gaume's findings have led to the most logical conclusions to date. But...they're not the conclusions that Mayen and Jandro focus on, or really portray, in the book. Rather, he plays up the possibility of something unlikely in the story itself—and in the dossier he gives a lot of credence to the people who run dyatlovpass dot com, which is a mine of information but very chaotic, and who wrote a nearly incoherent book on the subject. It leaves me wondering why the story doesn't lean in more to Gaume's research, and why the list of sources includes (among other media) only two books.

All that said: while I don't recommend this as one's sole source of information about the Dyatlov Pass incident—it's fiction, after all, and besides which quite literally every book, fiction and nonfiction, that I have read on the subject draws a different conclusion about what happened—it makes for an excellent story. I will be hanging on to this to reread.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

*I read an ARC, and quotes may not be final.

Pre-read (April 2023):
Never in my life have I more wanted to read a graphic novel.

Out in September...that's enough time to resuscitate my French, right?

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 4 out of 5]

When nine hikers go missing on the slopes of Dyatlov Pass in 1959, a prosecutor working for the Soviet Union must attempt to uncover the truth, though his job is only made more difficult by the strange circumstances and the caginess of the government.

The Dyatlov Pass mystery is a case I've heard of before. Even decades later, there's no consensus on what caused the hikers to flee their tents into the snow, where they all eventually froze to death. There's plenty of strange features to it, including unusual injuries and apparent radiation burns on some of the hikers' faces. Matters were not helped by a limited investigation by the USSR government.

This is a short graphic novel, translated from French by James Hogan, which tells the story through two storylines. One follows the hikers, trying to reconstruct the last few days of their lives through the evidence of people they encountered and their logbooks, while the other follows prosecutor Lev as he tries to uncover the truth of what happened to them. The author does a good job of creating sympathy for the lost hikers quickly, centering the around the tragedy of their lost lives, as well emphasizing Lev's frustration when he's repeatedly stonewalled in his investigation.

I also liked the short section at the end of the book that goes more into the history of the case and several proposed solutions from recent times. However, while I did enjoy the art style, it did make me confuse characters on occasion, especially the hikers who were bundled up in coats and hats and therefore difficult to differentiate. I also wished the investigative storyline was a little longer, delving more into the possibilities that Lev is considering and why - ideas are mentioned but not gone into due to the brevity of the book.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[PlotTrysts · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Cedric Mayen, author of this book, notes, once you hear about the Dyatlov Pass incident, you're hooked. What happened? Well, that's the mystery: in 1959, a group of 9 experienced mountaineers went on a "fun" expedition in the Ural Mountains. They never returned, and when their campsite was found, it was discovered that their tent was slashed open from the inside, with the expedition members bodies found, half dressed, at some distance from the tent. To this day, no one is certain what exactly happened. This graphic novel juxtaposes a recreation of what might have gone on after the last survivor departed the group with the Soviet investigator tasked with determining the circumstances. Although there is some speculation about the hikers' motivations and conversations, the book does not engage in conspiracy theories or posit a definitive answer. The art is absolutely beautiful, and the final pages are text exploring different investigators' theories about what might have happened. I especially liked the emphasis on the humanity of the hikers: regardless of what happened to them, this isn't just an intellectual exercise.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

[Alex Z (azeebooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read for anyone interested in the Dyatlov Pass incident. I have read a few sources on this in the past, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this graphic novel.

I thought the artwork really matched the story and it was told in an interesting way between the inspector and flashbacks to the actual incident. There is also a great section in the back of the graphic novel where subject matter experts are interviewed on various theories on what really happened that night.

Evocative, interesting, and kept a story told many times fresh.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Available December 27, 2023

Thank you to Netgalley and Europe Comics for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am indebted to Europe Comics for bringing me into the world of graphic novels and grown-up comics again.

This is a whole chunk of history I knew nothing about. But who doesn’t love a mystery with military cover ups, yeti or aliens involvement and conspiracy theories circling like planes above a busy airport?

What struck me first was the presenting of the story. The separate stories of the original expedition and the detailed follow-up investigation seeking to quickly close the case and quash rumours within the Communism system.
So the colours and palette used are distinct in each case while the illustrations depict a similar landscape and harsh conditions.

I also marvel at the use of drawings without words where the illustrations convey the story and build the tension and frustrations of the participants. As comics go it is also loud and expressive with detailed sound effects and images beyond just words to convey noise, sensory impacts and emotional states.

It is a fitting tribute to the vitality of the young mountaineers that perished in strange circumstances. The reasons why a definitive conclusion and verdict could not be reached and the ongoing interest in this incident.

The inclusion of some of the later research and interviews with scientists who have subsequently addressed these events are equally fascinating and worthwhile.

I enjoyed the whole process and threads leading me out of the maze of conspiracy theories. To be entertained and informed was a real bonus.

[*Tau* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*
RTC

[Enric Herce · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5.
Vol ser més una reconstrucció dels darrers dies de la fatídica expedició i de la posterior investigació que oferir una nova hipòtesi sobre el misteri del Pas de Diàtlov. Les darreres pàgines contenen un interessant dossier amb entrevistes i informació sobre les principals hipòtesis formulades fins al moment. Tot un encert incloure'l, sense ell, el volum hauria quedat força coix.

[Irene ➰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3/5 - the comic itself
5/5 - the extra documents and interviews

- Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me a copy through NetGalley. -

I have to say that this graphic novel was really interesting.
I first heard of this mystery through a movie a saw a while ago, so when I had the opportunity to dig more into it through a graphic novel I took this chance immediately.

The novel itself was a 3/5 of rating. The narration wasn't always my favorite nor was the art.
The story is indeed intriguing, but I think you need to have at least some basic infos of what happened to fully enjoy it. Considering it's still an unsolved mystery, this book doesn't have a specific end to it, so readers can find themselves a little confused by what really happened.

What really pops tho with this book , were all the documents and interviews put at the end of the story. They added so much more to the whole experience and definitely clarified the many speculations the real story got over time.

Definitely an interesting piece of history that people need to know and discover.

[Dion Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first learnt about the true events of Dyatlov Pass after watching the fictional 2013 movie 'The Dyatlov Pass Incident' also known as 'Devil's Pass', after that I read some info from various sites online, and then went on to read Return to Dyatlov Pass by J.H. Moncrieff which is also fictional(which I loved by the way).

So when this came up on NetGalley I jumped at it, this is more a factual account of the incident, and the investigation afterword’s.
The artwork is good, the style reminds me of The Legend of Korra cartoon.

There is also interviews about some of the more plausible theories about what happened, one of which I had not heard of before.

This is really well done, and informative.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Megan Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Mayen states, the Mystery of Dyatlov Pass has fascinated people for decades with conspiracy theories to explain the actions done in those fatal days. Written with great illustrations, The Dyatlov Pass Mystery creates a suspense, thriller, mystery spy drama based on the real deaths of nine hikers in 1959. The graphic novel pulled at my heartstrings for a conclusion for the unfortunate souls lost but that is part of what makes this graphic novel great: it doesn't offer a solid conclusion.

At certain points, there were some pacing issues but overall, The Dyatlov Pass Mystery is an interesting read and one I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys mysteries and history.

Thank you Netgalley and Europe Comics so much for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Gab · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

I read the English translation of this book.

I loved the illustrations, really beautiful and I believe the illustrator conveyed well how powerful and dangerous the snow and cold can be which is so important when considering this event.

That said, I was quite disappointed by the text.
As someone who knows about the Dyatlov Pass incident, I expected more of a focus on the facts, but this book is a lot of complete fabrication of how the victims might have interacted together, and barely mentions the different facts of the case or how they found the scene. I understand the aim of making the victims feel more like full people, but it takes so much space in such a short book that needed more explaining segments. If we take the example of discovering the bodies, the story skips from them having found 3 bodies to them having found 5 without giving us any information about those extra 2, and it is never really explained within the graphic novel that some of the bodies had been exposed to radiation, in brief, the actual facts of this situation weren't made clear or as well explained as I think they should have been.
Someone not as well informed about this case would be quite confused or not grasp the whole situation I think.

I do like that the author included a little dossier at the end with more explanations, but I think it could have been better incorporated in the graphic novel itself.


Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Madara · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5
Quality of writing: 3
Plot development: -
Pace: 3
Characters: -
Enjoyability: 2
Ease of reading: 3

The tragedy that was the Dyatlov Pass incident has captivated people for 64 years. When nine mountaineers go missing and their camp is found in disarray, investigators have more questions than answers. Why did they leave the tent without their boots? Where did all the injuries and radiation come from?
The art of this graphic novel is nice but my biggest gripe is with how the illustrator decided to depict Dyatlov. Dyatlov was 23 when he died, yet he is drawn like a 40+ year old. If one of the characters hadn't mentioned that he was 23, I would not have known. I even went and rechecked his age on Google.
I wish this graphic novel went in a not more detail of the investigation, most of it felt rushed. And the theories and interviews at the end? That should have been put into graphic novel style too. Otherwise it feels like an afterthought and a separate book added at the end of a graphic novel.

Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[samu · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐4

This graphic novel is an illustrated look into the well known mystery of the Dyatlov Pass. We take a peek into the mind of the detective who is tasked with a case that remains unsolved to this day.

A short and sweet comic, the dialogue is easy to read and well paced. All illustrations are very well done. My only qualm is with the character designs looking a bit too similar to one another, making it hard to discern between the characters. You can see this especially when flipping between the past and the present. I do think, however, it was a good choice to separate the past with a monochrome colours and keep the present with full colours for clarity.

I have spent many hours looking into this mystery in the past and it was very nice to get to see the case from the perspective of a detective. This graphic novel is a great read and it was great to see the humanization of the victims involved. I am definitely left wondering what truly transpired at the Dyatlov Pass.

Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first learned about The Dyatlov Pass from watching Expedition Unknown a few years ago. It was a very interesting mystery at the time, but has since grown massively in popularity. It's very interesting to see this graphic novel coming out, and how it breaks down the different theories through the thought process of an investigator. Clever. The story switches from the perspective of the hikers to the investigators. It was a good dynamic that kept the scenes flowing.

I also appreciated the artwork included here, as some of the scenes seem to be comic versions of the photos taken from the cameras of the hikers! I thought that was a nice touch.

*** Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Neil M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first heard a few years ago about the mystery of what happened to the hikers/scientists at Dyatlov Pass and I've found it fascinating ever since - when I heard there was a graphic novel about it I was very keen to take a look.

Cedric Mayen and Gonzalez Jandro look at the mystery through fictional accounts both following the hikers themselves and then following the investigation of what happened, which falls to a Comrade Ivanov - each is given a different colour scheme in the panels that follows their story, which I found very effective as it could easily have been confusing and difficult to follow otherwise.

I thought the artwork was very effective, and the translation from James Hogan was good.

In terms of the storyline, I thought it did a decent job in exploring one possibility - I think if anything I have more questions than answers after it, but that's to be expected from a 64 year old mystery that no one has solved!!

The extra written section at the end which explored some theories further was also good.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew as soon as I saw this, that I was going to read it. Unexplained mysteries are my jam. No one really knows what happened out there, but there are many theories. I was surprised to learn that few people had heard of the mystery. I had, but I didn't know that people were still looking into it. It seemed to me like an unsolvable case.

The author takes great pains to avoid following any one theory, and there are certainly many. What he does instead, is to try to recreate what the atmosphere was like, hiking in the dead of winter on a far northern mountain, using only snow skis. It seems almost impossible, and indeed, only very experienced hikers would have even attempted it. Seems almost like they should have had an extra step for graduation to the top level of mountaineering, like say completing the trek in March, and then going back again the following February.

At any rate, there are many possible reasons for why the hikers might have been delayed at any point in their trek. The author postulates that there were probably very different personalities among the group, which may have created some tension. These hikers were in incredible physical shape, but deep powdery snow is murder to navigate with simple skis. It takes so much effort in the brutal cold and wind to go even the shortest of distances. It may explain why they set up camp in such an unshielded place. They may have been too exhausted to make it back down to the treeline.

No one has adequately confirmed what event caused the internal compression injuries among some of the group, nor the radiation burns and/0r high radiation levels on only a few of them. It's just unfathomable. Any number of conditions might scare the group into leaving their tent. Whatever danger it was, it was urgent enough that they had to leave the tent immediately, without gathering their footwear or outdoor clothing.

Some solutions to the puzzle are promising, but not one theory seems to cover all of the questions we have about it.

The author uses a duo timeline format, which is effective. We know a little more about the investigation and potential cover-up than we do the actual story, so the author presents both. It's possible that the Soviets were intolerant of bad news, and sought to hush the incident after a precursory inquest which was taken in the shortest of time frames, greatly frustrating the lead investigator and the families. The art is very good, particularly in capturing the expressiveness of the characters in a cold, unforgiving, unexciting, environment. The Bolshevik repression only added to the weight they felt, and it does make sense that this group of mostly young people would be more than ready to let off some steam in the form of pranks and jibes, though at no point, do I believe that they would have done anything which might imperil the expedition. They all knew the seriousness an undertaking like this required, and there is no reason to think that they were anything but disciplined in their approach to the climb. Certainly there must have been disagreements as to what decisions to make and when, but there was a definite leader of the group, and he would have had final say.

I particularly appreciated the detailed postscript, which runs for a few pages, and details the work of many experts. It's fascinating. Much of it is in interview form, which is the best way to present it, in my opinion.

All I can say is that you will be haunted by reading the story, possibly forever, and you will feel the intense cold along with the hikers. I literally had to turn up my heat while reading it.

Many thanks to the fine folks at Europe Comics, who have been very generous with early readers of their comics, and to NetGalley, who makes all of this possible.

[Sevi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Europe Comics for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Dyatlov Pass incident was a trekking expedition in which nine Soviet hikers died in the northern Ural Mountains between February 1 and 2, 1959, under uncertain circumstances. The keyword here being uncertain. No wonder, then, that the synopsis of "The Dyatlov Pass Mystery" consists, in its entirety, of questions. The novel itself is also full of questions, with no definitive answers, given that a definitive solution to this mystery still evades scientists and investigators alike, 65 years later. And while it's more or less clear that the author leans towards one particular explanation, I do appreciate that the ending is left open, ambiguous. At the very end there's also a section with supplementary information on several other theories, which I found was a great addition.

The art of illustrator González Jandro, with it's realistic style and somber tones, was a perfect fit for the heavy subject matter at hand.

I will allow myself one petty, nitpicky comment though - I feel like as someone who's lived their whole life in the country of origin of the Cyrillic script, I can be excused. Very early on in this graphic novel there is a panel where Cyrillic letters are mixed in English words, along with Latin ones, with complete disregard of their corresponding sounds - the letter Я isn't R (the sound is closer to a ya), and Д isn't A (it's actually "D"). I understand the appeal of using "Russian" letters for a story set in Russia, but it would have been better if the words were in Russian entirely.

This one minor gripe aside, "The Dyatlov Pass Mystery" is still a worthwhile read, both for those who are familiar with the event and those who aren't.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was full of surprises for me!
Over the years, I have been somehow invested in the Dyatlov mystery and all the theories surrounding it. I think I have seen every movie that has been made about it, and I think I have read every book I have seen about it. Somehow, I never heard about it while growing up, but once I heard about it about a decade ago, the mystery sucked me in.
And then I saw this. A graphic novel. About Dyatlov mystery. Bring it on! Yeah, ok, I was not expecting much from it. Definitely, I was not expecting anything factual or even remotely realistic. Turns out, I was wrong. I was wrong not expecting all that.
First, take this from someone who grew up in the Soviet Union: art is perfect, art is accurate, 100% depiction of everything Soviet. All the doom, gloom, facial expressions, and grim misery seep from every character just from the way colors are used and images are created. Unbelievable. That is a seriously great job done by the artist.
The story is super well-told. An extra thing to love about this graphic novel: at the end of it, there are several pages of lots of relevant information regarding the event, including conspiracy theories surrounding it. And did I mention that art is perfect? yeah, let me say it again, art is the best, art has captured the soviet era perfectly.
Oh. And. There are also veeery graphic images there, keep that in mind for the sensitive ones and younger readers. While it most definitely is not a graphic novel for kids, I think that with some basic background information regarding the history it would be an exciting read for a more mature (and not squeamish) young adult audience.
The author has been creative with the font used in *some* images (only a few! Most have regular font!) – as someone who can read Russian, I can say it was both entertaining and confusing. Although I’d love my daughter to read this too (she loves all sorts of graphic novels and scary stories don’t frighten her, she does not speak or read any Russian), I’m afraid I’ll have to spend a weird amount of time explaining to her why R looks like Я and how does it even make sense to substitute R with something that sounds like YA. Same with W being substituted with Ш and how does it even make sense to replace w with sh? The same goes for A being substituted with Russian D, etc. While it does look somewhat quirky, it feels unnecessarily excessive and makes the text a little bit unreadable. I think it might make it totally unreadable for those who are dyslexic, for example, and for most who need an accessible font that’s easy on the eyes. Yes, it does add some extra Russian/Soviet feel to the book, and it’s just a few images. I’m really on the fence about it. I guess it’s ok as it indeed adds to the overall soviet feel. The good thing is that it’s just only a few of the pictures.
Other than this, I loved, absolutely loved it.

[Rafa]

The first thing that made me pick this book was the theme, as I had been interested in it since I was a child. And I was so excited about reading it in graphic novel format!
Although I was not expecting an open ending, this book was still very good. The novel alternates between the time of the investigation and the past right before the hikers disappeared. And what I liked the most in this particular version of the story is related to this second timeline: as you are able to see them interact with each other, their friendship and also some of their hardships. What you never actually see is how they died, but after the main story finishes, on the last pages, there’s a little dossier of possible explanations for what happened to those hikers.
It was a very easy and enjoyable read that I would recommend to someone who likes graphic novels or has an interest in the Dyatlov Pass incident.

Thank you Netgalley and Europe Comics for the ARC!

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read from December 24th, 2023 to December 27th, 2023. Written on December 27th, 2023.

~3.5~

What. A. Mystery!

I had never heard about the Dyatlov Pass Mystery but this book just made me incredibly interested in learning more about what happened on that expedition.

This amazingly drawn comic, with a great narrative and, at the end, very interesting informations and interviews on the case, is perfect for the fans of mystery mixed with reality; like me!

I really liked it, though it did give me a bit of a headache to read in digital mode because of all the zooming in and out I had to do to be able to read it. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating tale worth learning about.

Signing off,
B.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and Europe Comics that I chose to review after reading)

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
🌕🌕🌕🌕

Thanks NetGalley, Europe Comics and the author for a great copy of the book!

Before reading this comic, I have never heard about this Dyatlov Pass incident before. The comic is not too short and not too long that makes it pleasant to read. It was educational and gripping me from start to end. The artwork was very nice to look at. At the end, the authors included some real and related facts as well as interviews from enthusiasts. The additional information was really interesting to read and analyze.

There was just a minor drawback that I can think of. Due to the fact that there were many people involved in this mystery, it was pretty confusing to follow. The characters had real names and nicknames. However, there were not enough clarifications in the book.

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who had done some deep research into the Dyatlov Pass incident I was very excited to see this graphic novel, and what angle it would take on the mystery. This story focused on a fictional(?) investigation that took place a month after the incident, interspersed with flashbacks to what may have happened during the expedition. This is a short novel and a quick read.

I liked the graphic novel; the artwork was well done overall and it was very readable, which is sometimes an issue. I liked how the flashbacks were clearly delineated through a different color palate. I found some of the characters to look very similar and it was sometimes hard to tell who was who, however it didn't really cause any issues following the story as it was fairly straightforward. I had mixed feelings about the ending; part of me wished that there was a better resolution, while a larger part was glad that they didn't try and pick a definitive ending considering that in reality we don't know exactly what happened.

The information dossier at the end was a great addition and added to the graphic novel with some facts, history, and context. It pushed some theories that I think are incorrect but it wasn't too strong about it so that's fine. I am so glad that they touched on the collaboration with Disney as I find that part fascinating. Compiling ALL of the information on this incident, and the theories, would be quite an undertaking and require a massive textbook; the author here did a good job of providing an overview in a small number of pages.

Thank you to NetGallery for providing a free advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a digital review copy of "The Dyatlov Pass Mystery" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

To kick off with, huge thanks to the translator - James Hogan, who has done a wonderful job of translating the text of this graphic novel from French to English. It flows and doesn't feel stilted or blunt like you often encounter with translation works.

This was a really interesting take on the Dyatlov Pass incident, even for readers who may be very familiar with the mystery. I knew the barest bones of the story due to the renewed interest in the last few years with new theories about why and how it occurred and I really enjoyed how these theories are brought in as a natural part of the storyline and the investigator's musings into what happened there. I also really appreciated the dossier at the end which added more information and clarity to the story.

My main issue with this graphic novel was that the artwork at times was indistinct in relation to the characters and the brevity meant that there was not much in the way of character development. It worked for this story because the mystery proves compelling enough but adding more material and giving us more about the characters as well as diving more into the plot would have been appreciated.

Overall this was a fantastic introduction to this mysterious historical incident and should appeal to those who don't tend to read many graphic novels.

Released December 27th 2023

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it’s great to use graphic novels for nonfiction, as not everyone likes reading nonfiction but may like the topic. So I’m always excited to see these. (Note that this is a fictional tale about a real situation, however).

This was well done - I especially liked the visual differentiation between the past and present through color scheme.

My only criticism is personal: one of the reasons I don’t read true crime and such is that I don’t like learning about subjects that are unsolved. I find it frustrating because I want an answer. Again, this is a personal thing, but I end up getting stuck when I don’t have a solution to something.

Appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

[Monica San Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realmente chula esta novela gráfica, el misterio del paso de Diatlov, de como murieron una expedición de alpinistas rusos en busca de un ruta es de por sí una gran historia, pero además la parte gráfica es sobresaliente, a mi personalmente estas viñetas me gustan especialmente y aporta mucho a la historia.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Dyatlov Pass incident was an event in which nine Soviet hikers died in the northern Ural Mountains between February 1 and 2, 1959, under uncertain circumstances. (This was copied and pasted from Google; I actually would have liked a one or two line blurb going into this GN as it's based on a true story that I was only very distantly familiar with and hadn't heard of in a long long time.)

The art is good, especially the set pieces for the Soviet rooms. I do have a personal pet peeve in which a letterer will use a font that "looks Cyrillic" (or "looks Asian" etc, you name it) to put Roman letters into so it "looks like an English word... but Russian!!" but then you have this stylized "cereal" being read like "sehyaehdal" like please, some of us can read Cyrillic (or Japanese, etc) and this is only confusing and not a good look.

I did appreciate the real life photos in the back, but honestly the page on the theories and the interview were... more interesting than the book itself. Maybe someone else will like it better than me, I don't know.

Thank you to Europe Comics and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review.

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew nothing about the Dyatlov Pass mystery before reading this graphic novel, so this was an interesting diversion. A group of young mountaineers died in the northern Urals in 1959, and their deaths remain unsolved even after an official investigation. This novel focuses on that investigaton, but at the end of the book there is a short review of the various theories around what happened. The Wikipedia entry about it is also interesting to read.

This novel feels disjointed, possibly because it’s speculative and relies on incomplete data, but is also unsatisfying as there is no attempt to come to a conclusion about what may have happened to the group. The artwork is pretty good; the story and writing style not particularly so. Still, this is an account of an interesting event, and I recommend it as a starting point for a rabbit hole excursion.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Europe Comics for access.

[Kate Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a good overview of the incident. Illustration style was both functional and interesting to look at. The only drawback was not having a good foundation of what each character looked like upfront. Made some of the dialogue later on harder to parse. I especially liked the dossier at the end, gave good resources and additional information for anyone who wanted more of the story.