Adapting the hit French graphic novel, author Romuald Giulivo and artist Jakub Rebelka come together to give us the dreamlike story of the very last day of H.P. Lovecraft.
See the final journey of a complex and tortured man, facing his choices, his writings, and his mistakes at the very last moment of his life.
Designed as a strange Gothic cathedral, The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft is an extraordinary story that explores the end of a man and the beginning of a myth.
This is such a strange premise I wasn’t sure what to expect from it. I ended up really liking it but this going to resonate most with those who have a passion for Lovecraft. I suspect many would be bored if they aren’t already interested in the author.
At the top, Lovecraft is alone, dying in the type of hospital you’d expect at the start of a horror novel. A character from one of his books visits and challenges Lovecraft to reflect on his life & legacy. From there we wander through events from Lovecraft’s past. It’s implied that some of his more reprehensible views had changed by the end of his life but it wasn’t explored in too much detail.
The artwork is the real star of the show. It has the hazy quality of how a high dying person might experience “reality”. It ends in such a way you don’t have to read the next few volumes but personally I’m curious about where they take the story next!
[The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft] 🔥 Release Date: August 18, 2026 🔥 Thank you to BOOM! Studios, Romuald Giulivo, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! ★★★★☆
✦ About the book: On the final day of his life, H.P. Lovecraft confronts the shadows of his past, his monstrous imagination, and the strange legacy he is about to leave behind in a haunting journey that blurs reality and dream.
✦ What stood out to me most: How the book shows Lovecraft’s last day as this weird, dreamlike journey through his memories and fears. He keeps slipping in and out of visions where his regrets, writings, and inner demons feel almost real. It’s like wandering through a creepy, twisted version of his mind, seeing him face his past and the dark legacy of his work.
✦ At its core, this book is really about: Legacy, fear, and the weird distance between a creator and the monsters he brings to life.
So what I can theorise so far is that there are two potential things happening - Lovecraft is hallucinating massively and seeing his own characters (Randolph Carter here) come to life, or, we are reading some kind of meta textual appraisal of Lovecraft's work. A lot of this beautiful comic is filled with direct references to his works and those of his contemporaries like biographer S.T.Joshi, and direct quotes from his work.
Very intrigued to see where this goes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Ok so we have Howard here who is dying of cancer and has multiple characters insulting him through the depths of hell because of how he writes… I mean I guess the 30s were a different time but my god man, the amount of yapping involved in this story just bores you to tears and confusion…….
Book Review: The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft by Romuald Giulivo & Jakub Rebelka
This graphic novel reads less like a traditional story and more like stepping into the unraveling mind of H. P. Lovecraft as he approaches death. Through a series of fragmented flashbacks and surreal encounters, the book blends moments from his life with elements pulled straight from his own mythos. It’s intentionally disjointed, moving between memory, imagination, and something in between, so you’re never fully grounded. Instead of a clear narrative, it builds a mood, one that feels reflective, uneasy, and just a little unhinged.
The structure works largely because of Jakub Rebelka’s art, which is as distorted and atmospheric as the story itself. Figures blur, environments feel unstable, and nothing is ever quite clear, which fits perfectly with the idea that Lovecraft is losing his grip on reality. It’s less about showing horror and more about making you sit in it. You don’t just follow the story, you kind of drift through it, whether you want to or not.
What stands out most is how much this feels like a love letter to Lovecraft, while still acknowledging the more complicated parts of his legacy. It doesn’t ignore who he was, but it also doesn’t reduce him to it. Instead, it presents him as someone deeply shaped by fear, isolation, and imagination, and then asks what happens when those things turn back on him at the end of his life.
That said, this is not a book for someone looking for a clean, plot-driven experience. The same disjointed structure and abstract visuals that make it immersive can also make it feel distant or hard to follow at times. If you’re willing to lean into the ambiguity, though, it becomes less about understanding every moment and more about absorbing the overall atmosphere, which is where the book is at its strongest.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy, all thoughts are my own.
I believe due to me not knowing much about Lovecraft is what ultimate made this really hard for me to digest and enjoy. I found the walls of text to really slow down the overall pacing of the story. I had issues reading the letters due to the font that was chosen and the fact that the digital file only zooms in so much so I ended up skipping them, so I do know I lost some information due to this. So much of the context felt like it was rambling without really telling me anything.
I found the art to be the best part of the overall comic. It was messy and fit the darker tone it was going for. I loved the color blocking and honestly my favorite parts where at the end when the comic allowed the panels to tell the story through the art. I found the art so much more enjoyable on its own.
This is one of those comics that will appeal and be more appreciated by Lovecraft fans than the average comic reader.
2026 - 365 Days of Whatever Is On My Comic Book TBR Day 52
Intriguing start. The letter to Robert E. Howard was my favorite part of the issue. Howard committed suicide the year before Lovecraft’s death so I’m curious if this included correspondence is based on one of their letters. Time to go down the rabbit hole.
This was a thought-provoking read at least. I'm very interested in the process of adaptation and reception, and Last Days is at its best when thinking about how adaptation can affect an author's legacy. This graphic novel also works as a basic guide to subsequent work inspired by Lovecraft, as well as providing some biographical information about the man himself. I liked the art; I particularly respect it for being pretty out there, but the characters were all comprehensible and differentiable.
My problem with the graphic novel is more ideological than anything else. I think it leans a little too hard into great man of history, and while that does create a compelling narrative for this book, I do resent that idea in general. Lovecraft is presented throughout the graphic novel as a man who was alone and wrote about being alone. Any adjustment to that loneliness in reception to his work is treated as crass and missing the point in the graphic novel, and while I think there's certainly an argument to be made about what was lost in later works, it does ignore that Lovecraft was not the only person writing this kind of cosmic horror weird fiction. Robert W. Chambers is right there! I understand why the graphic novel doesn't stress Lovecraft's more contemporary inspirations (Poe is mentioned, but more in a 'Lovecraft was the only man following in Poe's footsteps!' sort of way): it makes the subsequent 'misunderstandings' of Lovecraft's work more galling in the narrative. But, as someone who wants to study early modern drama professionally and is tired of hearing about how Shakespeare was this unique genius who just popped into the scene and changed the world, I find the lone genius narrative a little tired and frustrating.
It's certainly worth a read as a meditation on reception and a jumping off point for learning more about H. P. Lovecraft (I went on a few Wikipedia deep dives due to this book), but I don't love the narrative around Lovecraft that it spins.
Thank you to Boom!Studios and Netgalley for the advance review copy. All thoughts are 100% my own!
What a strange journey. I picked this up because I was intrigued by the cover and I do enjoy literary graphic novels.
"The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft" by Romuald Giulivo is a French graphic novel that sends the reader down the rabbithole that is H.P. Lovecraft's mind. Wait, there's more. It specifically focused on the last hours of his life and speculates on what thoughts, wishes or regrets that he might have had in those moments.
We see the primary figures from his life come back to haunt him. They reveal the many facets of his life, but also his many many shortcomings. This graphic novel doesn't shy away from calling out his racist and antisemitic behaviour and has him face them on his death bed.
The art itself, by Jakub Rebelka, is perfectly fitting for a story about Lovecraft. It's also perfectly fitting for the ticking moments of a dying mind. They're equally mesmerizing and horrifying.
My only complaint was, despite enjoying the letters he writes that separate each 'chapter', the font was so incredibly tiny. I wouldn't have minded them spanning more pages but having the font being a bit bigger. I know that this was going for Lovecraft's actual font but this would have made this a lot more accessible.
Overall, a unique read that will take you down a rabbithole unlike any others as well as teach you about Lovecraft's life along the way.
Thank you Net Galley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft is a strange but intriguing graphic novel that blends literary history with surreal storytelling. The premise itself feels fitting for Lovecraft, pulling readers into a reality where well-known authors appear as characters, adding an extra layer of depth and creativity. I especially enjoyed seeing these figures woven into the narrative—it made the story feel both intellectual and imaginative.
That said, the plot can feel disorienting at times. The nonlinear structure and abstract elements occasionally left me confused, especially toward the end, which may not appeal to every reader. However, the weirdness also feels intentional, reflecting the eerie tone often associated with Lovecraft’s work. Maybe if I would've known more about Lovecraft going in, I wouldn't have felt confused as much.
The artwork stands out as one of the novel’s strongest aspects. It complements the unsettling atmosphere perfectly, enhancing the overall reading experience.
Overall, while The Last Day of H.P. Lovecraft can be difficult to follow, it’s a unique and visually engaging read that I’m glad I experienced.
H.P. Lovecraft lies on his deathbed, slowly dying of small instestinal cancer. The medical team provides him with morphine to ease the pain. The morphine induces hallucinations that take him on one last journey. Lovecraft is greeted by odd companions: alive, dead, fictional, but all attempting to convince him of something… Write yourself a new ending, a new beginning, and transcend your impending death.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never read any of H.P. Lovecraft’s work. I was aware of his darker writings, including The Call of Cthulu, but I guess I need to read some of it now. This book (although not written by H.P. Lovecraft himself) was morbid, intriguing, and thought-provoking. What would you do if you could evade your end entirely? Would you write yourself a new life?
While dying and pumped full of morphine, HP Lovecraft is visited by people from his past. This entire book is a fever dream, gets morbid and cover themes like regret. I picked up this book because I liked the cover even though I am unfamiliar with HP Lovecraft’s work. I felt like I was confused for a lot of the text. This book will resonate most with readers who are already familiar with Lovecraft, appreciate surreal art styles, or enjoy meditations on death.
This has to be the most beautiful artwork I’ve ever seen in a graphic novel. The surrealism and color palette are just stunning. I suggest people buying a digital copy so they can zoom in and really take in the artwork. A small physical copy could not do it justice.
Yet another badly written story that turns the graphic novel experience into hell. I very much enjoyed looking at the pages. Art was delightful. I’m not the biggest fan of the story, in fact, I think there may be some self inserts in there, in which case I would even hate it more. That is all, I will not be reading more from this author.
The incel-like language pissed me off the entire time. All the important character from the past, like who do you think you are. Guys, I have a new fav book to hate on, but this one isn’t even funny, it’s actual infuriating.
To quickly sum up it up, Lovecraft is dying in a Providence Hospital, and is visited by Randolph Carter one of his own creations and a man out of time. The writing leaves a lot of vagueness whether the visitor is Carter, or hallucination or something else. What is spectacular is the art work. It's top notch. It's starts unsettling with a very washed out, muted palette, which more browns, blacks and reds creeping in as the story begins to change. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Thank you, Netgalley for an advanced copy of this graphic novel for an honest review.
The art work in this goes with the story told very well, we also see a gothic story about life, death and the passion for the craft of art being creative.
The story was interesting and kept me engaged till the end and if u like hovercraft I say give this a read.
ARC Review: 3.5 stars. Absolutely loved the artwork and thought the story was haunting, a little sad, and perfect for hp Lovecraft. I think the art work overshadowed the story though.