Fall of Cthulhu Omnibus

Fall of Cthulhu

by Michael Alan Nelson

WHY BOOM! LOVES IT: Michael Alan Nelson has written some of the books we are proudest of: HEXED, 28 DAYS LATER, DAY MEN, and more. FALL OF CTHULHU was his first epic for BOOM! and we’re reprinting it all in one grand volume!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Do you like Cthulhu stories? Nelson’s epic was hailed by Leverage creator John Rogers as "the definitive Cthulhu in graphic novel format." Never before has H.P. Lovecraft’s world been presented in such an expansive and complex way.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: When Nyarlathotep, the crawling chaos himself, devises his most destructive plan yet, a disparate group of humans find themselves brought together as the unavoidable apocalypse draws near.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Lovecraftian, Comic Book

601 pages, ebook

First published February 4, 2015

About the author

Michael Alan Nelson grew up in a small Indiana farming community before moving to Los Angeles in 2002. He is the winner of the 2004 New Times 55 Fiction contest for his short-short "The Conspirators" and was awarded the 2011 Glyph Comics Award for Best Female Character for the character Selena from his series "28 Days Later." Michael is the author of the critically acclaimed comic series "Hexed," "Dingo," and "Fall of Cthulhu." His current ongoing titles include "Day Men" and the relaunch of the fan-favorite series "Hexed." His first prose novel, "Hexed: the Sisters of Witchdown" arrives May 5th, 2015. He lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was much better than I expected. There are so many Cthulhu comics, books, stories, etc out there that I assumed this would be yet another rehash of something we've seen before, but I was pleasantly surprised. While the basic story was familiar, a ton of new twists were added and the story was told in a way that was exciting and interesting throughout the entire volume. This is a large tome, but I was so into it I finished it in one day easily. I won't get too deep into the story here but it will suffice to say this is a great addition to the Cthulhu Mythos and I think Lovecraft would approve.

I would recommend this to any Lovecraft fan, even if you normally aren't a big fan of graphic novels. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. If you are a horror comic fan but not so much a Lovecraft fan, I think you may still find this one entertaining, although I will admit it does get a bit "far out" at times. And finally, if you are both a comic fan AND a Lovecraft fan, you should be reading this right now!

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all just so you know this is a compilation of several comics that tell an overachieving story... It started with The Fugue, The Gathering; the Gray Man, GodWar, Apocalpyse and finally Nemesis (the latter tells a different yet connected tale to the other 5).

There is more than one tale here, or plot and there are multiple characters on different stories....The story behind is a war in the Dreamlands or at least the main story is about the war between Cthulhu vs Nodens (sure looks like Poseidon & Zeus?). Nyarlathotep is there in mist as well and Harlot (didn't knew about this one)

At times, it's a character driven story, at times , someone shows the great scope (mainly in Godwar part 4) and how the war has been set in place for thousands of years... Now about the art, I don't enjoy comics to be honest.. I've read of course, I read manga as well but usually I don't enjoy that much of comics but since I was enjoying the tale the art was there... I will not be giving much on that as I am not an expert if it is good or bad. I like the dreamlands parts; I like the depiction of the ancient ones. At times the art didn't felt the same for me (besides the art style chose to differentiate our world vs dreamlands). But this took some time and the artist evolved I would deduce so it can be that

If you have played the games, you may enjoy this feeling ; if you read the stories you know it should end poorly to our main characters.. I think it has that grandiose element of battle.

Recommendation: Is it for you?
Let me ask you two or three things; if you are sick of nowadays "intrepetations" and "modernizations" and other stuff people write to feel good about themselves by stealing an idea of cosmic horror for their own gains while at the same time spitting on Lovecraft and Cthulhu Mythos - then yes. This is a good tale.
It has some good story, as I said a bit confusing at times but good overall & some interesting characters - nice to see Portuguese from brazil there (The Grey Man)

Now the caveat is that it's comics...

The Harlot

[Cora Pop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark and more than troubling...

Let us swim through your forest of collosal flesh

Hush now, R'leh,
Your king is sleeping.
Forever dreaming.
Forever drowning.
Never to see the light of day.

Hush now, R'leh,
Your king will soon be waking.
Someday rising.
Someday ascending.
To drive the world insane.

The art is fantastic, the characters memorable, the story rich and complex, and truly scary...
One cannot help but wonder about all these gods that humankind has been worshipping, one way or another, through the ages... bone-chilling thoughts... For that I found Part Six: Nemesis, about the fall of Atlantis, somehow especially unsettling.

Highly recommended!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Lovecraftian comic I have read. It was very well done, steeped in mythos lore, and disturbing.

[Caleb Likes Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a good read! I’ve begun dipping my toes into comics and graphic novels lately, so I figured a Cthulhu Mythos one would be a good fit to start with, since I’m such a big fan of it. This graphic novel series did some really interesting things with the Mythos, had some extremely good art, and generally had a story that was fun to follow.

This series is split into six volumes, all of which were enjoyable on some level; I’d say I absolutely loved two—funnily enough, the first and last volumes—while I liked the other four. The story follows a variety of characters who are faced with a coming apocalypse with Nyarlathotep at its head, as they try to uncover what’s going on and how to stop it. The first five volumes follow that story, while the sixth is a prequel set hundreds of years prior in Atlantis. It’s a well-told story, bringing in lots of elements of the Mythos as well as other original ideas and entities that fit in pretty well. The story starts out in a way that feels straight out of a Lovecraft tale, with mysterious cults, strange artifacts, and people driven insane by terrible knowledge; I think that was my favorite part of the series due to that more Lovecraft feel. It gets much larger in scope and scale from there, to me becoming a bit more fantasy than horror, but still feeling like it fits into the Mythos. The characters were generally interesting, with a handful of standouts, including a handful of Mythos characters like Nyarlathotep, Nodens, Abdul Alhazred, and obviously Cthulhu, although Cthulhu is more of a backdrop than a true character here. I liked how layered the story is too, starting off pretty straightforward and simple and gradually revealing more and more as the scale increases and the cast grows larger. The artwork is fantastic, feeling fairly typical for a graphic novel but with an appropriately Lovecraftian flair at times. I also really loved the way the art differentiated between the real world and the Dreamlands, which play a big part in the series; the real world appears more normal and grounded while the Dreamlands is colorful, vibrant, and weird, really making it feel like a strange alternate world. I also want to mention how much I loved the final volume, which is the prequel. While the main storyline that makes up the first five volume is great, the prequel told a really interesting story that I honestly think could’ve made for a whole spinoff series of its own.

There are a few issues I took with this series. While I appreciate the weirdness of it—it is based on Lovecraft, after all—at times it got a bit too weird and too hard to follow for me. This was especially prevalent in volume two, and to a lesser degree later in the series as well. I also think that while the characters are good, none of them were extremely interesting to me for the most part. I also felt that the ending of the main story was cool but slightly unsatisfying; however, that could be more so due to the expectations I have for a Lovecraftian story, and while this does take a lot from Lovecraft, it certainly tries to do a lot of its own unique take. That’s something I appreciate about it a lot, but if you’re looking for something that sticks really close to the tone and feel of Lovecraft, this may not work so much for you outside of maybe the first volume.

Overall this was a really fun series to read that captures a lot of what I enjoy about the Cthulhu Mythos, while setting itself apart and doing some really unique things with it. If you’re a Lovecraft fan and don’t mind something that puts its own unique spin on the Mythos, and perhaps leans a bit less on horror, then I would definitely recommend checking this out.

Rating: 8.5/10

[Oleksandr Fediienko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Майкл Алан Нельсон – черговий автор коміксів, який вирішив візуалізувати творіння Лавкрафта. За дивним збігом обставин доводиться читати їх майже підряд, хоча я формував список для читання у довільному порядку.
На відміну від «Провіденса» Алана Мура, де сюжет густо наповнений посиланнями на конкретні події з творів Лавкрафта, Нельсон позичив у видатного письменника і його послідовників для шести томів «Падіння Ктулху» лише деяких персонажів-богів, певні локації і загальну структуру лавкрафтового всесвіту, в якому один пантеон богів протистоїть іншому, всім керує безумний Азатот, а десь існує Край снів, межа якого з реальним світом може стертися за забаганкою вищих сил.
Сюжет коміксу занадто заплутаний і в кожному випуску щоразу новий художник і колорист, тому слідкувати за подіями мені складно. Головний герой Сай Морган внаслідок самогубства втратив дядька Волта. Намагаючись зрозуміти, чому той втратив сенс життя, – а перед тим, вірогідно, і розум – Сай знайомиться з іншими дійовими особами: з містером Аркемом, завідуючим пансіоном, в якому певний час проживав дядько Сая; з Паплюгою, жінкою, яка слідкує за порядком у Краю снів; з шерифом Дірком, предки якого роками намагалися стримували все містичне, щоб воно не поглинуло місто; з Люсі Женіфер дас Невес, або коротко Люсіфер, яку дядько Волт зустрів, подорожуючи Бразилією. Тим часом містер Аркем, який насправді є лише уособленням посланця богів Ньрлатхотепа, збирає сили темряви і готує Землю до війни богів, яка має занурити світ у безодню божевілля.
Другий випуск - це повний провал, останній - теж так собі.

[Zare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of stories about Dark Pharaoh weaving his intricate network of madness and corruption in order to call back the devastator Chtulhu.

Considering the medium this collection is more straight-forward horror in line with Alien, Omen or The Thing. It is very hard to visually present monsters as seen by Lovecraft's mind's eye. Lovecraft basically avoids visualization of any kind and aims at base feeling of fear and despair of his characters to insinuate the horrors seen through their eyes.

But with this said collection is not bad and story is pretty consistent across what seems to be like 20+ issues collected in this omnibus. It was interesting to see some other deities of Lovercraft's universe and their internal conflicts and back-stabbing.

Then why 3 stars? One word - ART! Parts are drawn pretty good but almost half of it has such art style that it did not click with me. I like cartoon-ish drawings but parts in question push this cartoon-ishness to whole new, stocky and blocky level. Considering the story itself and attended audiences I would have expected more (this is comic after all, visual expression is everything).

But all in all, very interesting story. If you are fan of Lovecraft and horror comics and are not easily put off by highly-oscillating art quality give this book a try.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Omnibus edition collects something like 28 issues (6 separate story arcs) that revolve around the God war, as Nyarlahotep calls forth Cthulhu. It's got an interesting perspective, starting very small and introducing the human components in a couple of smaller scope stories before building up to the actual God War. It starts as psychological horror, but gets more and more action focused throughout the volumes, with a relatively small cast of characters being drawn into the face-down between Nyarlahotep, the fallen woman of dreams, and Nodens, the Hunter. The stories do a good job of illustrating just how small the humans are in this conflict, while still managing to make them pivotal, through their actions. The final conflict in the resurfaced R'lyeh is fairly well thought out and intriguing. Then the collection adds its epilogue, which is a loosely related story about the sinking of Atlantis that doesn't quite meet the standards of the rest of the series, either in plot or art.
All told, this is an interesting take on the Cthulhu mythos, going some different places and with a much larger focus on action than Lovecraft's original stories ever had. For fans of Lovecraft who are willing to overlook that change in genre, it's a worthwhile read.

[Gareth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, glad I stumbled across it via the library app. Feels like it captures the wider Cthulhu mythos well (certainly includes elements from others who expanded the universe earlier) with a good cast of characters, I especially like Lucifer here.
One overarching plot to it, but manages to get there by a series of initially seemingly unconnected shorter stories as such, that then build together to come to a really epic conclusion, before an interesting finish in Nemesis, that could have felt anti-climatic but instead felt like gave the reader opportunity to recover from the main finish.
The art captures the story well, and leads to some quite disturbing bits throughout, but in a good horror sort of fashion, but certainly doesn't shy from some horrific scenes, certainly one for late teens / adults this one.
Overall a really good read, and I will look out for getting hold of a permanent copy one day.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty meh. Some of the artwork was good, but none of it was over the top. The writing was okay as well, but the last story was boring. Treating the Cthulhu mythos like it's a superhero universe is a mistake. What makes Lovecraft's vision so compelling is how weird it is. Nodens hunting Nyarlthotep with a spear is pedestrian, to say the least (and Nodens was a figment of August Derelth's imagination, not Lovecraft's). But I quibble. If you want to read a really, really scary Cthulhu story, try Alan Moore'sAlan Moore's the Courtyard.

I got this for free on Hoopla, so no big deal.

[David Cain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent graphic novel omnibus that collects several dozen installments in this cosmic horror series modeled after H.P. Lovecraft's work. The name is a bit misleading as Cthulhu is generally absent from the narrative. The overall story line is a bit disjointed, particularly with the final section which has little to do with the rest of the story and I guess serves as a bit of a prequel to the main plot. The art was mostly good, with my favorite section covering the Harlot and the Dreamlands - very imaginative! This is definitely a genre that may not have broad appeal, but is well done and is quite appealing for its target audience.

[Jacob Mendelsohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this is one of the few occasions where it would have read better in single issues. It loses the sense of dread when you immediately can move onto what happens next. The shift in the art is also far more noticeable and at times distracting from the shift in quality. I also found the treatment of Nyarlathotep and his horsemen a little too much like that of a traditional comic villain. Despite these complaints I will say that the first arch is very good (Can be found in Fall of Cthulu vol.1 The Fugue). Good enough that I was drawn into reading the rest of the series.

[Francesca Giardiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume esaustivo sulla figura di Cthulhu.
Non parla direttamente di lui ma degli ingranaggi che si muovono per svegliarlo dal sonno e quelli che invece agiscono per evitare che ciò accada; ognuno ha le sue ragioni ed è caratterizzato fin nel più minimo dettaglio.

La cosa bella? Che è solo l'inizio.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliantly written and illustrated, this collection of Nelson's Cthulhu series will definitely please comic and Cthulhu fans alike. We are introduced to a number of big Mythos players in a twisting plot full of misdirection and backstabbing. A must read for the Lovecraftian fan.

[Chris M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best Cthulhu mythos-inspired comic series, that directly feeds off of Lovecraft but actually takes things in different directions.

I usually hate Lovecraft pastiches, but this one was pretty good, although at times the art was incredibly ugly.

[Zardoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on the Lovecraft mythos. An original story using the characters from the Necrominicion. I especially liked the take on the Dreamlands and the Harlot.

[Ivo Nikolov · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best Cthulhu Mythos graphic novels.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was intense

[Giorgio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven to me.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because it was highlighted on a YouTube channel. It was interesting to read Lovecraft on graphic novel format.

[Niche · Rating 1 out of 5]

More Sandman than Lovecraft

This was pretty disappointing. It felt like someone wanted to imitate Gaiman's Sandman style but reskinned as C'thulu. It's more scheming gods and murders than weird horror. If it wasn't for the names and tentacles you wouldn't even call it Lovecraftian (I guess maybe it's not entirely divorced from Kardath, but it still seems like a stretch).

[Matthew]

👍

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read some of the separate TPBs in this book several years back and finally get to finish the story. Nodens' cultists seek to raise Cthulhu so their god can hunt the Old One in the ultimate battle. Nyarlathotep has plans of his own. The enigmatic, grotesque Harlot of the Dreamlands schemes against Nyarlathotep. The human protagonists are caught in the middle.
Excellent Lovecraftiana.

[Daniel Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic, the art the story all great. The 'gods' are a little too human in action and motivation, but otherwise this is a nice addition to the mythos.

[Byron Leavitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. It's not often that I am creeped out by a comic book. In fact, I've read many comics that others have called "really scary." "Walking Dead?" Soap Opera. "30 Days of Night?" Fairly interesting. Even "Providence" hasn't done much to scare me yet. But then there's "Fall of Cthulhu." This epic collection is just awesome. It is so unsettling and twisted, in all the right ways. It is true to its source material, it has art that normally leans towards awesome, and that story, man. That story is killer. I'm a big H.P. Lovecraft fan. And this is one of the best homages to his work I've read. Highly recommended.

[Brian O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible horror saga, the story of which spans literal aeons of madness and death. This series also introduced Lucifer and the Harlot, who became the main characters of the excellent (non Lovecraftian) "Hexed". The art spans a variety of styles, almost all of which are successful. While the story lags a little in its third (which felt more like "Hexed") and fourth arcs, it's worth reading. The final arc is a fun read but is basically totally unrelated to the main story (and should be read as such). I don't want to spoil anything, but you really need to get this ASAP.

[Cristhian · Rating 2 out of 5]

La historia toma parte del mito y lo convierte en una batalla entre todos los dioses primigenios. No es mala, hasta eso, la historia es interesante.

Lo malo es el arte, con tan variados artistas y estilos que parecen sacados de Deviantart (en serio, parece que es 100% digital al menos en el arte) con líneas trazadas mal, proporciones fuera de lugar, en fin, un dolor de cabeza por completo.

Lástima.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the 1928 publication of “The Call of Cthulhu” in Weird Tales, H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos has attracted and enthralled readers, spawning countless additions as author-fans of multiple generations offer their own interpretations and expansions of the realm of the Elder gods and the mysterious cult of the Dark God....

Full review available at http://noflyingnotights.com/2016/03/0...

[Paul Mclaughlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, actually pretty good (sorry, many Lovecraft comics just aren't...)! Beautiful artwork, interesting switches on existing tropes. Yes, it was a little more "comicy" than straightforward Lovecraft (anytime you have something as understandable as a "goodwar" that's going to happen! I mean, the "Crawling Chaos" does NOT have recognisable motivations!) but still, I do want more.

[Dan Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was well done, the animation especially. The main characters were a little weak, and it caught the Lovecraftian setting but not the feel or dialogue very well. Then again, Lovecraftian dialogue was pretty weak to begin with. I thought the dream lands were good and they reminded me of Neil Gaiman's Sandman.