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Casefile: ARKHAM #2
Casefile: ARKHAM - Her Blood Runs Cold
Detective Hank Flynn returns for another case that will lead him into the darkest corners of Lovecraft’s most cursed city—Arkham, Massachusetts. When an old friend shows up at Flynn’s office waving a gun and rambling about “the Abyss of the Shoggoths,” the detective is pulled into a case of love, revenge, and an elite family’s generational feud—one which just so happen to have interbred with the spawn of a Sumerian God.
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 5, 2018
I'd like to thank the editor of this graphic novel, Kat Rocha, for offering me a physical edition in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a big graphic novel fan. I think it stems from my love for illustrations in books--I just love that added layer of enjoyment to my reading experience.
This particular story is part of a larger series with P.I. Hank Flynn as the protagonist. He looks like Robert Mitchum from his Cape Fear performance (1962) PS. I LOVE Robert Mitchum
First, the story: This has a throwback era, scruffy-detective, hardboiled, noir vibe to it. One of my favorite genres so I feel like I'm a little bit biased.
The artwork is incredible. I don't know how the artists manage to make even the faces seem like they were out of an old black and white movie but they did; impeccably. The setting and the clothing, even the dialog is spot on for this time period/style.
Hank Flynn battles a lot of demons here:
His close friend's decent into madness...
Law enforcement...
Mobsters...
A Lovecraftian cult...
Black Magic...
Some wicked, lusty women...
His own nightmares...
and his inability to stay out of trouble.
I can't think of any reason why any fan of horror and graphic novels wouldn't eat this thing up. I fully enjoyed it!
*I did withhold one star because I was a little confused by the story sometimes and I had to go back and read a few portions to keep the characters straight, especially the women who looked similar in certain frames.
I'm a big graphic novel fan. I think it stems from my love for illustrations in books--I just love that added layer of enjoyment to my reading experience.
This particular story is part of a larger series with P.I. Hank Flynn as the protagonist. He looks like Robert Mitchum from his Cape Fear performance (1962) PS. I LOVE Robert Mitchum
First, the story: This has a throwback era, scruffy-detective, hardboiled, noir vibe to it. One of my favorite genres so I feel like I'm a little bit biased.
The artwork is incredible. I don't know how the artists manage to make even the faces seem like they were out of an old black and white movie but they did; impeccably. The setting and the clothing, even the dialog is spot on for this time period/style.
Hank Flynn battles a lot of demons here:
His close friend's decent into madness...
Law enforcement...
Mobsters...
A Lovecraftian cult...
Black Magic...
Some wicked, lusty women...
His own nightmares...
and his inability to stay out of trouble.
I can't think of any reason why any fan of horror and graphic novels wouldn't eat this thing up. I fully enjoyed it!
*I did withhold one star because I was a little confused by the story sometimes and I had to go back and read a few portions to keep the characters straight, especially the women who looked similar in certain frames.
September 12, 2019
I come to Casefile: Arkham as a total noob where Lovecraftian works are concerned. I actually own the complete collected works of H.P. Lovecraft, and have done for quite some time, but to me it’s something akin to the Holy Bible in that it’s an enormous book full of archaic stories. I read the Bible when I was a kid, it took a long time and was tedious to say the least. I’m assuming that Lovecraft’s works will be somewhat similar as there’s a plethora of ridiculous names and dull text to wade through. It’s something I intend to wade through at some point, but I’m a busy guy so I need my input to be more ‘bite sized’. Comic books and graphic novels serve that purpose beautifully. When I got my paws on Casefile: Arkham I didn’t know it was anything to do with Lovecraft, so after a few pages I was a little disappointed as it will obviously make less sense to me than it would to a fan of the referential source material.
Hank Flynn P.I. is a standard cliché Irish ex-military hard-drinking hard-boiled gumshoe with more than a passing resemblance to Robert Mitchum and the story is crafted in a similar style to the old fashioned detective movies Mitchum starred in but with a supernatural storyline. On the subject of resemblance I found that although for the most part this graphic novel is expertly presented and the draughtsmanship is fine, there’s a jarring inconsistency with the characters in that what I read and what I see don’t always tally. Flynn does look very Robert Mitchum, but sometimes more like Sean Penn or other random faces. It’s not just Flynn either, the character Derby had subtle changes where in one frame he resembles Kirk Douglas but in another Harrison Ford, which to me was a little confusing. I’m not saying it’s a big deal or that it ruins the graphic novel but it was just something I think could have done with a tad more attention as in general the artwork and layout is fine, we’re not talking Frank Miller kind of fine, but certainly good enough and the general overall feel reminded me of many a comic I’d read in the 70s.
Edward Derby is a socially elite but likeable character who gets way out of his depth when he approaches Flynn for help, largely incoherent, brandishing a gun and obviously not in control of his faculties. This is the beginning of a complex and intriguing storyline involving the Derby family and a cult worshipping a Sumerian God’s spawn with which they have interbred.
I have to admit that if I had read a plot synopsis on this I wouldn’t have read the novel, mostly because of the Lovecraft connection, but if I had done so I would have missed out as I found this to be bordering on excellent. My previous comments about the minor inconsistencies in the characters’ looks are certainly not enough to overshadow my enjoyment of such a powerfully realised work of detective fiction. Especially as creating a comic is difficult enough, a graphic novel a much harder task but one with such strictures of the genre elements to begin with would for me at least be a project I couldn’t perceive tackling. With many graphic novels I found that some may have superior artwork and no story, whilst others have a fantastic storyline but are let down by artwork, this graphic novel has no deficit, very much reminding me of John Wagner, Alan Grant and Robin Smith’s 1989 four part black-and-white comic book ‘The Bogie Man’ . Given the contribution the aforementioned gentlemen have made to the comic book world it is safe to say that Josh Finney and Patrick McEvoy are in excellent company.
If you are a fan of Lovecraft I can assume you’ll enjoy this, doubly so if you are a fan of detective fiction in the style of Raymond Chandler. I am not much of a fan of either, yet there was still so much quality storytelling here that I’m not disappointed and can thoroughly recommend Casefile: Arkham: Her Blood Runs Cold.
Hank Flynn P.I. is a standard cliché Irish ex-military hard-drinking hard-boiled gumshoe with more than a passing resemblance to Robert Mitchum and the story is crafted in a similar style to the old fashioned detective movies Mitchum starred in but with a supernatural storyline. On the subject of resemblance I found that although for the most part this graphic novel is expertly presented and the draughtsmanship is fine, there’s a jarring inconsistency with the characters in that what I read and what I see don’t always tally. Flynn does look very Robert Mitchum, but sometimes more like Sean Penn or other random faces. It’s not just Flynn either, the character Derby had subtle changes where in one frame he resembles Kirk Douglas but in another Harrison Ford, which to me was a little confusing. I’m not saying it’s a big deal or that it ruins the graphic novel but it was just something I think could have done with a tad more attention as in general the artwork and layout is fine, we’re not talking Frank Miller kind of fine, but certainly good enough and the general overall feel reminded me of many a comic I’d read in the 70s.
Edward Derby is a socially elite but likeable character who gets way out of his depth when he approaches Flynn for help, largely incoherent, brandishing a gun and obviously not in control of his faculties. This is the beginning of a complex and intriguing storyline involving the Derby family and a cult worshipping a Sumerian God’s spawn with which they have interbred.
I have to admit that if I had read a plot synopsis on this I wouldn’t have read the novel, mostly because of the Lovecraft connection, but if I had done so I would have missed out as I found this to be bordering on excellent. My previous comments about the minor inconsistencies in the characters’ looks are certainly not enough to overshadow my enjoyment of such a powerfully realised work of detective fiction. Especially as creating a comic is difficult enough, a graphic novel a much harder task but one with such strictures of the genre elements to begin with would for me at least be a project I couldn’t perceive tackling. With many graphic novels I found that some may have superior artwork and no story, whilst others have a fantastic storyline but are let down by artwork, this graphic novel has no deficit, very much reminding me of John Wagner, Alan Grant and Robin Smith’s 1989 four part black-and-white comic book ‘The Bogie Man’ . Given the contribution the aforementioned gentlemen have made to the comic book world it is safe to say that Josh Finney and Patrick McEvoy are in excellent company.
If you are a fan of Lovecraft I can assume you’ll enjoy this, doubly so if you are a fan of detective fiction in the style of Raymond Chandler. I am not much of a fan of either, yet there was still so much quality storytelling here that I’m not disappointed and can thoroughly recommend Casefile: Arkham: Her Blood Runs Cold.
May 2, 2019
A great noire with some awesome Lovecraftian plot elements. I really hope a third is in the works.
March 12, 2018
This book is perfect at what it does, which is blend classic Noir style with Lovecraftian horror; perhaps not a no-brainer mash-up upon first reflection, until you stop to realize it’s seldom done (Brubaker and Philips come to mind as the only other readily available example) despite the fact that the time frames between the two genres match up, as do the aesthetics, if you’re adventurous enough to add a little Dagon blood to your bourbon. After only one other collaboratory entry to this series - also fantastic - Finney and McEvoy now work seamlessly together as a fully synthesized storytelling unit. As such, this book is a gunshot, one-seating read that will pull you through its dark maw and show you sights unseen amongst the familiar, all while still managing to supply enough inside references and Easter eggs to make fanboys smile knowingly.
In Casefile: Arkham - Her Blood Runs Cold, the narrative and characters are intimately realized through their dark and addicting drift on the amoral days of the post World War generation. Hank Flynn, P.I. and Glynda are wonderful archetypes dressed in innovation and originality, protagonists that give back a wealthy vig on the tropes from which they borrow. I helped kickstart this book and will do so again when the next entry comes around.
In Casefile: Arkham - Her Blood Runs Cold, the narrative and characters are intimately realized through their dark and addicting drift on the amoral days of the post World War generation. Hank Flynn, P.I. and Glynda are wonderful archetypes dressed in innovation and originality, protagonists that give back a wealthy vig on the tropes from which they borrow. I helped kickstart this book and will do so again when the next entry comes around.
October 10, 2019
A definite progression in art and storytelling from the first volume. Her Blood is a solid hard-boiled, noir story with Lovecraftian mythos and background peppered throughout, but without being awkwardly heavy-handed.
Remove the mythos and replace it with any generic voodoo cult of witchcraft coven and it's still a good story; the mythos gives it a deeper feel and adds flavor.
Remove the mythos and replace it with any generic voodoo cult of witchcraft coven and it's still a good story; the mythos gives it a deeper feel and adds flavor.
March 25, 2018
I backed this on Kickstarter, as I did the previous volume, and yet again it's fantastic stuff! Any fan of Lovecraftian or Noir fiction would surely enjoy this.
October 20, 2018
Good story.
Good art.
Really enjoyed this - going to get more of these Casefile: ARKHAM stories.
Good art.
Really enjoyed this - going to get more of these Casefile: ARKHAM stories.
March 4, 2018
I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this Graphic Novel. From the cover it looked like a Film Noir style comic book which I thought I would enjoy. And I have to say, I did really enjoy it.
The artistry is very 1940’s film noir style. Although I wish it was a bit more shades of gray, then pure black and white. But the artistry was top notch and wonderfully detailed when it needed to be, and plain jane when it had to be. I really enjoyed the monsters, and the detail they had all the way down to the fish scales.
The writing was pretty good too, it kept the flow going well and never got too bogged down.
Overall, this Graphic Novel was nothing like I expected but kinda was what I expected. I don’t think I would have ever guessed that it dealt with the occult and weird Cthulu type of monsters. It’s weird because it mentions them and shows them, but they weren’t the focus. The focus was the death of Derby and the monsters were just side tidbits thrown in.
It unfortunately has DRM, so -1 from the score for that. But you better believe I’m looking out for the others in this series and can’t wait to read them.
The artistry is very 1940’s film noir style. Although I wish it was a bit more shades of gray, then pure black and white. But the artistry was top notch and wonderfully detailed when it needed to be, and plain jane when it had to be. I really enjoyed the monsters, and the detail they had all the way down to the fish scales.
The writing was pretty good too, it kept the flow going well and never got too bogged down.
Overall, this Graphic Novel was nothing like I expected but kinda was what I expected. I don’t think I would have ever guessed that it dealt with the occult and weird Cthulu type of monsters. It’s weird because it mentions them and shows them, but they weren’t the focus. The focus was the death of Derby and the monsters were just side tidbits thrown in.
It unfortunately has DRM, so -1 from the score for that. But you better believe I’m looking out for the others in this series and can’t wait to read them.
January 23, 2023
Great little pulp noir adventure inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos, and "The Thing on the Doorstep" in particular. Although the characters from the original story have been drastically rewritten, it’s still an enjoyable ride, and the plot isn’t predictable like so many noir yarns.
February 24, 2023
CASEFILE: ARKHAM is a 1940s noir detective update of HP Lovecraft's Arkham. Basically, the same stories but with a hard boiled private eye in a slightly more modernized setting. Hank Flynn is a Robert Mitchum-looking detective who has an occassional girlfriend in a witch named Glynda, who is VERY well drawn (ahem). HER BLOOD RUNS COLD has Hank implicated in the death of a Edmund Derby and soon finds himself involved in a loose retelling of "The Thing on the Doorstep."
I'm a big fan of Asenath Waite from that short story and like the updates made here. Weirdly, I kind of regret that Hank Flynn remains faithful to his girlfriend as I think an affair between him and Asenath would have been a good addition to the story.
Solid sequel and its a shame this never had a third volume.
I'm a big fan of Asenath Waite from that short story and like the updates made here. Weirdly, I kind of regret that Hank Flynn remains faithful to his girlfriend as I think an affair between him and Asenath would have been a good addition to the story.
Solid sequel and its a shame this never had a third volume.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews