Fall of Cthulhu Vol. 1: The Fugue
Grade 9 Up–Combining the first five issues of the comic-book series, this book tells of how an ordinary guy descends into madness. The story opens with Cy's beloved Uncle Walt committing suicide in an open-air café, in front of Cy; his girlfriend, Jordan; and a wealth of other people. Cy, who was raised by Walt, decides he must find out the motivation behind his uncle's desperate act and what he meant when he told Cy to stop him. So, despite Jordan's pleadings to the contrary, Cy searches through his uncle's belongings left behind in a single room in a Norman Bates-esque boardinghouse. He uncovers strange rituals, a peculiar language with not enough vowels, and an alternate world known as the Dreamlands. There, Cy encounters a creature known as the whore, who promises to unveil the secrets of Walt's obsession with the cult of Cthulhu, if Cy will give his eternity to her. The tale continues in a swirl of blood, frightening creatures, and unsettling rituals. Both the story and the style of the color artwork will remind readers of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series (Vertigo), but teens used to mainstream comics and manga series will be disappointed by the rough edges of the art.Fallwill appeal most to those who enjoy dark comics.–Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.