The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
Following his excellent adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness (2012), Culbard tackles a tale far more consistent with the bulk of Lovecraft’s work—which means lots of first- and secondhand stories delivered by men sitting in drawing rooms discussing vague horrors. The case involves young Charles Ward (who bears a certain physical resemblance to HPL), whose obsession with an allegedly ageless ancestor has him robbing graveyards and reciting forbidden texts in order to claim the man’s ancient secrets for his own. Vampires, reincarnation, creatures falling from the sky, monster-filled catacombs—it’s all here. Culbard’s fealty to Lovecraft is admirable, though the circuitous storytelling will no doubt puzzle more than a few. But Culbard triumphs in bringing to life a story that isn’t inherently visual, using massive swaths of black punctuated by strange colors to inject juice into the goings-on. His restraint works best during moments of the purest horror, when the worst sights—in true Lovecraft fashion—merely tickle the edges of the frame. Another success by one of the best modern translators of the endlessly popular scribe. Grades 7-12. --Daniel Kraus