Broken Frontier

Six disturbing and diverse stories make up this anthology/love letter to the H.P. Lovecraft creation.

Lovecraft’s long body of sci-fi, fantasy and/or horror works showed that the writer had an understanding of the types of things that made the hairs on the back of one’s neck stick out. He created fantastical works and characters that displayed the dark heart of mankind while simultaneously pulling the reader into a sense of wonder and awe. Cthulhu was one such character, and the "The Great Old One" is the subject of the mystic wonders and horrors found here.

The first story, "The Beach," is about a man obsessed by the call of the sleeping god. Michael Alan Nelson pens a tale that briefly explores the darkness that lies in humanity. Andrew Ritchie provides dark, gritty and wonderfully disturbing art that fits the tone of the narrative perfectly.

Story two, "Love’s Craft" is somewhat similar to the previous, but the subject is a lonely woman who is in a loveless marriage and is likewise tormented by the strange thoughts that come to her. Johanna Stokes writes in a dramatic poetry that doesn’t quite flow. In fact, if not for the imagery provided by Filip Sablik, which is clear yet unevenly colored by Sunder Raj, it might be difficult to see the direction the story intends to go towards—that being the woman’s insanity and Lovecraft’s creation: Arkham Sanitarium.

"Witch Hunter" by Andrew Cosby and Lee Carter, goes deeper into the darkness and into the seedy underbelly of civilizations and the dark corners that a parent might visit to provide for his child. This story seems to be the most "classic horror" of any in its true eeriness and haunting final image.

"Quality Time" by John Rogers and Andy Kuhn (with colors by Pam Rambo) hits on a number of classic Lovecraftian themes, including a child’s play of "The King in Yellow," a Robert Chambers creation that Lovecraft was very fond of. It’s a strange little yarn with bright images and contemporary themes that contrast the sinister outcome.

"Cthulhu Calls" is my favorite of the bunch, as it almost completely avoids horror and goes straight for the funny bone. Casey Grey and Mark Badger tell an offbeat story about a young man who had a little drunken fling with an incantation that led to Cthulhu’s awakening. Cthulhu proceeds to stalk the young man, who now wants nothing to do with the smitten deity.

The final entry, written by Keith Giffen and illustrated by Ben Roman (again with marvelous colors by Pam Rambo) is laboriously called, "The Oddly Amorous Phineas Flynn and the Troublesome Trouble He Got Himself In." It is written in sort of a musical tone poetry that might go well with an Irish beer. The story itself is nothing overly spectacular or even original, but the way it is told and the wonderful sequentials make it an appealing addition to an overall creepy book.

Though it is a little pricey, the production is high-grade square bound and a pretty solid effort overall. If you have any love for Lovecraft’s work or are a horror fan in general, there is very likely something that will appeal to you in this book.