Broken Frontier

Horror screenwriter Hans Rodionoff returns to Vertigo with another Lovecraft-inspired story.

I haven’t been a big fan over the types of books Vertigo comics has been interested in publishing over the last few years. I preferred the earlier days when the imprint explored more horrific tales like Sandman, Jonah Hex and Midnight Mass. Now with that being said, I was pleasantly surprised to see the imprint leap back into that area with the first issue of Mnemovore.

The issue starts out with a bang, as young Olympic hopeful Kaley Markowic awakens from a terrible snowboarding accident. The accident she suffers from has caused her significant memory loss, due to a problematic head injury. Kaley doesn’t remember much of anything, but her parents seem determined to help her regain some of these memories by looking at old family photos and visiting with other family members. None of this seems to be working for Kaley, and the more she’s pushed the more she seems to be determined to fight this on her own. So off she goes to her apartment with her live-in boyfriend, and from there things start to spin out of control.

Much of this story is slowly paced, but the creepy overtones are definitely present throughout. I think this should be attributed to the writing style of Hans Rodionoff, whose previous genre credits include a Man-Thing mini-series for Marvel and screenplays for Saint Sinner and Man-Thing. He’s definitely within his element here and the build-up towards the end along with the use of Lovecraftian imagery to fuel it was just sheer brilliance. Also on the flip-side, the art of Mike Huddleston complimented the story rather well. I felt his style had an underground feel to it, but it worked on many different levels. Mike was able to evoke a sense of dread and despair throughout, and themes like these are often associated with Lovecraftian imagery.

I would suggest to anyone interested in buying a copy of Mnemovore to have the patience to stick with it. The issue starts off slowly, but it leads directly into a horrific ending, suggesting sinister things to come. I am sure the next issue that follows this one will continue on with this psychological trend, and what better way to usher in the great Cthulhu’s return. I can’t wait for it!

-Kenneth Gallant