And Then I Read: NEONOMICON 2

© Alan Moore and Avatar Press.

Despite the humorous homage to EC Comics on this variant cover, NEONOMICON is dead scary and stomach-churning stuff. There've been plenty of Lovecraftian mythos storylines in comics (HELLBOY comes to mind), to the point where the chills and horror that writer's original works can bring to a fresh reader have become  clichés  that are almost comfortable in their familiarity. Not so here. Alan Moore knows how to push a reader's buttons, or at least mine, and in his hands Lovecraft's themes become truly horrifying, ugly, brutal and nightmarish.  The two government agents investigating are drawn into what they think will be an orgy disguised as some kind of devilish worship, but they are soon unmasked, and find that involuntary sex is only a small part of the evil they're going to face. Or at least, one of them is going to face…but I can't say what happens to the other without spoiling the story, should you care to read it.

Jacen Burrows does a fine job of capturing the unblinking horror of the writing, with detailed and yet somehow claustrophobic realism. The ominous colors by Juanmar help convey the mood. Lovecraft's work, and that of his followers, is woven into this tale in various clever ways, but it's not for the squeamish, or easily offended. This is dark, powerful stuff that may leave you shaken, and clearly things can only get worse from here. Anyone who thinks Alan Moore may have mellowed with age, this series might well change your mind. Recommended with the above qualifications, definitely not for minors.