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Only the End of the World Again
Fan-favorite author Neil "Sandman" Gaiman took on the science of lycanthropy with his Only the End of the World Again, a serialized story that was later collected by Oni Press. In it, we meet Lawrence Talbot, an adjuster who has set up shop in Innsmouth, a dark, mysterious town with a rich history of magic and evil. When the local overweight gentleman exclaims that the world is ending and that the instrument of destruction is a werewolf, Talbot is thrown into a turbulent and spooky adventure. What's made even more exciting (for readers, not for Talbot), is that our protagonist may turn out to be the werewolf himself. Filled with Gaiman's trademark genius, the story, as short as it may be, is a monster tale for the ages.
48 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
September 19, 2019
I'm a pretty big fan of Gaiman, including his occasional Lovecraft-inspired works such as the 1994 short story that this graphic novel was based upon -- which also pays homage to Roger Zelazny -- so I was pretty excited to happen upon this while out book-hunting. Too bad it was shrink-wrapped, or I would have noticed that the actual tale here takes up less than a third of this $20, 152 page-book.
The vast majority is b & w conceptual artwork, sketches, etc. And here I thought this would be a much-expanded version of Gaiman's original short. To be fair, though, the back cover copy did mention the bonus material: it's just that I expected it to actually be BONUS material, not the MAIN dish. Pretty misleading if you ask me--an obvious cash grab and I shouldn't have fallen for it.
But even taking the price and extreme briefness of the story out of the equation, it still disappoints, as the artwork doesn't really evoke any of the awe or frisson that's essential when it comes to Lovecraftian horror, or weird fiction in general. Taste is obviously subjective, but for me the overly-exaggerated features of the characters had an almost cartoony, caricature-like look that didn't serve this otherwise inventive and frequently creepy narrative well in the least.
For me this changes the whole vibe from eerie and ominous to...well...kind of silly. Gaiman's trademark whimsical charm during lighter moments doesn't really come across that well either.
I'd recommend sticking with the 20-odd-page prose version that can be found in the Stephen Jones-edited Shadows Over Innsmouth antho, Gaiman's own Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions, or Lord of the Fantastic: Stories in Honor of Roger Zelazny for a superior experience when reading this hybrid of Lovecraft's unique brand of existential horror and Zelazny's equally unique brand of mythic fantasy. Easily 5 stars.
2.5 Stars for this adaptation, however. So...half as good, basically. Never would have guessed that having visual aids could be such a detriment to a story. Then again, Lovecraft's finest abominations were always best left to the imagination.
The vast majority is b & w conceptual artwork, sketches, etc. And here I thought this would be a much-expanded version of Gaiman's original short. To be fair, though, the back cover copy did mention the bonus material: it's just that I expected it to actually be BONUS material, not the MAIN dish. Pretty misleading if you ask me--an obvious cash grab and I shouldn't have fallen for it.
But even taking the price and extreme briefness of the story out of the equation, it still disappoints, as the artwork doesn't really evoke any of the awe or frisson that's essential when it comes to Lovecraftian horror, or weird fiction in general. Taste is obviously subjective, but for me the overly-exaggerated features of the characters had an almost cartoony, caricature-like look that didn't serve this otherwise inventive and frequently creepy narrative well in the least.
For me this changes the whole vibe from eerie and ominous to...well...kind of silly. Gaiman's trademark whimsical charm during lighter moments doesn't really come across that well either.
I'd recommend sticking with the 20-odd-page prose version that can be found in the Stephen Jones-edited Shadows Over Innsmouth antho, Gaiman's own Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions, or Lord of the Fantastic: Stories in Honor of Roger Zelazny for a superior experience when reading this hybrid of Lovecraft's unique brand of existential horror and Zelazny's equally unique brand of mythic fantasy. Easily 5 stars.
2.5 Stars for this adaptation, however. So...half as good, basically. Never would have guessed that having visual aids could be such a detriment to a story. Then again, Lovecraft's finest abominations were always best left to the imagination.
June 25, 2021
Honestly, I think I enjoyed Gaiman's original prose version better. Nixey's art is so hit and miss. He does Lovecraftian and werewolf elements so well, but his humans? Ouch! They all look like sacks of blobby meat. Almost as if they are a human skin with some other creature hidden underneath.
This story is only 50 pages long with another hundred pages of the book in its sketch and then pencilled form.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This story is only 50 pages long with another hundred pages of the book in its sketch and then pencilled form.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2018
ARC REVIEW
Story: It's the end of the World, again. Adjuster Lawrence Talbot has set up in the quiet little town of Innsmouth, which smells of fish no matter where you go. Lawrence discovers through a series of odd meetings that the people of Innsmouth are setting up the end of the world and the key for these events the blood of a werewolf, in other words Lawrence. But it's always the end of the world and only by some small action or pure luck is it diverted.
Art: Hit and miss. Some of it was very nicely done, the werewolf and some of the other supernatural elements were nicely done and looked beautiful and but the people's features were overly exaggerated in a way that made them seem lumpy, it's the best word I can think of to describe them. The actual story is only about 50 pages long the rest of 100 some odd pages are scans of the sketching process. So it's the book twice over showing the initial sketch to the more detailed drawing before inking and coloring. It was nice to thumb through and see the process but it's not something I'm typically interested in.
Review: Overall it was an interesting story, I would be interested in reading the original prose that Gaiman wrote, but the illustrations do add something to the story, and it's nice to have that visualization there. It was strange and weird and just the kind of thing I like.
Story: It's the end of the World, again. Adjuster Lawrence Talbot has set up in the quiet little town of Innsmouth, which smells of fish no matter where you go. Lawrence discovers through a series of odd meetings that the people of Innsmouth are setting up the end of the world and the key for these events the blood of a werewolf, in other words Lawrence. But it's always the end of the world and only by some small action or pure luck is it diverted.
Art: Hit and miss. Some of it was very nicely done, the werewolf and some of the other supernatural elements were nicely done and looked beautiful and but the people's features were overly exaggerated in a way that made them seem lumpy, it's the best word I can think of to describe them. The actual story is only about 50 pages long the rest of 100 some odd pages are scans of the sketching process. So it's the book twice over showing the initial sketch to the more detailed drawing before inking and coloring. It was nice to thumb through and see the process but it's not something I'm typically interested in.
Review: Overall it was an interesting story, I would be interested in reading the original prose that Gaiman wrote, but the illustrations do add something to the story, and it's nice to have that visualization there. It was strange and weird and just the kind of thing I like.
July 16, 2017
Set in the same town as in Shoggoth's Old Peculiar again giving nod to H.P. Lovecraft and his stories. It might help me to read them - maybe someday. This is later and a werewolf has moved into the community. The Frog people are wanting to release Shoggoth. Neil is a master at leading you through a story and not telling you much until the last second when he gives just enough. He keeps the reader in the unknown most of the story - never giving everything away. He is brilliant and I'm not the biggest horror fan so it was a good story for me personally. Smoke and Mirrors is worth a read. Good short stories.
July 15, 2018
This was a rather strange comic. It felt like Gaiman's ode to Lovecraftian themes. From taking place in Inssmouth, New England to the "Old Ones" nature of the monster being summoned.
Lawrence Talbot is an ordinary guy. Who also happens to be a werewolf. One day, a strange man stops by his office to tell him it will be the end of the world soon. Talbot is then drawn into a story about a group of people that seek to summon an entity of great power. Now Talbot is embroiled in this complex plot. More than that I will not spoil. But hey- it's Gaiman writing about Old Ones and werewolves. So great right? Um no. It was good but not great.
For one thing, the story was rather short. My edition has the entire story as a sketchbook which made it seem like a long story-it wasn't. The entire set of events seem to happen in a very short time. The logic behind the cultists using a werewolf for the ceremony and their preparations to deal with such a creature were puzzling at best and downright imbecilic upon further thought.
The artwork was underwhelming. I didn't care for the style. It makes the people seem like caricatures. So a short, seemingly rushed story and mediocre art created something merely good. Not the usually amazing work I have become used too from Gaiman but nothing bad either. I wish he had used a better artist and the story had been rather longer and the whole ritual and purposes more fleshed out. But an interesting read none the less. Gaiman fans will enjoy.
Lawrence Talbot is an ordinary guy. Who also happens to be a werewolf. One day, a strange man stops by his office to tell him it will be the end of the world soon. Talbot is then drawn into a story about a group of people that seek to summon an entity of great power. Now Talbot is embroiled in this complex plot. More than that I will not spoil. But hey- it's Gaiman writing about Old Ones and werewolves. So great right? Um no. It was good but not great.
For one thing, the story was rather short. My edition has the entire story as a sketchbook which made it seem like a long story-it wasn't. The entire set of events seem to happen in a very short time. The logic behind the cultists using a werewolf for the ceremony and their preparations to deal with such a creature were puzzling at best and downright imbecilic upon further thought.
The artwork was underwhelming. I didn't care for the style. It makes the people seem like caricatures. So a short, seemingly rushed story and mediocre art created something merely good. Not the usually amazing work I have become used too from Gaiman but nothing bad either. I wish he had used a better artist and the story had been rather longer and the whole ritual and purposes more fleshed out. But an interesting read none the less. Gaiman fans will enjoy.
August 9, 2016
A bad-ass werewolf visits Innsmouth, and gets mixed up in more than he bargained for. Reminded me a bit of 'The Wicker Man,' with extra paranormal elements. Humorous without being 'light,' Gaiman's sincere love for Lovecraft shines through here.
[Review of the prose story only.]
[Review of the prose story only.]
March 3, 2018
Lovecraftian horror - which has never appealed to me - drawn in Troy Nixey's patented grotesque art style - which has never appealed to me. It speaks to the power of Neil Gaiman's name that I ever checked this out of the library in the first place.
And I'm glad I didn't buy this, because I think I'd be pretty pissed to pay money for a book that is one-third a disappointing colored short story adaptation and two-thirds the same story printed again as black-and-white thumbnail and finished ink pages. That's an amazing excess of filler.
And I'm glad I didn't buy this, because I think I'd be pretty pissed to pay money for a book that is one-third a disappointing colored short story adaptation and two-thirds the same story printed again as black-and-white thumbnail and finished ink pages. That's an amazing excess of filler.
November 10, 2021
Gaiman's creativity: the silliness and the iconographic.
A werewolf undersea. Just the artpop-ness of this is enough to write an entire book! Gaiman is the only person alive who could create a Wizard of Oz for the 2020s--story and suitable icons for sure! So...why is this one left sooo unfinished? It could have been something magnificent, not the beginning of something.
A werewolf undersea. Just the artpop-ness of this is enough to write an entire book! Gaiman is the only person alive who could create a Wizard of Oz for the 2020s--story and suitable icons for sure! So...why is this one left sooo unfinished? It could have been something magnificent, not the beginning of something.
January 28, 2018
This is one of those stories where you know you're only getting the very edges of things.
That's no accident; writer Neil Gaiman (along with adapters P. Craig Russell and Troy Nixey) deliberately gives this short work an episodic feel. We come in well after the movie's started, if you will, and we leave long before it's over.
Sometimes this technique can be used to great effect. It can be very tantalizing. There are other occasions, like this one for instance, where the reader is left with a sense of frustration that overwhelms whatever else they might feel about what they've read.
To be clear: this is a good story. It's just not enough of one.
That's no accident; writer Neil Gaiman (along with adapters P. Craig Russell and Troy Nixey) deliberately gives this short work an episodic feel. We come in well after the movie's started, if you will, and we leave long before it's over.
Sometimes this technique can be used to great effect. It can be very tantalizing. There are other occasions, like this one for instance, where the reader is left with a sense of frustration that overwhelms whatever else they might feel about what they've read.
To be clear: this is a good story. It's just not enough of one.
February 28, 2022
This was a 2-star book, but half the page count is the sketchbook, which goes through the whole thing again page-by-page. I guess that'd be fun if you wanted to learn how this stuff is laid out, but what the fuck, that's like putting together 22 minutes of deleted scenes (which were deleted for a reason) as half the runtime of a 22 minute sitcom.
So, because it's twice as much book with the same amount of story, the stars are halved. This is science, I'm not in control of it.
So, because it's twice as much book with the same amount of story, the stars are halved. This is science, I'm not in control of it.
June 30, 2018
Only the End of the World Again is not one of my favourite Gaiman books, but what really knocks a star off this book is the fact that only a 1/3 of it is actual comic. The rest is just sketched out pages and plans for the comic. While I am not opposed as seeing some bonus material like this in books, it has become a trend to slap a hardcover on what is essentially one or two comic singles. Totally not worth the cost, and I am very glad I borrowed this one from the library given how little material was actually in it.
March 31, 2009
Great idea, a little confusing, rather disappointing.
April 30, 2022
I originally read this as a short story in the anthology Lovecraft's Monsters, and while I also enjoyed it then, it works slightly better as a comic book in my opinion. I don't know a lot about comics myself, so I'm not sure who deserves the most credit between Russell, Nixey, and Hollingsworth, but as far as I'm concerned everyone involved deserves some props for the artwork, which strikes a near-perfect balance between comic goofiness and creepy uncanniness.
December 12, 2020
A reminder: a Lovecraftian werewolf, Innsmouth, fish-people, the Old Ones. I liked the story.
November 2, 2018
P. Craig Russell seems to be on a mission to illustrate just about every story Neil Gaiman has wrote. Which means he does some that may not really need it. This is a case in point - the art is okay, but nothing compared to Russell's work on Coraline or the Graveyard Book. Gaiman's prose comes across as less accessible in this form; some of the humor gets lost in the illustrations, and Gaiman's Lovecraftian prose is weakened by being trapped in captions. What's here is enjoyable enough, but the art feels unnecessary.
If you're interested in the comic book process, you can add one star - this has a very comprehensive collection of the penciling and inking work done. To the point that it takes up more of the hardcover edition than the actual story does. For fans of the process, I can see that as a bonus, but to me it was an unwelcome surprise. Unless you're a massive P. Craig Russell fan, stick to "Smoke and Mirrors."
If you're interested in the comic book process, you can add one star - this has a very comprehensive collection of the penciling and inking work done. To the point that it takes up more of the hardcover edition than the actual story does. For fans of the process, I can see that as a bonus, but to me it was an unwelcome surprise. Unless you're a massive P. Craig Russell fan, stick to "Smoke and Mirrors."
March 24, 2018
I vaguely remember reading Gaiman's original short story. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of things Lovecraftian, so that aspect of the story was not my cuppa. I would have been more interested in what was implied at the beginning - a werewolf trying to find a way to end his wolfiness.
I'm also not a fan of Nixey's art. Again, just not my cup of tea.
Be warned - this looks like a large graphic novel, but the story itself takes up only a third of the volume; the remainder of the book is a side-by-side comparison of P. Craig Russell's original layout sketches with Nixey's finished pages. Nice for the art fans and the completists, but a waste of space for those of us who tuned in for a Gaiman tale.
I'm also not a fan of Nixey's art. Again, just not my cup of tea.
Be warned - this looks like a large graphic novel, but the story itself takes up only a third of the volume; the remainder of the book is a side-by-side comparison of P. Craig Russell's original layout sketches with Nixey's finished pages. Nice for the art fans and the completists, but a waste of space for those of us who tuned in for a Gaiman tale.
May 1, 2009
The good people of Innsmouth (ala H.P. Lovecraft) are looking to end the world again, and are more than willing to sacrifice anything or anyone to do so.
The artwork tends to look a little goofy at times. The humans all have faces like wrinkled putty. I prefer Gaiman's original version: a short story found in "Smoke & Mirrors". Another disappointment for me.
Book Details:
Title Only the End of the World Again
Author Troy Nixey (Author);Neil Gaiman (Editor)
Reviewed By Purplycookie
The artwork tends to look a little goofy at times. The humans all have faces like wrinkled putty. I prefer Gaiman's original version: a short story found in "Smoke & Mirrors". Another disappointment for me.
Book Details:
Title Only the End of the World Again
Author Troy Nixey (Author);Neil Gaiman (Editor)
Reviewed By Purplycookie
July 4, 2018
A very minor Cthulhu-adjacent tale. The plot is barely there: a werewolf gets conned into joining an ancient ritual to raise the Deep Ones. Really, the illustrations are the most satisfying part of this graphic short story. Of note: more than half the book is a pencil-sketch version of the same story you just read. Not a lot of bang for your buck there.
April 30, 2012
the man can just flat out write. I do recommend that you read the prequel by Roger Zelaney called Lonesome October
June 2, 2018
Only about a third of the book is the story, the other two thirds is the sketchbook. Nothing wrong with that, I was just expecting more story.
November 10, 2020
I remember seeing the first page of this, where a man wakes up seemingly hung over and then finds 3 child fingers in his vomit, when I was a kid or young teen. I found it in the library near my folks house, and I was so profoundly disturbed by that first page that I didn't read any further. But it stuck with me. And slowly, over time, it became one of the most indelible images in the greater werewolf canon.
As a sleepwalker, and as someone who has dabbled in fantastically excessive drinking during low points in my life, the true horror of the werewolf concept to me is waking up and learning, for the first time, a story about yourself from last night. Knowing other people have memories of you doing things you will never have memories of. With sleepwalking, those things are usually just strange, eerie in the wee hours and funny in the morning. Occasionally dangerous, like walking to a bus stop in the middle of the night and crossing major road. With alcohol, thankfully for me it's only ever been embarrassing. But what actually happens isn't what's upsetting. What's upsetting is somebody else telling you something about your own life that you don't know. It's deeply unsettling.
This image of the werewolf hangover, the child fingers, stayed in my head for years. I would occasionally try to Google it and never got anywhere. I posted in one of those reddits where you try and get people you help you remember the name of That Thing. Nobody ever knew the name of That Thing, and eventually I forgot about it.
Last year I watched The Wolfman for the first time, and was reminded of this. I looked it up again, and there it was! I don't know what changed. I was amazed to find it was by several people I already know and love. And I found a tattered copy online for a couple bucks.
The rest of the story is fine. A decent lovecraft short story riff, charmingly articulated, gorgeous lines, beautiful colors. Nixey draws the best knuckles in the biz. I can't get enough of his hands. But I'll never forget that first page, as long as I live.
As a sleepwalker, and as someone who has dabbled in fantastically excessive drinking during low points in my life, the true horror of the werewolf concept to me is waking up and learning, for the first time, a story about yourself from last night. Knowing other people have memories of you doing things you will never have memories of. With sleepwalking, those things are usually just strange, eerie in the wee hours and funny in the morning. Occasionally dangerous, like walking to a bus stop in the middle of the night and crossing major road. With alcohol, thankfully for me it's only ever been embarrassing. But what actually happens isn't what's upsetting. What's upsetting is somebody else telling you something about your own life that you don't know. It's deeply unsettling.
This image of the werewolf hangover, the child fingers, stayed in my head for years. I would occasionally try to Google it and never got anywhere. I posted in one of those reddits where you try and get people you help you remember the name of That Thing. Nobody ever knew the name of That Thing, and eventually I forgot about it.
Last year I watched The Wolfman for the first time, and was reminded of this. I looked it up again, and there it was! I don't know what changed. I was amazed to find it was by several people I already know and love. And I found a tattered copy online for a couple bucks.
The rest of the story is fine. A decent lovecraft short story riff, charmingly articulated, gorgeous lines, beautiful colors. Nixey draws the best knuckles in the biz. I can't get enough of his hands. But I'll never forget that first page, as long as I live.
September 14, 2021
This was going to be for the Shifters square, which fits, but I didn’t realize it was going to be a short story. And while many people might enjoy seeing the roughs and the final illustrations, all of them, I was not really hankering for it. Now I’m thinking I probably already read this as a story somewhere. [Yes, actually, in [book:Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions|16790]]
Anyway, good, a fun riff on Lovecraft, but not a lot of actual reading, so it kind of felt like cheating to me and I decided not to count it.
Library copy
Anyway, good, a fun riff on Lovecraft, but not a lot of actual reading, so it kind of felt like cheating to me and I decided not to count it.
Library copy
May 28, 2020
This book has in it some of the best dialogue I hav e read in a graphic novel, novel, comic book, script. It's truly great. Quotable and memorable. It combines so many of my favorite things in it's narrative. Werewolves, Lovecraft, protagonist that aren't restrained by a need to be likable champions for the righteous and good. A definite must read for fans of any of the things listed, or Neil Gaiman.
February 1, 2024
I'm not a terribly big fan of this art style. The exaggerated forms are needlessly comical and grotesque, and with the overabundance of text blocks, the effect is an overcrowded, complicated mess. Neil Gaiman's story is, again, great, but with a few exceptions the art doesn't seem to really know what it's doing with it. This is one where the prose story is sufficient and superior all on its own, but perhaps one could find some entertainment from the graphic adaptation.
July 30, 2018
I love the squishy artwork, Troy Nixey reminds me of Paul Pope and lots of eurofreaks doing short bits on the edges of issues of Heavy Metal. I love putting Larry Talbot in Innsmouth with Soggoth stirring. It is all just a bit rushed. I need to pick up Gaiman’s prose original.
February 6, 2019
Actual rating 3.5 stars.
January 1, 2021
Fascinating! I always wondered why the end of the world hasn't come yet, with so many stupid people in the world...?
December 29, 2022
3.5/5
This is a mix of Lovecraftian horror with Terry Pratchett like casual down-to-earth irony, mixed with Gaiman's unique poetic writing style. Described like this, it sounds like everything I love, but I really didn't dig the art style. Well, no, I didn't like the way the artist rendered human beings. I thought the wolf and sea creatures looked great. I'm never completely wowed by comics the way I would be by short stories because I don't have the time to get attached and it's just not a format I click with all that much. But still this was cool. I probably would have liked it more as a short story is all.
This is a mix of Lovecraftian horror with Terry Pratchett like casual down-to-earth irony, mixed with Gaiman's unique poetic writing style. Described like this, it sounds like everything I love, but I really didn't dig the art style. Well, no, I didn't like the way the artist rendered human beings. I thought the wolf and sea creatures looked great. I'm never completely wowed by comics the way I would be by short stories because I don't have the time to get attached and it's just not a format I click with all that much. But still this was cool. I probably would have liked it more as a short story is all.
October 27, 2018
A strange tale set in a strange town, the story depicts Gaiman's love for Lovecraft stories. One of his earlier work, 'a study in emerald', had the same Lovecraftian vibe and i loved that story but this one, not so much. Even the graphics did not help so much.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews