Necronomicon

Necronomicon #1-4

by William Messner-Loebs, Andrew Ritchie (Illustrator), J.K. Woodward (Illustrator)

The history of the most infamous book known to man will finally unfurl! Student Ali Said, recruited by a mysterious group to find the famed Necronomicon, is caught between the warring forces that want the Necronomicon's power for their own - but Said knows that neither side intends to leave the world better off.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 2009

About the author

William Francis Messner-Loebs (born William Francis Loebs, Jr.) is an American comics artist and writer from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs. His hyphenated surname is a combination of his and his wife Nadine's unmarried surnames.

In the 1980s and 1990s he wrote runs of series published by DC Comics, Image Comics, Comico, and other comics publishers, including DC's superhero series Flash and Wonder Woman among others. Additionally he has both written and drawn original creator-owned works, such as Journey: The Adventures of Wolverine MacAlistaire.

Reviews

[Darien]

TOD 38% cuz bored

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a decent Lovecraft inspired story. Set at Miskatonic University in the 1920s, we follow a student as he translates the Neconomicon. Along the way we are introduced to several characters from different Lovecraft stories, some human and some not. It's the type of story where he mixes up several stories to included the different elements in an all new story.

The art was clever as it seemed to be "antique" as even the printing technique used helped the book achieve it's 1920s setting.

Not a bad read for Lovecraft fans.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ali Said, student at Miskatonic university is tasked to provide a translation of the dreaded Necronomicon. The story touches on many of the classic Lovecraft tales, weaving them together into an intriguing narrative.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great. I loved the artwork. Good Cthulhu story set in Arkham, at Miskatonic University. Lots of mi-go!

[Geoff Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely lightweight and predictable. A hodgepodge of lovecraftian creatures and themes, but little atmosphere or character development.

And I think the writer seriously overestimates the human hero's ability to pick up super powers by reading the Necronomicon, to the point where they can survive fights with shoggoths and elder gods. The dark powers of lovecrafts pantheon don't need to fight with humans to stop someone translating a book. They just unleash their vast, uncaring force and sweep everyone aside, probably without even noticing us.

The artwork is alright, again a little lightweight. Not a real lotta dark broody creepiness happening.

Anyway, it's an ok read, passes the time, just don't expect something worthy of the title Neconomicon. It's a lot to aim for, and not quite achieved.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a hodge podge of Lovecraft stories and characters that is entertaining for all the inside jokes. Some cool artwork especially the Mi-Go depictions. Had more potential than what was executed here. I like the concept of the Necronomicon being translated. Didn't work out so well in the Evil Dead.

[Barry Haworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A graphic novel based on the works of HP Lovecraft, bringing together ideas from a number of his stories. Told from the point of view of an Arab student with a talent for languages it is the story of how he is called upon to make a translation of the copy of the mysterious Necronomicon in the Miskatonic University library.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Wasteland" was a fantastic dark fantasy/horror anthology published by DC back in the late eighties that featured stories written by William Messner-Loebs, and fans of that title will love "Necronomicon", Loeb's Cthulhu Mythos graphic novel. The illustrations by Andrew Ritchie hearken back to the art featured in the "Wasteland" as well and give the book a nice, quirky look.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

Messner-Loebs doesn't take long to underestimate his readers. Page 5 is when I knew it wasn't going to go well for us. By the third chapter, with a never-ending and blatantly repetitive (presumably in case some new reader showed up for this five-part series after issue #1) voice-over, I relaxed the protagonist must be functionally Aspergers.

He has no emotional reactions to the weirdness and growing dread, he doesn't seem at all out off by the slips into dream/nightmare-land, and he's pretty much gone OCD on top of his other mental defects.

Frankly by halfway through this book I found myself disengaged and skimming rather than delving in and enjoying. I pliers through to the end, and while at least the story had an ending of sorts to satisfy the least of my needs, it sure didn't feel like anything I'd recommend.

Not least because of the art - which is like something out of the mediocre in high school art class. Execrable.

[David Schwan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A confusing book. The main character is hired to translate the Necronomicon. While translating it he discovers an old race of people who want to take over the earth. This got rated best horror comic of 2008, not sure why? Is the field of horror comics that thin? Seems loosely based on and H. P. Lovecraft story, and perhaps that is the attraction to this. The graphics were ok, slightly minimalistic.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did I not know of this book earlier? Loebs (one of my favorite writers) turns in a fine Lovecraftian tale that pulls threads together from multiple sources to quilt something entertaining and new.

[Jonathan Hunsberger]

Been on a Lovecraftian comic kick lately and really enjoyed the personality and (dare i say it for the genre?) optimism of the protaganist and book overall.

[Tsumi Tsunami · Rating 2 out of 5]

muy meeeh

[Luiz Santiago · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dude, this is one of the worst miniseries that I read this year. Terrible, terrible ...