Howard Lovecraft and the Three Kingdoms
Series Created by Bruce Brown
Written by Bruce Brown and Dwight L. MacPherson
Art by Renzo Podesta and Thomas Boatwright
Letters by E.T. Dollman
Cover by Rob Corless
Arcana Studios
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Cover Price: $29.95

How often do you see an H.P. Lovecraft or Cthulhu comic that’s made for all ages? Not too often, that’s for sure! But that’s exactly what Howard Lovecraft and the Three Kingdoms delivers to the reader. It’s a trio of tales that brings the darkness to children and adults alike! Do I have your attention now? Read on to find out more!

As I said above, there are three different stories within this graphic novel, all humorous and highly entertaining. The primary character is a young Howard Lovecraft (you probably deduced that from the title) and, as many are, he is a curious, adventurous boy. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the most stable home life since his father was sent to an asylum. But it is because of that fact that he is exposed to the dark forces that permeate these tales.

Now, I’m not going to spoil any of the fun here, but I will give you a bit of information regarding each of the stories. “The Frozen Kingdom” is where young Howard meets Spot, who is not at all what a pet should be. This is also the story that introduces the reader to the dreaded book that was composed by Howard’s father, one that drove him insane. If insane he really is! When things go awry, Howard proves himself resilient. Returning to visit his father, Howard misleads him in an effort to placate him and alleviate his fears.

The second of the three tales is “The Undersea Kingdom.” Dreaming and waking seem to blur as Howard takes a journey that leads him nowhere and everywhere. With Spot searching for him and Howard unable to find his way home, he is exposed to the power of a talisman that frightens even the scariest creatures! Our young hero also finds himself with a very dangerous skin condition, though it’s portrayed in a hilarious manner. Again, this comic is an all ages book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Through a bit of trickery, Howard escapes from the evil powers now seeking his book. But he doesn’t quite get to where he thought he was going.

“The Kingdom Of Madness” is the last of the three stories and seems to involve a lot of falling. You’ll have to read it to understand that, however. Finding out some dire news regarding his father, Howard goes off in search of assistance from a doctor who is more experienced than most. This was my favorite of the tales; the comic relief is palpable here. Spot really comes into his own and the doctor’s incessant need to take samples had me chuckling non-stop. My only other comment is that this comic has its own version of Angry Birds.

I loved this take on Cthulhu and Lovecraft. It took what has always been a serious, dark set of tales and played around with it to create something altogether different, while at the same time retaining key parts that serve as a reminder of what it once was. Creator Bruce Brown really outdid himself with this one and I cannot wait for more!

This was originally a Kickstarter campaign but is now available to the public as of October 21, 2014. Pick this up for your more adventurous younglings, especially if they love classic or gothic tales. I’ll be buying a copy for Vivienne, my daughter. Because yeah, I liked it that much!