Cosmic Horror

"Arkham Horror: The Terror at the End of Time #1 (written by Cullen Bunn, with art by Andrea Mutti and colors by Valerio Alloro) brings the Arkham Horror games and books to life. Set in the Jazz Age of the 1920s, this premier issue introduces us to wealthy socialite Jenny Barnes, who always has a priceless necklace and two pistols as part of her wardrobe, and Private Investigator Joe Diamond, who’s also much more than he seems.

The first half of the book feels like a classic Mickey Spillane mystery, with a wealthy damsel-in-distress desperate to find her missing sister. There’s a scene in a diner where Jenny and Joe have a conversation, gauging each other while not wanting to open up to the other person, and I could easily see this scene playing out in a classic Bogart/Bacall film like The Big Sleep. The dialogue’s as sparse and efficient as a Spillane potboiler, with an added level of menace with mentions of an ancient cult lurking in the background and the overall feeling of dread that looms over the city of Arkham..."