Lovecraft P.I.: A Shot in the Dark [2015]

Lovecraft P.I.: A Shot in the Dark [2015]

by D.W. Kann, Fritz Striker, and Antonio Brandao [covers by Paul Shipper]

Darkside Media LLC

104 pages

From the solicitation: “Where does madness leave off and reality begin? When Detective Ward Lovecraft is summoned to the remote fishing port of Innsmouth, Massachusetts circa 1937. To investigate a murder and theft of a dangerous artifact, he ends up caught in the middle of a local power struggle where the prize isn't the town, but rather dominion over all of humanity. Lovecraft decides to stay on to punish the guilty - even if that meant taking on an entire town and an ancient evil hell-bent on humanity's destruction.”

A break-in. A monster. A relic. A murder. These are the elements that kick-off what is a truly captivating piece of work.

Miskatonic Detective Agency’s field investigator, Ward Lovecraft is a hard-boiled detective dead-set on saving the world. Hired by a local magnate to investigate the murder of his son, Lovecraft finds himself in the small coastal town of Innsmouth, where he is met by suspicious townsfolk including crooked police officers. The detective finds his way into the (honest) police chief’s office and dives headfirst into the case that none of the locals want him to probe into.

Lovecraft interview several locals, including the wealthy father of the victim, and studies the crime scene only to find that an original copy of the dreaded Necronomicon has been stolen - and it may be this robbery that led to the man’s murder. As Lovecraft inches closer to solving the mystery, he encounters fishy characters, seductive women, and devoted cultists hell-bent on bringing doom to the world. I will take all of his wits, a little charm, a few shots of whiskey, and some deadpan humor to solve the crime and end the threat, but somebody’s gotta do it.

This story was gripping from beginning to end. The story dialogue keep the reader intrigued throughout, confident that the mystery is a simple one-and-done. But it is actually a bit of a rollercoaster as the detective uncovers layers and layers that lead him to dead ends and dark, dangerous alleys of the narrative.

The title character is likeable, somewhat similar to Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine in Casablanca. He’s a tough guy who doesn’t let himself get too close to anyone anymore, given that he’s seen too much of this world and the one beyond to trust anyone or their motives. His insults and banter are dry and well-timed, adding some humor during the most tense moments of the story.

The artwork is great for this type of story, and the sepia tone makes for a nostalgic noir feel that is so 1930’s James Cagney; you’ll even spot a tommy gun or two in there for good measure. Mix in some awesome gore, cool creatures (there's even one that's a throwback to Swamp Thing!), and an evil cult, and you've got something special; throw in a couple of twists towards the end and in the last few panels, and you have a book that delivers from the first page to the last.

The length is perfect for the story, and it is fairly priced at $20 for the trade paperback and $10 for the digital copy. Despite a few minor editorial [spelling errors] dotted throughout the work, the book is engrossing and I read it in one sitting. Overall I give this a solid 5 out of 5 - and I can’t wait to get my copy of the second book. I also want to mention that there is currently a couple of Kickstarters for Lovecraft P.I and Miskatonic High crossovers that seem very promising and might be worth a look.

Buy it at LovecraftPI.com (where you can also find a digital version and cool related merchandise), Amazon.com, at select comic shops, and on eBay.com