H.P. Lovecraft Archives | Otaku No Culture

To Hail a Lunar New Year with 2024’s Ape x Mecha Ape: New World Order

Even though The Asylum’s mockbusters are just that, sometimes there’s a diamond in the rough that gets my attention. When the focus is away from a mutant lizard, Ape x Mecha Ape: New World Order is surprisingly watchable.

Ape X Mecha Ape New World Order Available to view on Google Play and Prime Video
Spoiler Alert

The Asylum is a movie studio well known for its parodies of blockbuster films, and sometimes they create a hidden gem I enjoy. What writer/director Marc Gottlieb got right in Ape X Mecha Ape: New World Order to honour that kaiju spirit. The biggest surprise is the design of the robot! I’d gladly have a model of it stomping on 1998s Godzilla on my shelf!

But for the former, as this planet’s saviour (sort of), the giant sized Abraham knows something the humans do not at the start of this film. And all his human watchers can do is stand by the sidelines and watch the devastation. If that’s not what a typical Toho film from the 70s looks like, then maybe someone can enlighten me. After this monkey’s first confrontation with a worm from outer space, all I wanted to see was who would win during round two!

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The Colour Out of Space Is Blue, If This Thrilling Cover Is Any Indication

After two movies based on The Colour Out of Space, there’s now going to be a manga by celebrated meister Gou Tanabe!

Gou Tanabe and HP Lovecraft's The Colour Out of Space Cover — Now available to preorder on Amazon

Just how many stories of H.P. Lovecraft manga artist Gou Tanabe plans to adapt is likely to keep him busy for most of his life! While there’s been a few cinematic takes of The Colour Out of Space, the director and studio can only do so much depending on the budget. Nick Cage’s version (you can read my review here) wasn’t too bad, but to see what this manga artist can deliver in black and white may well mean he has to add colour this time!

This next release from Dark Horse Comics is sure to please, and as for whether a splash of colour will be used in this artist’s rendition, I can’t wait to take a look and be transformed too!

From the Press Release:

The works of H.P. Lovecraft explore horrifically inconceivable gods and monsters amongst humanity. Gou Tanabe presents each of these tales in stunningly visceral artistic detail in his multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated manga adaptations. Now, Dark Horse Manga presents H.P. Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space by Tanabe, translated into English by Zack Davisson, translator of the two-time Eisner Award-winning Showa: A History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki, and set to join the growing collection of Tanabe’s popular works in July 2025.

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Everything Bold and Viceral in Gou Tanabe’s Call of Cthulhu Needs A Deluxe HC Reprint!

Dark Horse Comics

I really hope Gou Tanabe continues to adapt more of H.P. Lovecraft‘s stories into a visual medium. After the release of Call of Cthulhu, I’m really craving more. And with what’s presented in a tankōbon format, I can’t wait to see what the inevitable deluxe edition will look like. That’s because to marvel at the details put into showing off the city of R’lyeh can mean I can put away those magnifying glasses. Even though my digital copy allowed me to zoom in to marvel at the fine lines and strange hieroglyphs, that did not mean I found Easter eggs.

What makes this release work is that most readers know the basics of this story. Francis Wayland Thurston needs closure following‌ the death of his grand-uncle. He left behind some curious artefacts, including a strange statue of some hybrid octopus and humanoid creature, to his next of kin. But when curiosity gets the better of the young man, I swear he should have died at least five times over! When he goes globetrotting to discover more of these statues exist, there’s a conspiracy that he must get answers to. However, that doesn’t get far when a sailing expedition to locate a tribe gets interrupted and he finds an uncharted isle, and unwittingly unleashes some giant sized amorphous inhabitant!

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Godzilla vs Cthulhu, When a Titan and Great Old One Meets, Does the Phrase “Death May Die.” Matter Anymore?

Everything you want to know about CMON’s Cthulhu: Death May Die but were afraid to ask is answered here, including the upcoming Source Point Press’ comic book adaptation. Godzilla vs Cthulhu, however….

Godzilla vs Cthulhu Death May Die Comic No knowledge of the game is required to understand Godzilla vs Cthulhu: Death May Die. This comic book released by CMON Games is only sold at specific comic conventions, and as for whether there’ll be a market version, I’m doubtful. This showdown is a concept many fans have asked for. While I’m glad someone has taken up the challenge to write up a story concept of seeing these two fight one another, ultimately, in the end, the payoff was rather disappointing.

Obviously, there can’t be a clear winner (or loser). But c’mon, why can’t we at least see both sides licking their wounds?

While this one-shot written by Jonathan Maberry and illustrated by Bruno Abdias is not the only title set in this Death May Die universe, I have to wonder if any of the comics are meant to one day lead up to how the game ends? What this team wrote felt like a spec product than anything meaningful. Basically, the idea concerns preventing the second coming (of the Great Old Ones). Like in Arkham Horror the board/card game, there’s a timer (a doom track) that counts down to when all the seals are broken and all hell breaks loose! Continue reading “Godzilla vs Cthulhu, When a Titan and Great Old One Meets, Does the Phrase “Death May Die.” Matter Anymore?”

Top 13 Spooky Comic Books for the Halloween Reading Season

There’s much more titles to find in Diamond Press’ Previews showing what other scary reads are available for this spooky reading season coming up! What we offer is our top picks.

Elvira Ready to Slash for the 2024 Halloween Reading Season This year, comic book publishers have a nice collection of series being released from now unti November, marking the All Hallows Eve reading season. And there are a lot more in the trade paperback front, which includes reprints like a manga style take on Nightmare Before Christmas to salivate over!

I could list them all, but it would be tough to say which works I want to read over others as that pile of shame just keeps growing, as I should at least must read the first issues, or that collection when that trade paperback comes out. This list considers two titles released not for this season, as I feel they make up what trick or treating is about.

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From The Mountains of Madness Deluxe Edition to Arkham Horror, Just What Else Will A Scared Dark Horse Deliver?

To distinguish betweeen a work of Lovecraftian terror to cosmic horror, fans have to decide what is essential: Arkham Horror, The Mountains of Madness and many more iconic locales.

The Mountains of Madness Deluxe Edition HC — **Available for purchase on Amazon USA**

The months of July and August are shaping up to be quite the season to enjoy some Lovecraftian style terror with two releases! Early in July saw the release of The Mountains of Madness Deluxe Edition and this month, Arkham Horror! When it came to the latter, I had spend time to reacquaint myself with the game before really wanting to dive deep. It’s been a long time since I last played, and to enjoy it proper meant looking through the source material from start to end.

I must say that the former may well kickstart a set of reprints featuring Gou Tanabe’s fantastic artwork in this 7.5×10 inch format. There’s also Shadows of Innsmouth and The Hound & Other Stories to consider, but that will depend on how well sales go. Also, Call of Cthulhu (Amazon links) will hit shelves soon. If I said I’m waiting for a dual set release, this would be the reason; and if the other tomes aren’t reprinted to offer CoC and MoM up as a pair would have me interested in buying sooner than later.

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