Review: The Miskatonic Project - The Whisperer in Darkness

The Miskatonic Project: The Whisperer in Darkness (1991, 2008)

by Mark Ellis, Darryl Banks, Daryl Hutchinson, and Don Heck

Millennial Concepts

125 pages

Prolific independent writer Mark Ellis teams up with Darryl Banks <Green Lantern>, Daryl Hutchinson <Crypt of Cthulhu>, and Don Heck <Iron Man / Avengers> to pump out a faithful rendition of one of H.P. Lovecraft's classic novellas. The Miskatonic Project: The Whisperer in Darkness begins at breakneck speed with a cult sacrifice that quickly gets raided by a group of investigators called "The Miskatonic Project".

An exciting battle ensues, and the group is able to rescue the victim of the sacrifice, Professor Wilmarth. After arriving at a safe space, the professor begins to tell his story to the investigative group. What follows as the first part <of a 3-part story> is a true-to-source telling of the "Whisperer in Darkness".

The second part of the story follows the details of the investigation the group delves into, and the final, action-packed part explodes into the revelations that the investigation bears. The story is truly engaging, and it leaves the reader hungry to experience the next Miskatonic Project story. The action and mystery screams of "Delta Green", a Mythos-based role-playing game in which investigators for a secret government group delve into the darkest parts of strange happenings and cosmic horror. 

The artwork is in black-and-white, which is not for everyone, but I think it adds to the pulp feel of the work and may add to the intrigue of the story itself. Characters are rendered very well, although the monsters at times seem a little cheesy <think 1950's sci-fi/horror flicks>, but this, I think, adds to the fun of it all.

Coming in at 75 pages of story, the book also includes 50 pages of bonus content, including a thoughtful analysis of H.P. Lovecraft's view of humanity by Donald Burleson, a very interesting timeline of Lovecraftian lore and events, interviews with the creators, and bonus artwork and comics panels from the creators' prior works, including DC and Marvel work.

At a cover price of $16.99, this can't be beat, and I found mine on eBay for $10 shipped. I highly recommend this at 5 out of 5 stars.

Purchase it anywhere comic books are found!