Gou Tanabe delivers another great adaptation of one of the most popular Lovecraft's story. Monsters are scary and depicted in high detail. The mystery of Innsmouth is interesting and creepy. The manga is short and will be a great read for you, if you enjoy horror, Lovecraft or smelly fish.
Story:
Our story, just as any Lovecraft’s story, starts quite slowly. The main protagonist becomes an adult and decides to travel. He wants to see New England’s tourist attractions while making a family tree. His current destination point is his mother’s city called Arkham. That's a plan! Let's go buy train tickets!
Oh no, tickets are unaffordable. What to do? Well, there is a bus available. It will drive to Arkham, but with a stop in Innsmouth before that... Why cashier became awfully quiet? He insists on not staying in this awful city. What's the deal?
After having our first introduction to this mysterious, infamous, and "fishy" place (pun fully intended) our protagonist grows very curious of the city and decides to visit it. Yeah, strange-looking citizens with huge unclosing eyes, cases of tourist disappearances, and cult that oversees everything. What can go wrong? Adventure begins :D
Plot:
The manga consists only of 2 volumes. The first one is exposition. We get to see Innsmouth and try to find out the story behind it. By the end of it, the plot really kicks in. If you are not a fan of slow beginnings, I highly suggest to bear with it. Because after very interesting conversation in the end of volume 1 comes the juicy volume 2. It will not be read, it will be consumed.
Artwork:
Nothing to do here but to give praises. The artwork is clean. The spreads with Innsmouth's sceneries are gorgeous and feel real. The monster designs are a horror chef's kiss.
Conclusion:
Amazing story filled with mystery and horror. It may feel slow at the beginning, but the pay-off will be worth it. And the manga only lasts 2 volumes, which makes for a short and spooky read in the evening. Miskatonic University approves.
