THE VESSEL OF TERROR by Magnus Aspli, Dave Acosta, Jeremy P Roberts, Goran Kostadinoski and Alex De-Gruchy
Markosia, paperback, £12.99

Reviewed by Matthew Johns

The Vessel of Terror is a graphic novel in the style of HP Lovecraft, which tells of a whale research ship that discovers and captures a mysterious Magnapinna squid. The first of these squid ever to be captured, it is examined closely by members of the crew, while the superstitious captain wants it to be thrown back overboard.

Beautifully inked and well written, the tale flicks back and forth between the ship and its crew, and a doctor facing the black death in 1349. As members of the crew succumb to fear, possession and madness, in 1349, Doctor Virchow watches helplessly as his village gradually dies from the plague.

The artwork effectively portrays the confusion and fear of the protagonists, and the Lovecraftian tale captures the imagination well. An enjoyable read, well worth picking up if you have the opportunity.