Alan Moore's Neonomicon

Product Information

NEXT TIME: A reflection on the Alan Moore legacy. And, in two weeks, I conclude the Great Alan Moore Reread with my All-Time Alan Moore Top Ten list. Alien Geometries: The Plateau of Leng definitely qualifies. R'lyeh is actually Agent Brears's womb.

The ceremonial magician and self-professed occultist Alan Moore is one of the most influential comic book writers in English and was hugely influential in elevating the genre. Primarily known for his work on Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, and Batman, Moore considers his magical activities as "a logical end step to my career as a writer" (quoted from Vylenz). "I believe that magic is art, and that art, whether that be music, writing, sculpture, or any other form, is literally magic. Art is, like magic, the science of manipulating symbols, words or images, to achieve changes in consciousness... Indeed to cast a spell is simply to spell, to manipulate words, to change people's consciousness, and this is why I believe that an artist or writer is the closest thing in the contemporary world to a shaman" (ibid.).Japan Takes Over the World: In proper Cyberpunk fashion, Pachinko arcades are a common sight in the grim, gritty early 2000s as seen from the '90s America of The Courtyard. The Asian Financial Crisis was still a few years away when the prose story the comic was based on was written. Exotic Equipment: We get to see quite a bit of Deep One penis, and it's pretty much a regular penis. Played somewhat straight in that Deep Ones seem to be able to go at it for hours without any kind of male refractory period at all. Some of the sex toys depicted are pretty out there, as well. Being Tortured Makes You Evil: Arguably, Agent Brears. Multiple rapes, the death of her partner, and being impregnated with Cthulhu seem to have turned her around to the idea of destroying the world by the end of the story. Johnny Carcosa, a character who wears a yellow mask that is strongly implied to be part of his face?

Darker and Edgier: The story takes the works of H.P Lovecraft to some very dark places that even Lovecraft himself danced around or demurred from going to. Let that sink in for a moment.

New in Series

Adaptational Wimp: The Deep One again. He is portrayed as being unable to talk with Agent Brears, while in Lovecraft, Deep Ones were highly intelligent and sophisticated creatures that had no trouble negotiating complex treaties with humans. However, he does manage some limited communication with Brears after she's had enough of his forced intercourse, and his ability to detect her pregnancy and his willingness to not just help her escape but also exact vengeance on the cultists imply Hidden Depths (pun intended).