Select Page

Herbert West lives and is headed for Innsmouth in new “RE-ANIMATOR” comic

Friday, January 8, 2021 | Comics, News

By MICHAEL GINGOLD

H.P. Lovecraft’s beloved crazed scientist has been re-animated for a new adventure involving the author’s mythos.

Dynamite Entertainment has announced the new 48-page prestige-format comic book REANIMATOR: THE ETERNAL LIE, written by Eisner Award-nominated Cullen Bunn (HARROW COUNTY, THE SIXTH GUN) and illustrated by Blacky Shepherd; the two previously collaborated on PUMPKINHEAD and VAMPIRELLA VS. REANIMATOR. The team is rounded out by colorist Ellie Wright and letterer Taylor Esposito. THE ETERNAL LIE is a direct sequel to Lovecraft’s original “Herbert West–Reanimator” short story; the synopsis: “Herbert West is believed dead–torn to shreds by his own abominable creations. But when he surfaces once more, it calls into question everything we thought we knew about this mad scientist and his quest to conquer death itself! West’s reanimation formula has been stolen by a diabolical cult. In order to retrieve the serum, he must travel to legend-haunted Innsmouth, where degenerate townsfolk lurk and dark gods stir in the depths.”

“There have been so many incarnations of Herbert West, but we’ve been given the opportunity to take the character back to formula, if you’ll pardon the pun,” Bunn says. “This story finds West in the 1920s, not long after the conclusion of the original short story. From there, we were able to go in some sinister new directions I think readers will love.” Adds Shepherd, “As a lifelong fan of the visceral horror that you get with ‘Reanimator,’ and the cosmic dread of the rest of the Lovecraft mythos, the chance to stitch the two together, as written by one of the modern masters of the macabre, was too exciting. This story gives me everything I love in a horror story and dials it up to 13!”

REANIMATOR: THE ETERNAL LIE is available for pre-order with a choice of three cardstock covers, two by Shepherd and another by Francesco Francavilla, at the title’s Indiegogo page, with an estimated shipping date of April. A fourth Shepherd cover (seen below) is available as part of a collector pack, as well as other merch including a REANIMATOR board game, syringe pen, enamel pin and more.

Michael Gingold
Michael Gingold (RUE MORGUE's Head Writer) has been covering the world of horror cinema for over three decades, and in addition to his work for RUE MORGUE, he has been a longtime writer and editor for FANGORIA magazine and its website. He has also written for BIRTH.MOVIES.DEATH, SCREAM, IndieWire.com, TIME OUT, DELIRIUM, MOVIEMAKER and others. He is the author of the AD NAUSEAM books (1984 Publishing) and THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO MONSTER MOVIES (FAB Press), and he has contributed documentaries, featurettes and liner notes to numerous Blu-rays, including the award-winning feature-length doc TWISTED TALE: THE UNMAKING OF "SPOOKIES" (Vinegar Syndrome).