BOOK TOUR: Minky Woodcock: The Girl Called Cthulhu
Cross detective fiction with historical figures, add burlesque sensibilities, and you get Minky Woodcock: a comic book series by Cynthia von Buhler. Now in her third collected volume, the sleuth will take on eldritch cults, international spies, and one of literature's simultaneously most revered and reviled horror authors.
Fresh off cases involving Harry Houdini and Nikola Tesla, Minky is now in correspondence with HP Lovecraft himself, concerning a book that he and the late Houdini were planning to collaborate on. But cracking this case open leads to a run-in with Aleister Crowley himself. The notorious magician wants Minky to help clear him of a murder accusation, but there's much more at stake than she realizes. In a story that spans six years, Minky Woodcock encounters a cult, discovers the early works of Ian Fleming, and becomes embroiled in a a mystery that could decide the course of World War II.
While the surrealist art won't be everyone's cup of tea, many readers will find it very fun to look at. von Buhler also employs a number of models for reference, bringing a unique look to her art. The story itself, though, is what's fascinating, and threads of what came before are worked through this new story to ensure everyone is at least somewhat caught up to Minky's misadventures. In the final pages of the collected volume, von Buhler goes into detail about which bits of the story were based on truth and how certain events actually went. She also addresses readers who might be less than thrilled by the presence of Lovecraft as a major character in the work.
The physical release itself is a gorgeous full-color hardcover, packed with bonus material including pages of cover art from the various issues within. That is, of course, one of the best things about Titan Comics: their physical editions are truly worth owning.
Titan also offers the first two volumes: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini and The Girl Who Electrified Tesla. You don't have to start at the beginning — but after seeing Minky Woodcock fight off mad magicians and international spies, you will almost certainly want more.
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