"Neonomicon", by Allan Moore & Jacen Burrows
Neonomicon is a difficult graphic novel to review.
To begin with, I think the term 'graphic' is more than appropriate here. Although I do not believe in censorship, I do think this particular piece should carry a warning on its cover. This is most definitely NOT for children of even younger (or less mature) adolescents.
The opening few pages carry some pretty graphic and gory artwork. However, this isn't really the questionable material. There is a significantly long orgy screen, which includes homo and heterosexual rape and gang rape. This scene isn't merely suggested but quite graphically laid out, leaving little to the imagination, including woman-on-woman cunnilingus, fellatio and ejaculation.
This scene is definitely not in the area of exotica and I would argue that is surpasses the category of 'soft porn'. Although the event is necessary to the storyline, the scene itself isn't. Unfortunately the writer/artist decided to avoid a Hitchcock-methodology (allowing the reader's imagination to fill in the horrific blanks), choosing instead to follow the less classic and less imaginative graphic option, I suspect, for its shock value.
Now, having said that, it isn't my intention to come across as a prude. Violence, gory, and even sexual content does not make a book (or graphic novel) good or bad. Its story does; its artwork does.
Neonomicon takes a novel approach to the Lovecraftian Mythos, and an interesting one at that! Allan Moore attempts to explain how the Great Old Ones could possible be both dead yet eternally sleeping and dreaming. I like this. However, Neonomicon's possible inclusion into the genre of Lovecraftian Horror ends there. Although this category of horror can include elements of shock and gory, it should not focus specifically on them. I feel Neonomicon only does this. Although of some levels it touches upon cosmic horror, I didn't feel this was its primary focus, but a secondary afterthought.
Although I would like to say it left me wanting more of the cosmic horror, sadly, it left me simply glad to close its covers.
