I came across a recommendation to this work from a surprising corner of Reddit. I felt a little unsure that I would like it, given that my only previous exposure to the Cthulu Mythos was via board games,

The art was fantastic from the outset in the first two volumes. Gou Tanabe strikes the eyes with intricate linework that dances out from pitch blackness. I wish I could draw like this man. However, I initially struggled with the fact that many of the characters, with the exception of Professor Dyer, were clean-shaven white men who looked all too similar (I'll opt to read too deeply into that and see that as a commentary on H.P. Lovecraft's racism) and stilted flashback exposition that is rained down after the story begins in-media res. The pacing felt clunky and the pages seemed to merely lurch from one beautiful panel to another absent of drama and tension (just Lake going insane and being a douche), until we get back to the point where Lake and his camp have been killed, and the cast gets pruned to the point where people are recognizable.

This momentum launched me into the last two volumes (collected into one beautiful omnibus edition, like the first two volumes). The last two volumes are just incredible, with the high point for me being Dyer's interpretation of the history of the Old Ones/Elder Things. Gou Tanabe's 2-page spreads crescendo into the mind-blowing visual definition cosmic horror. Dear lord, he was able to make the Cthulu Mythos spring to fleshy life like I've never seen. The creatures looked viscerally grotesque and alien, not humanoid whatsoever. At the same time, Tanabe's art was able to stir surprising feelings of empathy and sympathy for the Old Ones within me. Despite their writhing and non-humanoid appearance, I saw then as non-human persons, full beings with inner universes. I felt that Tanabe's portrayal of the Old Ones and their conflicts added additional depth and liveliness to Lovecraft's narrative. I started asking myself, what educational systems did the Old Ones have? What jokes did they tell?

This is the finest manga adaptation of a Western work of literature that I've read to date. It has a rocky start and the character designs could have been more distinct, but the art and narrative synthesize into a deliriously trippy experience in the final omnibus. My lack of knowledge of the Cthulu Mythos did not end up being a hindrance, and may have actually worked in my favor by making the setting that much more foreboding and mysterious.

Dark Horse gave this a beautiful paperback release with high quality paper. The colored pages are absolutely gorgeous. This is definitely worth a physical purchase, and with Dark Horse's smaller print runs, the release is probably worth getting sooner rather than later.

Edit: As an aside, I learned today that At The Mountains Of Madness was nominated for a 2020 Eisner award, so let that also push you towards reading this.