Lovecraft Hardcover

'In reading Lovecraft's literary legacy, one can't help but wonder, What if...? Well, contained within the terse lines and imaginative writing of this book lies the answer to that question. Get ready for a fun, scary ride.' Guillermo del Toro, director ( Blade II )

The Necronomicon. Cthulu. A town called Arkham populated by bizarre and insane monstrosities. These icons of horror were envisioned by one man: Howard Philips Lovecraft. But were these visions of horror only in his mind, or could he see into a world that couldn't be seen?

His story is told in February's LOVECRAFT, an original VERTIGO hardcover graphic novel penned by screenwriter Hans Rodionoff ( Clive Barker Presents Saint Sinner, Man-Thing), adapted by comics legend Keith Giffen, and exquisitely painted by acclaimed Argentinian artist Enrique Breccia (BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE).

From his bizarre childhood, when his mother would dress him as a girl, to his adult days, when he would meet Harry Houdini, Lovecraft was haunted by grotesque visions. He dedicated his life to writing blood-boiling fictional tales, all in an attempt to appease his living nightmares. But that obsession would take its toll. His parents both sent to asylums and his loving wife driven away, Lovecraft would spend most of his life as a recluse, his only company being his demons and the occasional visit to his publisher. Some called him insane. Some called him a genius. Either way, the story of America's greatest horror writer is a tale as haunting as the demons that plagued him.

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LOVECRAFT is a 144-page VERTIGO original hardcover graphic novel edited by Karen Berger and is suggested for mature readers. It is advance-solicited and arrives in comic-book stores February 4 with a cover price of $24.95 U.S.