The Thing On The Doorstep #1: Lovecraftian Goodness

The Thing On The Doorstep #1 kicks off this adaption of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story that is perhaps one of his most well-known works. As an adaption, the first issue plays true to the original with a few extras that add depth and a modern feel, while keeping the setting the same as the original. In this issue Birks’s additions to the the story are making the protagonist Daniel Upton a Black man and showing how Upton and Edward Derby meet and how their friendship grew to where the main story unfolds. Both of these additions work well for the story in thier own ways.

It is well-known that Lovecraft was racist, but Birks does mot make this new aspect of race the main focus the story, as Upton is simply a Black man, and in no way does this disrupt the flow of this adaption.  Another nice addition is that Upton is both a husband and father, an aspect which rounds out his character and provides a way to showcase the established friendship between him and Derby. In this adaptation Birks provides the growth of Upton and Derby’s friendship through the years which makes the ending, shown at the beginning of the issue the same as the original, even more powerful and full of emotion.

The issue is well-paced and thoroughly establishes the main characters so that the rest of the story can be told without the need for lots exposition in the other two issues of the series. Along with the excellent storytelling, the art by Willi Roberts sets the mood through the clean lines and expressive faces, that bring these characters to life on the page. The cliffhanger of the issue allows Roberts to tease his horrifically good take on evil, leaving much to be anticipated in the next issues as the story grows darker.