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Mountainhead Collector’s Edition TPB
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Story: John Lees
Art: Ryan Lee
Colors: Doug Garbark
Letters: Shawn Lee

Considering the current political and media climate in this country, you could be forgiven for cringing at the idea of writer John Lees centering Mountainhead around the son of a serial cat-burglar and conspiracy theorist who indoctrinates him to subvert American culture and government. Corrupt authoritarian death squads and complacent consumerist wage-slaves are offered up as inescapable boogie men early on and I will admit that I initially found it difficult to connect with Poppa Noah Stubbs. 

While the character’s arguments against complacency and acquiescence to mindless social conditioning are not entirely without merit, we’ve all seen first hand the impact of overt and fetishistic subversion of the status quo. Noah’s solution is simple: “Don’t slow down. Don’t get comfortable. Don’t think you’re safe. Be ready to run.” Depending on your personal politics, these are either words to live by or a glaring red flag warning of fringe paranoia and instability.

It’s a good thing for protagonist Abraham Stubbs, that his father’s conditioning has afforded him an eminently handy skillset leading into the Lovecraftian calamity due to befall Braeriach, British Columbia. It took me a while to catch on that the uneasiness pervading the opening pages of this horror thrill-ride was entirely intentional. It was more than just difficulty connecting with an unusual character. The core character and world-building that take place in the first chapter are essential for priming every warped, heartrending revelation this book has in store. 

It’s a dynamite ride full of color and personality, but also impenetrable darkness sprinkled with surprisingly touching pathos. The artwork by Ryan Lee is staggering in detail. In some instances, the action may be a bit muddled and hard to follow, but the feeling of “otherness” evoked in those few panels is likely just as intentional as that initial trepidation. Something isn’t just amiss, something is existentially wrong here and I cannot say that I have ever felt that sense more palpable and precisely articulated in this medium, except maybe for Aaron Campbell’s acclaimed work on Image’s Infidel.

I will admit, Mountainhead’s successes do not come without caveats. Later chapters are less character-focused while ramping up the carnage rather haphazardly. Most characters are appropriately established by then, but touching back on the eldritch abominations that manifest, we know almost nothing about the why and how of their bloodlust. I get that much of the terror comes from the unknowing, but for a work that is so painstakingly detailed to slip into such blatant obfuscation is a tad disappointing. I’m guessing this is where knowledge of the audience is most valuable. Horror is not my forte and this creative team is well aware of their responsibilities to the genre faithful. In that, I have no doubt that Mountainhead delivers in spades.

Christian Davenport
cable201@comicattack.net